To Playbook or not to Playbook

DO NOT GIVE PLAYBOOKS TO YOUR PLAYERS!

1. 99% of those you give it too will look at it for no more than 10 minutes. I never did when my coach gave me a cheat sheet.

2. You run the risk of opponents seeing it (yes, I've heard of players giving it to the other team). We found a playbook from one of our opponents just laying out in front of their HS when we arrived for a game.

3. A majority of teens do what they do best next to lying: losing things

4. You give "football dad's" something else to use against you (they'll find a way).

5. It's just another little stressor you'll have to be on top of and monitor.

WE dont hand them out but if we did, they would be like a textbook, they must be returned at the end of the year. We also count this towards their lettering.

I've never seen these negatives on handing out playbooks. I understand that a lot of kids won't look at them. That's ahy we only give them to those who ask. The "Dad" thing is something that I've never considered and never will. Is there a chance that our opponents will get one? Hell, it's better than a chance. Kids around here move so I know that our opponents have ours. Who cares? There are no state secrets in there. Anybody who watches us on film can see what's in the playbook anyway.

I agree with fantom, give it to the kids that ask for one.

Providing playbooks also give you another leg to stand on when a dad wants to know why his son is not playing and you tell him he does not know any of his plays.

Also for those dads that act like they have a clue about your schemes, it is a great chance to show them what it is supposed to look like. If little johnny is blows an assignment or a play blows up, maybe it is because he ran the play or front wrong and not because the coach is an idiot.

In regard to our opponents, I want teams to try and defend our entire playbook. Like fantom said with the amount of tape and ease of access to it, there are secrets. We had 8 tapes on one team last year, knew their schemes inside and out. We put together what we thought was a soild game plan. They came out and thumped us by 28 because we had two key injuries, 5 turnovers (including 2 returned for touchdown), and they physically beat the crap out of us.

Just so long as you don't "cross swords."

Does that 1.5 include Pre-Practice, Warm-up, Conditioning?

I think generating a playbook is absolutely essential - the process of going through the plays/schemes vs. the defense, when to use it, etc., is much more important than the circles and lines.

We haven't given out playbooks to the players but it is available to those that need to learn from pictures. The coaches are expected to have the playbook and understand it.

We give full playbooks to the QB's only. Other than that, we provide blocking scheme sheets for the o-line.

I think the presentation combined with a workbook is good. Give a presentation, the kids are responsible for filling out the X's and O's for every position. Show them an example with notes and stuff showing them the detail they can put into it if they wish.

Then, quiz them (just parts at a time, not the whole thing). To be on the first string, they need to pass the quiz. To pass the quiz, the day of the quiz they need to turn in their notes and show a good understanding of the plays (I wouldn't use a percentage, just b/c some kids are visual some are not, it's your discretion as the coach depending on the kid).

It's quick. It's simply. It's in their language. On return of the quiz, you can see where everyone is struggling, and see if it was something you did/said based on the notes and such.

I think it works well if you give out a playbook with the all the basic information: formations, personnel gourps, blocking schemes, base runs/passes/screens, and also information on Specific Situations, Audibles, etc.

Then, as you go through the season, all the weekly game-planning that you might go over with the team (in a classroom) the players would just take notes of the new plays and new calls, etc.

I think you have to have something tangible, that players can take home and study. It also puts the onus on them, as far as learning the information. That can't say "Well hey, I don't have a playbook, Coach... I can't remember everything just by hearing it once."

What I've done in the past is just have each position-group coach put together a playbook for their position players, put it in a 3-ring notebook, and put loose-leaf paper in it. The quarterbacks get the whole playbook, the receivers get the passing game aspects, the OL/RB's/TE's get the whole run game and parts of the pass game that involve them.

Just like with school, students who have a "textbook" to reference as a resource will have something tangible to look at, whenever they need to, in order to learn the information.

I've found (adults, not HS students FWIW) that some people actually learn from the playbook while many others don't. Some people are just visual learners. For that reason, I still have a printed playbook for those people even if they may be a minority vs. those who learn better through practice alone.

How big a difference has this made? I really like the idea of giving the kids a notebook or folder, and have them add to it as we go through the season. Does it significantly increase the "usability" of your not so good players? How much more in rhythm does it put everyone?

Some years I do, some years I don't. Some of my assistants are big into handing out playbooks. We seem to get the same results either way. It has more to do with kids getting reps on the field and applying themselves than seeing it on paper IMO.

I tried something new this year. I did not give the OL playbooks. I had them copy the plays and their assignments in their own notebook. When we had meetings I went through the plays with them and had them write it down. They were more engaged during the meetings and they asked several good questions. The HC then gave everyone playbooks a week later, but my OL didn't need them. They already had their own.

Before we got Hudl I made our defensive playbook on Powerpoint. Not a whole lot of funds to print out a playbook for everyone, plus, as some said, they rarely look at it or lose it. So I just emailed the Powerpoint to all the players to they at least had it on their computer. If they wanted to print it out, fine with me.