Scheme vs fundamentals

Fundamentals.

It all fits together though. If you can't block and tackle it really doesn't matter how advanced your scheme is. You have to crawl before you can walk and walk before you can run.

When you build a house do you start with the shingles? No. You start with the foundation and walls then make it look all pretty. That's how I view fundamentals (they are the foundation) and scheme (they are the pretty stuff inside the house). Can;t have one with out the other but you have to start somewhere.

Just out of curiosity...how successful were the teams at your other stops?

Fundamentals.

Scheme puts the players in the right place, but what use is that if they dont know what to do when they get there.

Fundamentals for sure.

I think when those guys at clinics say "focus on fundamentals" they are assuming that your scheme is sound. There's a lot of HS coaches out there who are simply not sound scheme wise. You gotta have a solid sound scheme first (I did not say complicated) then its fundamentals fundamentals....

Think about the saying " a bad block on the right guy is better than a great block on the wrong guy" so... teach who to block then how to block

They also want you to teach fundamentals to ultimately allow them to scheme more and fundie less

I agree Coach Slack.

FUNDAMENTALS... FUNDAMENTALS... FUNDAMENTALS...

Scheme means nothing if you can't execute your base run or base pass play. All scheme is built off of an assumption that the other team is going to have to "adjust" to handle your base play... if your kids can't block and tackle, no scheme in the world can save you.

Unfortunately, so many of the rules-changes coming out now in the game are placing such an emphasis on scheme because they are taking a lot of the 'contact' out of the game. When I played, if I threw my WR into a collision, it was my fault, not the DB's fault for crushing him like he is supposed to. It was important for me to throw with my proper footwork, timing, and location to not get my WR injured.

Alignment, Base Responsibility, and Technique are about 80% of what we do... the other 20% only matters if the first 80% is good.

I've said this before...But I used to work for a man who was going to run a defense he called "4-5 cover 3" every single play of every game if he could, and he was gonna teach the heck out of fundamentals in that defense. Proper angles, reads, steps, all of that. His theory was that if he taught the heck out of that, even if we were out of alignment or not in a good defense vs. a particular formation, there's always a chance that a kid might accidentally do the right thing just because he had been taught his fundamentals. On the other hand, if you're scheme scheme scheme, it may not matter how perfectly you line up every play if you have no idea what to do when the ball is snapped.

Three state titles and myriad district championships later, I think this guy might have a good point

To me, basic plays and formations are part of scheme.

Fundamentals are things like stance, body position, steps and hand placement. Blocking, tackling and running to the ball are fundamentals as are ball skills and read and react abilities.

You still have to know your alignment, your assignment, and your key, which. are scheme related.

I've had some thoughts about this and Coach McElroy of Saddleback College said it awesome in a clinic I was just at. For some reason it stuck with me.

"As teachers, most of you guys use Whole-Part-Whole methods in the classroom. So use it on the field"

Show the kids the scheme, then rep the technique, then run the scheme. It sounded better when he explained it but I got the gist of it.

There has to be both, but once you teach the technique, you can correct it while teaching/installing scheme...I hope that makes sense

I watch a lot of Mike McCarthy and the Packers and the one thing you always hear him bring up is Pad Level. The number one fundamental as far as he is concerned is Pad level!

Whole-Part-Whole is an outstanding teaching approach.

I believe in teaching players "how" after they know exactly "what" needs to be done.

I have found that players have a difficult time understanding technique if they don't understand the context.

So show the kids the scheme (Whole) to put the "how" in context.

In other words, the kids will understand why a technique or fundamental is performed a certain way.

This will help to reinforce their understanding of the specific techniques (Part) for the fundamental skill being taught.

Now they know their assignment which explains to them why they have to perform their techniques a certain way.

Then go back to the scheme (Whole) with the understanding of fundamental techniques (Part) to refine it together (Whole).

Rep the $hit out of it until you get good at something.

Then go out and "fight 'em until he11 freezes over, then fight 'em on the ice!"  

I guess the way I look at the two... obviously the kids knowing who to block has to be the 1st step, but it is the part that can be taught ANYWHERE ELSE besides the football field. Classroom, film-room, TV on saturdays & sundays, and a million other places that a kid can learn the scheme. We focus a large majority of our practice time working on fundamental skills that apply to FOOTBALL. We try to give the kids tools that they can apply to any situation they may encounter on the field (fundamentals), as opposed to teaching them 8 different ways to block zone. As long as we get heads and hands in the correct location and get the legs driving, we should have a successful play

Scheme-wise, pass protection is not hard at all... really there are only 2: BOB & Slide. The scheme BOB is important because the 5 OL need to know who to block, but just because your LT knows he blocks the DE isn't going to help you out if he can't kick-slide and protect the QB with fundamentals. You can always adjust scheme midseason or mid-game if you have good fundamentals, but you can't adjust fundamentals anywhere near as much. Good footwork, head placement, leg drive, tackling, turning, twisting, and all the drills that you do in the offseason can be applied to ANY scheme.

"SMASH" is probably as universal a term in the football world as anything. Teaching the kids what smash is, while important, is not as important as HOW TO RUN IT.