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Post by option1 on Aug 17, 2020 6:27:25 GMT -6
This will be my first experience with this type of scenario. It's also my first year as HC. I've lost 6 coaches in the past few months and our district red tape has made it hard to replace them. We have a guy for OL/DL, WR/DB's and I will assume the other positions including OC/DC.
Numbers at this school have been down the past couple years but never like this. We are returning to school on a split learning platform and without access to all students I don't see numbers growing too much. This group has been working hard all summer so I do believe they will stick it out. We officially start 8/24. I've tried to figure this out by having priorities but I end up talking myself in circles.
Priorities:
Health and Safety - Everyone finishes the season
Competition - Learn to compete
Skill development - Learn to play the game
Application - Apply skill development to the game
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Post by blb on Aug 17, 2020 6:31:50 GMT -6
option1 is that 21 players grades 9-12, or varsity only?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 17, 2020 8:46:01 GMT -6
1. First thing: KISS and cross-train the heck out of everyone. You’re going to have kids playing multiple positions on each side of the ball, often within the same game. Whatever offense and defense you’re running, simplify it down to the most basic level you can get in order to make this doable. That could mean MS-level scheme and teaching if you’re at HS, simply because you will need to rely on your least athletic or slowest learning player at some point this year. Make sure all the coaches know the basics of the other positions because you might be down a coach or two at one point, too.
2. On special teams, practice Punt Return or Punt Block as a defensive call, work a single PR and KOR once a week, and do a FG block once a week, and work a single punt and KO (probably a squib). Just go for 2 instead of kicking PATs and FGs unless you’ve got a good kicker.
3. Set up a 3-4 deep depth chart for EVERYTHING and keep it in practice and on the sideline so you can rotate players in when someone is missing or hurt. Try to give each guy on the ST depth charts at least 1 rep each week in his spot,
4. Keep practices short. 21 players will get tired quickly. Do like 2 hours, max, with plenty of water breaks, and 90 minutes is better if possible. With such low numbers, you can bang out plenty of reps.
5. Do a specialized offensive emphasis day and a defensive emphasis day. You can still work some basic skills on the other side of the ball, like a tackling/pursuit drill and 7 on 7/sled work on the opposite days, but focus an hour or more on one side to really drill down.
6. If you lift at practice and are short on coaches, consider doing it in shifts. Linemen can lift while backs come out for non-padded Indy work with a coach or two, then they lift while the backs come out for their stuff, or you can have one group lift at the beginning while the other lifts at the end with this staggered format to allow more 1 on 1 work.
7. Half line the crap out of everything whenever possible. Use a coach as scout QB and just simulate snaps with your scout C so you’re not just falling on loose balls all day.
8. Inanimate objects are your friend. Sleds, dummies, bags, and even big trash cans can be lined up for formation recognition and basic fundamental work. This allows you to use fewer players on “scout.”
9. With the KISS scheme-wise, try to keep scout periods and practice structures simple, too. Focus on like the 3-5 big plays a scout offense uses and have very simple adjustment rules for a defense that make it easy. The simpler you are, the more your game plan will carry over from week to week, which is important as players need to get shuffled around. Remember, your least athletic or least smart players will be counted on, so build around what they can and cannot handle. Studs will always be studs.
10. If it ain’t working, throw it out. This includes practice periods, plays, “special packages” (which you probably want to avoid with just 21 players) etc. Cut the fat so you can hang your hat on the stuff that works. Being complete on paper isn’t nearly as valuable as being good at some stuff you and the kids can trust. If that means your whole offense is 3 runs and 2 passes, so be it.
11. It should go without saying... but try to hog the ball and shorten games. Take your time getting lined up. Milk the clock down. This will help keep your guys from getting worn out/hurt if they play fewer snaps per game and it makes an opponent’s superior numbers less of an issue. If you have to rest someone, do it on offense where you can keep the ball away from their replacement.
12. As I mentioned earlier, cross train everyone. Each player should know the basics of at least 2 positions on each side of the ball: DE/OLB, S/LB, WR/QB, etc. You will need them there. You’ll likely need to teach most of them a 3rd or even 4th position before the year’s over. I once had a kid start games at WR, FB, and G offensives while also playing S, CB, and OLB defensively, all within the same season.
