Tips for getting more reps from scout teams

I have plays drawn on 5x8 notecards. I use a binder ring to keep them together (Also helps me keep them year to year...take out plays...put in new ones...ect.) I play scout team QB (real short on numbers most years and our QB's almost always play defense too). I have the scout team huddle all facing the LOS. I stand in front (Facing LOS) and hold up the card.
Everyone looks at their job. I may point out anything that HAS to happen, then we execute.

Youth Coach here- something that's worked for me:
Call the cadence
The scout QB seems to like wasting time and giving his buddies as long a breather as they can make happen
3 X 5 cards with plays
We let the C go early and set up then we break
Run to the LOS- as soon as the linemens feet are close to being set I start calling the cadence
Looks sloppy early on
By game 2, going pretty quickly

I coach Scout Offense to make sure our Defense gets very best look possible.

Kids not on 1st Defense seem to be more concerned about their effort-execution on Scout team when head coach is running it.

I can still observe my defensive position group (LBers) effectively from behind Offense too.

We did a split scout offense - 1 group was full team going run plays, the other was backs and receivers running the pass plays. While 1 is being run, the other is getting the call and getting ready to go. Takes 2 coaches or 1 very good, very fast coach. QB usually does both squads, maybe a back or WR does as well.

I don't use a binder but one of the sheet protector packs that has 10 pages sealed together. About $5 at Staples. I use a single play on each page, but the top image is to the left, the bottom image is to the right. Backs and WR's are color coded - you're blue, you do this. That model gives slots for 20 different plays, each going to the left and to the right. They are drawn up against our base defensive fronts and include the possible/likely blocking schemes.

I also use our offensive call scheme so our players are used to hearing our own terminology and motions and such. That also helps because my playbook is ever expanding that way, we assimilate every offensive scheme we run across and add it to the library. Not that we will ever run it, but it's there, in the proper format, should we ever need to pull something out.

Vs scout defense I try to do the same thing, two squads going, 1 run, 1 pass. I tell the defense to run #6 or #14, coach looks in the pack and runs it. If I were good I'd have a script that he would look at and set the situation and defense.

I am a big 1 vs 1 and 2vs 2 guys because of the speed of the game.
Say you are doing scout o vs team D. have two offensive huddles. you can rapid fire and be like game tempo. can do the same with scout d vs team o.

The above is the best way to practice vs a no huddle club.

Have two coaches running the scout teams, one for each huddle.

Fantom, I have been watching this for a long time and I seen very few scout reps that improve defense. Too much uncertainty to get a look. Really I would have a set of base plays that you run every week with the scout team and they will get better at running them. We have too many kids that have no idea what they are doing. Now if you have the luxury of a whole group of kids that can look at a card and do what it says, then it is worth running opponents plays.

We do our best to get the scout players to execute our system while running the opposing teams plays. For the OL, that means blocking power, trap, zone, etc. Using our language and calls seems to help them tremendously. If we can keep them in the position they play, it helps even more.

We number the skill kids so they know what they are looking for on the scout card. This also makes it easier for subs on the scout team. We can just ask the player what number he is instead of trying to figure it out in the huddle. It also makes our life easier when a team runs every formation under the sun. Bobby just looks for #3 on the card to see where he lines up and what is assignment is.

We also have a coach play quarterback most of the time. It keeps our starter out of the mess and I think it gives us a more realistic look more often than not. If the team we are playing runs the same system, then our back-up will play scout QB for that week so he can get more work in.

That's why, when we're getting ready to play a team with an intricate offense, we'll choose the scout team early in the week. We'll get them together on Monday and gave them walk through, then run, the plays that are especially tough. That's helped us against Wing-T and Single Wing teams. Also we'll run the plays without a ball at first.

Something else that I like is using the position names instead of circles on the scout card. When the kid looks at the card he sees "LT" and hopefully he know that the's the Left Tackle. I like the "Roll Call" idea above. When our scout team coach does that we're a lot better organized than when we just flash the card.

A few years ago I found a ring binder with plastic ring that were very flexible. They don't break. Also the binder is made of tough plastic that is flexible.

I put a bunch of clear plastic sleeves inside the binder and I draw the scout offense on plain paper (2 mirror-image plays per page).
This binder can make it through being throw, stepped on, and rainy days. It's light weight and virtually indestructible.

I'm the OC/line coach. I run the scout O for our HC. I quickly call the formation, and the play, then show them the diagram to make sure. We try to hustle to the line and run plays as quick as possible.

The biggest problem that we have is going on 2.
Our offense doesn't do it, so its really tough on our scout team.

LOL. One team who we play is notorious for going on 3 on 3rd and 5 or less. Our scout team invariably screws that up.

Just my opinion fantom but I think you get better keys and reads from kids going full go becaause they know what they are doing and LBs and such can read and react. Even in a I offense you can go split backs or flat backs and run a few plays that look something like wing t. You are probably right though, I have no idea what I am talking about.

Since it is spring ball time for those who have spring ball, I would say have the scout team run your own plays. You can use that time as their own team period. During game week, if you can, adapt the opponents plays to yours whenever you can. Sometimes, obviously, it is not possible. Buck sweep is buck sweep and there isn't much like it. But, for instance, if the scouts are running veer, you can run zone away and get a similar look to what the defense needs. Also, stretch and toss are the same blocking, etc. Have the WR's run the route combinations the opponent runs, but have a coach play QB for those if there is no overlap from those routes to those in your own playbook to get the right reads/progressions.

What we have found is that if you have scout kids that give you a buck sweep that have very small resemblence to your opponents buck sweep it does nothing but waste time showing it to them. It is true you are only as good as your scout team. Coach playing scout QB cvan be entertaining at times but we have had more than one end up in the ER for stiches or other injury. It is hard to get your insurance to cover such dangerous endevors since you are being paid to be there. Worker comp may want to know if your job description says, run scout team plays!

We use the old overhead projector sheets with one play on the top and another on the bottom. we label the skill positions with letters (A, S, Z, H, Y). when you flip the page, the plays are in the opposite direction.

Just like most others we have the head coach run the demo O so we get a pretty good look most times.

Here is my idea for the future of scout teams......i can't write code for an app or i would already be vacationing on my personal island until summer football begins.....and I digress....

An app with a script for the demo coach to follow. he clicks on play #1, the listed play pops up with everything labeled. suddenly, the DC says, "flip the play to the other side." the demo coach is able to quickly flip the direction with the push of one button. if the DC wants a particular play in a particular direction he can have it called right up on the device with everything labeled and ready to go.

I am picturing a catalog similar to Hudl where you could pull up last year's script versus an opponent and make any small changes necessary and save as the current year.

plus other bells and whistles....

how many of you would use this type of app on your smartphone or tablet during practice? if you would and you have connections with someone who can write code, I think we would all benefit from something like this. sorry about the long post.