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Post by coachdoug on Feb 28, 2008 11:19:21 GMT -6
question - WHERE do you show youth teams (not MS) film? Most youth teams do not facilities, so I'm asking what available resources can be utilized? I have occassionally showed my youth teams video - typically of their last game rather than the upcoming opponent. Facilities wise, when we practiced at one park, there was a teen center and a scout house run by the city at the park, so we could occassionally get access to one of those facilities for an hour or so. At the other practice field, there were no indoor facilities, but there was a snack-bar type area that had electricity, so I could hook up a TV/DVD player and have the kids sit on the ground. In either situation, I had to bring my own TV and DVD player. I bought a cheap 12 or 14 inch TV and a cheap (like $40) portable DVD player. It would take me about 5-10 minutes to set it all up. It wasn't ideal, but it worked well enough to accomplish what we wanted to do.
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Post by coachdoug on Feb 7, 2008 12:21:54 GMT -6
I don't think anyone is saying that the QB can't go in motion or that he's not an eligible receiver. The only thing that anyone has a problem with is the "wrong ball" type plays where the QB runs to the sideline as if to talk to his coach, leading everyone to believe that a snap is not imminent.
If a QB "goes in motion" by stepping a few feet away from center to bark signals at a receiver and the center snaps directly to another back, I guess that falls in a bit of a gray area. I, personally, would not have a problem with it. As far as I'm concerned, a snap was still always imminent, albeit perhaps not expected as soon as it came. It ends up being at the official's discretion, so I would at least check with the officials before I tried running a play like that. Like I said, though, it's fine by me.
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Post by coachdoug on Feb 5, 2008 14:41:04 GMT -6
There is a thread "Are trick plays ethcical?" I think they are as long as they are legal, so if you have a trick play you use, let it be known here. For us: We line up in a Power I formation. The QB lets everyone get set, and then he looks at the coach and says, I forgot the play. He runs to the sideline, and when the coach takes off his hat, the TB says "go" and the QB takes off down the field and TB hits him in stride. It you can't use it more than once on a team. It is a good one to save to the championship game. We don't use trick plays much considering we have lost 3 games in five years. If you really mean it when you say "as long as they are legal" you will stop using this play. Rule 9-6-4-e states that "It is illegal participation: ... To use a player, replaced player or substitute in a substitution or pretended substitution to deceive opponenents at or immediately before the snap or free kick." Furthermore, rule 9-9-3 states "Neither team shall commit any act which, in the opinion of the referee, tends to make a travesty of the game." While that doesn't directly address your play, I believe that every rules board that has reveiwed these types of plays where players act as if they are leaving the field, has determined them to be illegal. In fact, I believe the case book adds something like this to its comments about rule 9-9-3: "Football has been and always will be a game of deception and trickery involving multiple shifts, unusual formations and creative plays. However, actions or verbiage designed to confuse the defense into believing there is problem and a snap isn't imminent is beyond the scope of sportsmanship and is illegal." If you don't believe me, go ask about it in the "Rules of the Game" section above. There are several professional refs that post in that section and they'll let you know for sure if your play is legal or not. Having said that, I am a big believer in gadget plays, as they can create an opportunity for a big play. Also, the kids love them, so it helps keep them engaged. Here are a few that I have used successfully over the years: - Halfback option pass. Pretty basic, but still very effective. - Double Pass. Throw a quick WR screen (the first pass has to be backwards), then he throws downfield to another receiver. This is much more effective if you have thrown a few WR screens effectively first. - Hook & Ladder. Obviously, you have to complete the hook first, then the trailer has to maintain enough spacing (5-7 yards). If you can do that, it is highly effective. Best used in very long yardage situations or right before end of half or end of game when the defensive is likely to allow you to complete a short hook in front of them. - Reverses/Double Reverses. These often backfire against disciplned, well-coached teams, so use with caution. - Reverse Pass. Can be extremely effective. - Roll Right, Screen Left. Not really a gadget play at all, but the most effective mis-direction play I've ever used. It scores a TD about half the times we run it. You have to run a few successful rollouts first. At the youth level, the entire defense will flow to the rollout, then I get my best athlete the ball on the other side of the field with 3 lead blockers. Even if one or two of the CB, S, Will, or DE read the play, the blockers just have to get in their way.
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Post by coachdoug on Feb 12, 2008 12:14:57 GMT -6
Most youth leagues have some sort of excessive score rule (some call it a Mercy Rule or a Slaughter Rule). About 10 years ago, our Mercy Rules were getting out of hand - we had rules for 24 pt margins, 36 pt margins, during the last 4 minutes of the game, during the second half, etc.