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Post by option1 on Aug 17, 2020 9:04:26 GMT -6
option1 is that 21 players grades 9-12, or varsity only? Total. We currently have 1 9th grader. Probably not so coincidental freshman are the highest percentage of parents/students that opted to do full on elearning for this semester. |
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Post by **** on Aug 17, 2020 10:21:45 GMT -6
Welcome to my life
Good luck
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Post by coachd5085 on Aug 17, 2020 16:05:57 GMT -6
This will be my first experience with this type of scenario. It's also my first year as HC. I've lost 6 coaches in the past few months and our district red tape has made it hard to replace them. We have a guy for OL/DL, WR/DB's and I will assume the other positions including OC/DC. Numbers at this school have been down the past couple years but never like this. We are returning to school on a split learning platform and without access to all students I don't see numbers growing too much. This group has been working hard all summer so I do believe they will stick it out. We officially start 8/24. I've tried to figure this out by having priorities but I end up talking myself in circles. Priorities: Health and Safety - Everyone finishes the season Competition - Learn to compete Skill development - Learn to play the game Application - Apply skill development to the game While I generally am not a "system" guy (meaning I don't think one is better than any other, nor do I have allegiance to any offensive or defensive system), with those few numbers and coaches, it may be something you want to consider. A system with limited skill specialization will allow players to more easily learn multiple positions. While I don't fall into the "double wing is the great panacea" camp, the fact that its core requires all players to be able to down block and kick out, and that you can utilize landmark track/kick out for the bulk of your core (Toss, counter, trap, ) makes it possible to have almost interchangeable parts. |
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Post by 53 on Aug 17, 2020 17:22:55 GMT -6
You have to be mindful of their legs and what you’re asking of them, because it’s easy to grind them into dust with these numbers.
Don’t bitch and moan about the numbers but brag on what you have. They’re badass playing iron man football and make it a sense of pride for them.
That doesn’t mean you won’t have have periods of physical practice but they’re limited and have a purpose.
We’re not banging to just be banging. In a lot of ways it will make you a better coach in the long term because it makes you condense your coaching points down so you can plug and play easily.
I think single wing and double wing for QB. I’ve went single wing because it eliminates a lot of backfield football so a less experienced coach can handle backs, while your best coach works with the line.
I think the split 4-4 is about the best small roster and staff defense too.
Inside backers and DT can basically be gap pluggers while you build an umbrella with you best players at DE, OLB, S and C
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Post by coachd5085 on Aug 17, 2020 17:44:00 GMT -6
option1 any idea how any of your neighboring schools/opponents are doing in this regard? Are you playing a bunch of other 20-30 man 9-12 squads or are you the outlier on the schedule.
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Post by aceback76 on Aug 17, 2020 17:45:32 GMT -6
This will be my first experience with this type of scenario. It's also my first year as HC. I've lost 6 coaches in the past few months and our district red tape has made it hard to replace them. We have a guy for OL/DL, WR/DB's and I will assume the other positions including OC/DC. Numbers at this school have been down the past couple years but never like this. We are returning to school on a split learning platform and without access to all students I don't see numbers growing too much. This group has been working hard all summer so I do believe they will stick it out. We officially start 8/24. I've tried to figure this out by having priorities but I end up talking myself in circles. Priorities: Health and Safety - Everyone finishes the season Competition - Learn to compete Skill development - Learn to play the game Application - Apply skill development to the game You're not in too bad a shape. You have a 7 to 1 ration (7 players for each coach). With 21 players you will have to control the hitting in practice. In the past we have had to handle 122 players with 6 coaches (a 20 to 1 ratio). After the "dust settled", we were left with 88 players for 6 coaches (a 15 to 1 ratio). |
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Post by wingtol on Aug 17, 2020 19:32:10 GMT -6
What are you running scheme wise? We have been near these numbers too and would never have a secondary out there in team o periods. Team defense can be a major pain since you can’t even put 11 guys out there. Learn to love 7-7 and inside run for D.
Keep them as fresh as you can and realize your practice plan can go to chit if one or two kids miss. Have to be flexible in how you approach stuff.
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Post by coachscdub on Aug 17, 2020 19:32:47 GMT -6
I dont know if you're asking for schematic help or organizational or all of the above. But for the majority of my coaching career we have had only three coaches (usually 28-40 kids).
Practice wise we would do stations, 1 coach with however many kids, for you it would be 7 each.
We would break it up based on positions/size of kid (OL/DL, RB/LB, DB/WR/QB)
Cones/ladders at one station, back pedal/shuffle at another, ball skills another.
5-7 minutes per round until each group had been with each coach once.
Then break up into Indy (I took QB/RB, other coach WR's, other coach OL) however long for indy.
Then we might go 7on7, with extra OL indy time.
Then team O.
Then switch to defensive emphasis. (Each coach now has a Defensive position group)
We might go D Indy, then Opp O walk through, then Team D.
In order to save time if i was HC, we wouldn't practice punting, kick return, punt return, PAT/FG at all for the majority of practices. Kickoff gets a little time each day (or a lot on one day). Punt return maybe 5 minutes on walk through day.
I'd just recommend finding what specials you don't want to use/emphasis and limit the time, spend it on O and D.
