coachood
Sophomore Member
Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence. -Vince Lombardi
Posts: 173
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Post by coachood on Feb 12, 2011 20:37:42 GMT -6
We have a drill that we call OTIS, which stands for opportunity to improve self. It's a basic 1 on 1 Oklahoma drill but each kid gets to pick his opponent, and you have to pick some one who is better than you.
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Post by norcaldiaz on Feb 12, 2011 21:35:52 GMT -6
Just picked this up from a visiting college coach and are gonna try it out this year. During defensive 7 on 7s, every time the offense completes a ball (5+ yards only), wherever he gets tagged/wrapped up he will stop and toss the ball straight up in the air. Someone on the D must "intercept" it (or scoop it up if it hits the ground) and the whole defense will sprint to the LOS simulating a return. So the longer the completion, the longer the return will be.
Not only do we get to practice working on returning turnovers for scores, but after a couple completions the guys don't want to have to make that return run anymore so guys are laying out and being very aggressive trying to prevent that completion.
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Post by coachbdud on Feb 12, 2011 21:37:14 GMT -6
this has been talked about on this board before on more than one occasion
but I think it is THE BEST thing I have ever done practicing against wing t, option, or any type of misdirection
no ball
Forces players to read their keys, and play their assignments, they do not get caught up in but I thought he had the ball.
I started using this a few seasons ago, the year before we gave up a combined 117 pts in 2 games to option teams, I then learned the no ball concept, and we gave up a combined 20 points to those same 2 teams the following season.
We had a better team of course that 2nd year, but I honestly think practicing team D with no ball was a major factor in stopping both offenses, it makes your defense play more purely.
Your scout team O will never be as good at running option or misdirection as the team you will play Friday night (unless you already run that system aswell)
so they might see the ball mon-thursday, but if that other team is worth a crap your kids wont see the ball once on Friday night, so you might as well have them practice that way
we even would run pass plays with no ball, if a DB got beat by not reading their keys or man (depending on coverage) then he got chewed out.
No ball means DB can't say "I thought it was a run"
He has to do what he is supposed to be doing
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Post by jpdaley25 on Feb 13, 2011 19:53:22 GMT -6
My best practice idea is the split practice.
I recommend this to any football team except for the ones that we compete against. For them, this is a terrible idea.
We do this for five days of spring practice, five days at the beginning of summer practice in shorts, and again for two days during two-a-days. I've also done it at different times on Mondays during the season when I felt it was necessary.
It is basically an intense fundamentals practice with benefits. We will have a two hour practice using the entire coaching staff to work with just the OL and the DL on fundamentals and technique.
Then, the linemen go home, we take a 10 minute break, and then we have another two hour fundamental practice with just the skill guys.
All of those things that you don't quite have enough time for in the normal indy period gets the sh!t repped out of it here, there's a lot more individual attention, and I've found that the coaches love to coach outside of their positions. The OL coach gets to work with receivers and backs. The Receiver coach gets to work with linemen. It has made us better, brought all of us closer together, and given us an edge on the competition.
but it's hell on us old coaches. Wives don't like it much either!
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Post by Coach.A on Feb 13, 2011 21:53:07 GMT -6
One of the best things we've done in the past couple years with our O-Line is an "O-Line Circuit". We are a no-huddle team and we have very few concepts, so we want to be great at the few things we do by maximizing reps. The circuit can also be used as a conditioning tool.
Our base plays are: IZ, OZ, Counter, Power, Trap
Our circuit consists of the following:
- IZ steps over the boards (2 x right, 2 x left)
- OZ steps over the boards (2 x right, 2 x left)
- Square pull along the splits marker (1 right, 1 left)
- Kick-out pull along the splits marker (1 right, 1 left)
- Pass Pro slide drill: line up six cones in a grid, linemen will power-step, power-step, then kick-slide-kick, repeat 3 times to make it through the grid (once through power stepping right, kick sliding left, then once through power stepping left and kick sliding right)
We position a linemen (or two) at each station. After they complete the prescribed number of reps they move immediately to the next station. We build up throughout the season - Ultimately we want the linemen to be able to make it through the circuit 3 times with no rest...this is very demanding if they are hustling through the circuit.
I think an O-Line circuit can be used for any offense, just breakdown the key skills you ask your linemen to do in your offense, then make that skill a station.
It can also be used when you have limited coaches available, or during specials for O-linemen that aren't involved...just tell them to complete the circuit 2 or 3 times.