In 2000, we greatly simplified the Mercy Rule, and it has worked pretty well ever since. The rule now is:
- The rule kicks in once there is a 30 point differential. - Any players on the leading team that have not completed their MPR requirements must enter the game and remain in the game either until it is over or until there is no longer a 30-pt differential. - No more scoring, PATs or Kickoffs by the leading team. Even if they do score, no points go on the board. No PAT is attempted and the trailing team gets the ball 1st and 10 on the opponent's 40 yard line without a kickoff. - The only restriction on play calling is that the leading team cannot run any "trick" or "gadget" plays. It is up to the offiicals' judgement what constitutes a trick play. In practice the officials reserve the right to throw an unsportsmanlike flag if they don't like what the leading team is doing (such as throwing too much). The benefit to this is, if you go up by 30 points early in the second quarter, you can substitute your second and third teams and let them run your complete offense. - No running clock. The clock rules remain the same, although in practice the refs tend to run the clock a lot faster. If the losing coach requests a running clock, it is granted.
This does allow for some abuse of the rules, but our refs are pretty good about straightening out any coaches that don't get it. Most of the coaches are pretty good about abiding by the spirit of the rule, because no one wants to go back to the way it used to be.
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Post by coachdoug on Feb 11, 2008 20:10:45 GMT -6
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Post by coachdoug on Feb 11, 2008 20:02:36 GMT -6
can anyone provide a link or know of any studies that compare the injuries of tackle vs. flag, we our really trying to start tackle football at younger ages but the ney seyers say to many injuries with tackle football at the young ages, i frankly don't buy that as a valid argument but i really need some data if we are going to go forward with tackle at the younger ages. any help will be appreciated. Here is a study from the Mayo Clinic: www.mayoclinic.org/news2002-rst/983.htmlIt doesn't address tackle vs. flag, but it does show that tackle football injury rates are no higher than other sports, and that the injury rate is substantially lower for younger players. The study is a few years old, but I don't think much has changed. I can tell you from 15 years experience that younger kids (under 11) almost never get seriously injured. I have never seen a serious (broken bone or concussion) injury in that age group playing tackle football. They are simply not big enough, strong enough, or fast enough to hurt each other with all the equipment they are wearing. When they reach 12-13 they start getting big, strong and fast enough to hurt each other. At those ages, it is usually the inexperienced players that are most likely to get hurt. So, if you want to reduce a child's liklihood of getting hurt playing football, the best thing you can do is get him playing young enough that he can learn proper technique and defend himself before the other players are big, strong and fast enough to hurt him.
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Post by coachdoug on Mar 19, 2008 10:40:19 GMT -6
We don't have a ton of quirky rules either. Our conference rule book mostly deals with administrative issues (paperwork for certifying players and coaches, administrative duties of the program, administration of the minimum play rule, limits on practice time, limits on scouting, ect.)
About the only differences from Federation rules during the game are:
- Minimum Play Rule - every player must play at least 6-12 plays, depending on the size of the team. - Weight Limits - we only have a max for each division. - PATs - 2 points for kicking and 1 point for running or passing in all divisions, except Mitey Mite (8-9 yr olds) who also get 2 points for passing. - Mercy Rule - at a 30 point differential the leading team will not be awarded any more points for scoring, there are no more kickoffs - the losing team just gets the ball on the opponents 40 yard line, any players on the leading team that haven't completed their MPR requirements must enter the game and stay in the game, and the leading team cannot run reverses or trick plays, nor may it blitz on defense. There is no running clock and the leading team can still pass, although it is discouraged. - Timing - quarters are 10 minutes each and the clock starts on the ready-for-play signal on change of possession.
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Post by coachdoug on Feb 11, 2008 20:19:58 GMT -6
We all have done stupid things coaching - either in games or in practice. Last year (which I mostly took off because my wife and I just had our first child - but I was helping out my old team part time), I was on the sideline in the 4th quarter of a game we were losing 6-0. Somehow I forgot that they scored (maybe I was thinking of a previous game or something). Anyway, we got the ball back deep in own territory with a minute or so to go. I looked at the head coach and said something like, "Don't do anything stupid and turn the ball over. Just keep it on the ground and we'll take 'em in overtime if we have to." He just looked at me like I had a third arm growing out of my forehead and pointed at the scoreboard. I've never been so embarrassed in my life.
This is probably my favorite about one of our oppenents:
We were playing in the Midget division in 2004. Our opponent was much more talented than we were, but we were a pretty good team in our own right. Anyway, they made a bunch of coaching errors to help keep us in the game. The funniest was right before halftime they were trying to score and were running a hurry-up offense with time about to run out. They got down to about our 20-yd line, with about 20-30 seconds to go and the clock running so they spiked the ball to stop the clock. It would have been a decent strategy except that is was 4th down. Brilliant.
At the end of the game, they lead 22-16 and had just gotten a first and goal on about our 4-yd line. I was the def coord, so I called our last time out to stop the clock with about a minute to play. This is what I told our players, “Okay guys, it’s first and goal with about a minute left and we can’t stop the clock anymore. If they have any brains at all they’ll just take a knee and there’s nothing we can do about it. However, I don’t think they’re that smart – I think they’re going to try to score, so if they run a play, everyone just go after the ball and make a turnover.” Sure enough, they tried to score, my guys knocked the ball out and recovered. We threw an interception on the next play and the game was over. Even though we lost, I just couldn't stop laughing.
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