2 a day/no 2 a day philosophy

How many of these 5 hour (6 hours really) practices did you have?

I haven't been part of a 2-a-day in 17 years. For the last 17 we have done as few as 3 hours and as many as 5 hours. We did 5 when I was younger and then went to 4 when I realized 5 wasn't helping. We have done 3 hours for the last two years because the state limited our time.

I like our format but all of our coaches need to be very organized and prepared.

What I see is a lot of schools having one long evening practice because of the number of non-faculty coaches who work days.

Personally I modified our Two-a-Days (9-11 AM, 1-3 PM) but did not do away with them completely.

Our first 2 days of August practice are mandated conditioning with helmets and footballs only, so we don't double-day then. I schedule W-Th-F as double-days but it's more brain work and skill/technique development than lining up and hitting. Per state law (Cali) we're only allowed 2 days of full-contact hitting per week (M-Sun), and only 90 minutes per session when we do hit. So we have to plan what we are doing when.

Back when I was playing double-days were required because the earth was still forming and we were too busy dodging meteors and volcanoes to do any working out over the summer. DD's were how we got back into shape, but today we are running/working out pretty much all summer so it's not that big of an issue.

We do 3.5 hour practices instead of two-a-days.
90 minutes of O, break, then 90 minutes of D.
Works out well for us.

That's what we do. We have no need to do it any differently. 

We practice for the first two weeks from 7:30 to around noon. Average is 2 hours for offense, 2 for defense, 30 minutes for special teams and conditioning. It allows the players to have the rest of their day and they also avoid the hottest part of the summer days.

We do two a days for the first week of practice. Heck at our last school just two years ago we would go away to a camp ground and stay the week. We don't platoon so nice to have the first week where we get full practices of each side once a day, we only do 4 days of two a days and walk thru day before our first scrimmage. This year with a big change in our state looks like we get one week of practice instead of two before our first game so seems more important to have the two days now to get it all done.

i guess i just look at doubles like how much more are you really gaining by having a second practice... if you really think it makes you better then i guess you do need it

i guess not every state allows as much contact between kids and coaches as CA
i know for us, having a second practice would not help us

i think that is too much time total to focus in the day but that is just me, to each their own

i do distinctly remember, 11 years ago, being a chunky little center and a senior in HS, going through double days, and back then thinking... this is stupid.  I was more mature/insightful than my peers, they didnt like doubles because it was "hard"

i didnt like it because i saw that practice A and practice B were usually either 
-just about the same or
-A = Conditioning, B = practice

the days where it was just about the same it was like... "why would we be doing these drills or plays any better a couple hours later?"
the days where morning was conditioning, afternoon was practice it was like... "this is a crappy practice because everyone is so sore/tired from the morning"

but i admit the level of coaching i experienced was just slightly greater than friday night tykes soooooo, to each their own

if you feel it is right for you and you need it to win week 1, do it

i know we do not need to do it week 1 to win in 2016 so i will not

i just disagree with the idea that you should do 2 a days because "thats what football teams are SPOSED to do"

We go from 8:30-11:30. The kids get the afternoon and evening free. It's been great and I think we get a few more kids playing because of it. We started it @ 5 years ago.

5 scrimmages?

We get 10 camp days in the summer with helmets so we do get a lot of install done those days. We still do 2 a days but generally only get 7 or so before the teachers start work days. We try to keep each practice short with some chalk talk during the break. This year we had a ton of young guys so it sucked because it was definitely like cramming. I might push to see if we can get to 1:45 a practice. With a break we could be done by noon.

The past few years have been a struggle because of remodeling at the school so we had to travel and/or the places we would have the kids rest were not as available. Our facility should be ready to go August 1 and we should be able be on campus and put the kids in the cafeteria again. Such a time saver.

I guess in Arkansas it's similar to SC. Fall camp starts 2 weeks before school officially begins. We are only allowed 3 hrs of on field practice a day the entire 2 weeks. 1st week we can't have 2 a days at all and we can't go full pads until the 2nd.

In the 2nd week you can have 2 practices but on non consecutive days and full pads are limited. I don't know of any coach that has 2 a days around here and have never coached for one, but our athletics association makes it difficult if you want to.