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Post by gpoulin76 on Feb 14, 2011 9:51:45 GMT -6
All those X's and O's we love to talk about are nice. But how we, as coaches, use and manage our practice time in an efficient way are FAR more important.
Great ideas guys....keep them coming!
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Post by mnpasso on Feb 14, 2011 11:09:34 GMT -6
GREAT THREAD!
Steelhawk,
Really a great idea. Makes me think that would work for all position groups. Also to trim the lists down to what is really important to the O-Line or any other position group.
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jlt
Junior Member
Posts: 313
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Post by jlt on Feb 14, 2011 11:24:15 GMT -6
No huddle O drill. Set 4 cones out in a box with each side about 20 yards. 4 different coloured cones.
Then you scream a colour and a play. The O has 8 seconds to sprint to the next cone, setup, execute the motions and plays.
You need a 2nd coach to keep the backups rolling in as this drill is a killer. But it speeds up the no huddle massively.
Adding to that you only need to do it in 10 mins spells but it helps with fitness, play reps, play recognition, and execution under pressure.
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Post by jaysea40 on Feb 14, 2011 12:27:46 GMT -6
Great thread!
A couple of things we have done to improve practice efficiency:
1. We went no-huddle for our offense. We signal each play in and we run in both directions (head north on one play and south on the next). We have the players go about 30 yards to the next spotted ball and return from there. This, by far, has been to best thing we have done. We have tripled our reps in scrimmage.
2. We perform a defensive circuit at the start of practice while the offense do a walk thru. We have an open field tackle, a close tackle, and a turn over drill. Each station lasts for 5 minutes. The offense will do blocking circuits and a turn over while the defense. walks through their info.
We have had to be creative for a number of reasons. There are some great ideas in this thread!!!
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Post by jgordon1 on Feb 14, 2011 12:51:05 GMT -6
one thing that we do is an offensive pursuit drill...We practice getting down field, we practice scoring where every one has to get into the endzone..we also practice celebrating Scores
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tackle
Sophomore Member
Posts: 129
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Post by tackle on Feb 14, 2011 13:52:08 GMT -6
We have added a little tweak to our pass game practice to help our receivers to be better runner in space after the catch.
Receivers need to finish and score on every catch. We expect them to turn up field and sprint for 15 yards. The goal is to finish the play by becoming a runner. Making the catch is not enough. This prepares them for contact. We do this anytime we throw the ball. routes on air, 7 on 7, team pass. one on one vs corners.
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Post by waltkus72 on Feb 14, 2011 15:31:47 GMT -6
I went to the Glazier Clinics this past weekend in Boston. I sat in a room with a speaker from Everett, MA. They recently won the super bowl in Eastern MA. They are a fast paced, no huddle spread offense team. Their main drill was very interesting.
He started out by saying, the old way of practicing is out. I can't stand it when you see 22 players on the field and everyone else just standing around watching them in team. So he showed us his drill
They are a two platoon team. So the offense stands in the endzone, while the 1st Varsity Defense is on the ten yard line, waiting for them. Then if they run the play successfully, they sprint to the forty yard line where the best JV defense is waiting. They run another play then sprint to the thirty yard line where the best freshmen d is waiting. If the varsity scores then they turn it around and run it back just in the backwards order (fresh@10,jv@40,v@30). But if they get stopped between the ten and goaline, they will run their goal line/redzone package.
He said that he attempts to get through this whole drill (DOWN AND BACK) in 2 minutes or less. He says he's typically over but that's the goal.
I thought this was interesting because you get conditioning with a fast paced offense, and as everyone wants MORE REPS.
Walter K.
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Post by WB22 on Feb 15, 2011 10:21:57 GMT -6
waltkus72,
You said, "if they run the play successfully...". What is deemed a successful play ? Certain number of yards gained ? Executed perfectly ? Thanks.
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Post by Coach.A on Feb 15, 2011 13:40:30 GMT -6
I had a few people ask me about the O-Line circuit I posted earlier so I thought I'd post a video of it. I just randomly grabbed 3 of our players at the end of our off-season so our players were a little rusty with their technique. They only complete the circuit 1 time and they are winded. During the season they were able to complete the circuit 3 times in full equipment. This drill has been a great tool for fine tuning our fundamentals and for conditioning. It includes all of the main skills we ask our O-Linemen to master.
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coachood
Sophomore Member
Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence. -Vince Lombardi
Posts: 173
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Post by coachood on Feb 15, 2011 19:13:16 GMT -6
one thing that we do is an offensive pursuit drill...We practice getting down field, we practice scoring where every one has to get into the endzone..we also practice celebrating Scores Do you really have to practice handing the ball to an official? |
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Post by coachbdud on Feb 15, 2011 19:20:32 GMT -6
I had a few people ask me about the O-Line circuit I posted earlier so I thought I'd post a video of it. I just randomly grabbed 3 of our players at the end of our off-season so our players were a little rusty with their technique. They only complete the circuit 1 time and they are winded. During the season they were able to complete the circuit 3 times in full equipment. This drill has been a great tool for fine tuning our fundamentals and for conditioning. It includes all of the main skills we ask our O-Linemen to master. that is awesome coach |
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Post by blb on Feb 15, 2011 19:22:09 GMT -6
one thing that we do is an offensive pursuit drill...We practice getting down field, we practice scoring where every one has to get into the endzone..we also practice celebrating Scores Do you really have to practice handing the ball to an official? YES - for example, on a punt - just because the ball has stopped rolling does not mean it is "dead." A member of the receiving team can swoop in, pick it up, and run it back for a long gain-TD while your coverage kids are walking off the field if punt is not whistled down. Have seen it done in NFL and HS. Tell your kids when ball has stopped rolling towards opponents' goal line, pick it up and hand it to Back Judge or nearest official. And yes, we also practice "celebrating" a score and handing ball to official so we don't get a "Celebration" penalty, too. HS kids will see all kinds of post-TD actions on TV that aren't allowed in our games. If it's part of the game, and could hurt your team if you don't - why wouldn't you teach them how to react in that situation, like any other that may occur in a game? If you don't and it it happens - whose fault is it - the kids, or yours? |
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Post by coachshepherd on Feb 15, 2011 23:18:19 GMT -6
Towel Drill - best drill for teaching wideouts blocking in space.
Love it - 1 on 1, WO attacks defender - stalk, crack and coach throws a towel, practice jersey, etc. behind the WO as the ball carrier, defender attempts to scoop, step on towel.
Dramatic improvement in our stalks and crack blocks
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Post by blueswarm on Feb 16, 2011 23:36:25 GMT -6
I picked this one up last year in a coaching clinic when I heard the LB coach from BYU speak. He did a whole piece on change ups to the pursuit drills. He talked about one that I liked and we started using it too.
Everyone does the pursuit drill with a coach or trash cans 30-40 yards downfield that players race towards. What they do is make sure all 11 players finish through the coach/can because they want to teach players to finish because until the offensive player crosses the goalline (trash can/coach) the play is not over. If everyone pursues, then if one player makes the ballcarrier make a radical change of direction, then other defenders have the chance to make a tackle. The change-up that they do is the coach running the drill will blow a whistle at any point in the pursuit and this is the "change of direction". When the whistle blows, all 11 players have to stop, turn and pursue to the other coach/can and finish through on the opposite side of the field. He said this forces their players to change directions, redirect, change directions and continue the pursuit. It is especially good for change of direction and trick plays like reverses and such and re-inforces finishing the play till the end.
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Post by 3rdandlong on Feb 17, 2011 0:40:22 GMT -6
Two offensive huddles during team. It increases reps and the defense would be used to playing high tempo offensive teams especially with the no huddle becoming more of a factor these days.
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smu92
Junior Member
Posts: 415
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Post by smu92 on Feb 21, 2011 11:05:26 GMT -6
Great thread. Some really good ideas here guys.
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Post by coachwoodall on Feb 21, 2011 11:28:10 GMT -6
Two things that we've done defensively: 1. Any time we do team D or 7 on 7, we have a turnover quota the D must meet. Fail to meet it = conditioning. We feel we've seen this impact our TO totals on Friday nights. Plus it makes these sessions more competitive. We do the same thing, but set the goal for the entire practice. That way if a DB gets a pick in 1 on 1s, it counts for the total. Or if a LB gets a strip from the scout RB during inside period, it also counts. It gets fun when the kids are calling out the number of turnovers across the field during practice. |
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Post by eaglemountie on Feb 21, 2011 19:37:05 GMT -6
We finish every single defensive drill with either a form tackle, interception, fumble recovery, caused fumble, pass break-up, etc.
Our ball hawking skills and turnovers improved dramatically.
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