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Post by option1 on Aug 18, 2020 6:03:06 GMT -6
option1 any idea how any of your neighboring schools/opponents are doing in this regard? Are you playing a bunch of other 20-30 man 9-12 squads or are you the outlier on the schedule. We are a 5A school (1900 kids or so). We have 29 public 3 big private and several 1A private schools in our county. I am only aware of 1 other school struggling with numbers similar to us. Average is around 54 but there are teams with over 100. After mandatory state aligned district play our County A.D. makes the schedule and uses a point system based on wins and losses that attempts to schedule "like" opponents. |
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Post by option1 on Aug 18, 2020 6:05:01 GMT -6
What are you running scheme wise? We have been near these numbers too and would never have a secondary out there in team o periods. Team defense can be a major pain since you can’t even put 11 guys out there. Learn to love 7-7 and inside run for D. Keep them as fresh as you can and realize your practice plan can go to chit if one or two kids miss. Have to be flexible in how you approach stuff. 4-2-5 11/12 Personnel Power, CT, Jet, Screens |
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Post by coachlit on Aug 18, 2020 6:11:31 GMT -6
Are you running a split field 4-2-5 like TCU or a glorified 4-4?
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Post by blb on Aug 18, 2020 6:46:42 GMT -6
option1 any idea how any of your neighboring schools/opponents are doing in this regard? Are you playing a bunch of other 20-30 man 9-12 squads or are you the outlier on the schedule. We are a 5A school (1900 kids or so). We have 29 public 3 big private and several 1A private schools in our county. I am only aware of 1 other school struggling with numbers similar to us. Average is around 54 but there are teams with over 100. After mandatory state aligned district play our County A.D. makes the schedule and uses a point system based on wins and losses that attempts to schedule "like" opponents. Why are there only 21 kids out for football in a school of 1900? |
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Post by option1 on Aug 18, 2020 7:10:29 GMT -6
Are you running a split field 4-2-5 like TCU or a glorified 4-4? TCU |
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Post by option1 on Aug 18, 2020 7:13:01 GMT -6
We are a 5A school (1900 kids or so). We have 29 public 3 big private and several 1A private schools in our county. I am only aware of 1 other school struggling with numbers similar to us. Average is around 54 but there are teams with over 100. After mandatory state aligned district play our County A.D. makes the schedule and uses a point system based on wins and losses that attempts to schedule "like" opponents. Why are there only 21 kids out for football in a school of 1900? 4.5 years of program destruction. We will get better, but that's not what this is about. |
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Post by coachd5085 on Aug 18, 2020 7:45:47 GMT -6
What are you running scheme wise? We have been near these numbers too and would never have a secondary out there in team o periods. Team defense can be a major pain since you can’t even put 11 guys out there. Learn to love 7-7 and inside run for D. Keep them as fresh as you can and realize your practice plan can go to chit if one or two kids miss. Have to be flexible in how you approach stuff. 4-2-5 11/12 Personnel Power, CT, Jet, Screens Again, not a system snob, nor do I think any offense or defense is a silver bullet but I think given your situation trying to implement these is going to prove difficult |
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Post by doitforthekids on Aug 18, 2020 7:49:25 GMT -6
4-2-5 11/12 Personnel Power, CT, Jet, Screens Again, not a system snob, nor do I think any offense or defense is a silver bullet but I think given your situation trying to implement these is going to prove difficult Disagree, depends on the quality of your 3 coaches. 3 good coaches that work well together get a lot more done than 6 idiots helping. If they can coach their parts effectively, you can definitely coach up those systems. |
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Post by newt21 on Aug 18, 2020 8:51:42 GMT -6
Been in a similar situation. As others have said, simplify everything. Utilize a ball control offense (easier if it’s run heavy, but as long as you can move the chains and drain clock it doesn’t matter).
I didn’t do this, but would if in this situation again, I’d go single wing with best 2 athletes in backfield, have 3 man rotation for those positions And based on other personnel, I’d go more spread single wing (lots of skinny guys) or unbalanced (more bigs).
Defensively I’d look into Rick Stewart’s brain dead defense, it’s technically a 4-2-5 but functions like an odd. It’s simple and effective based on the materials I’ve seen and easy to cross train. I ran a 3-3 where I blitzed Mike into an A gap more often than not just so my stacks could flow and have consistent fits, looking back I’d go brain dead though. Hindsight is 20/20
Special teams: only do onside kicks, saves practice time, your kids don’t sprint 40 yards, and you may get ball back.
Kick return: hide some kids on this, especially up front (use less skilled skinny kids and cross block it)
Punt: do what you do
Punt return: run it out of base d, use your free as returner, either fair catch it or let him run it, but don’t spend a ton of time setting up a return (install it one day, practice it randomly in the middle of team, one rep today, one tomorrow, no need for a dedicated period after taught).
PAT: kick it, don’t get fancy, it’s not something that needs a ton of install time, snapper, holder and kicker need it, not everyone. Thursday is a great day to rep this, otherwise treat it like punt return.
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Post by hasdhawks on Aug 18, 2020 9:11:04 GMT -6
Just spitballing here for a 3 coach TCU system with limited players:
1 DL coach
1 LB coach
1 DB coach-I would put DC here
Incorporate drills to combine similar techniques for DBs within the scheme of the defense. An example would be including a crack/replace drill for CBs in the same diamond drill with safeties. That way you are repping your Cover2/sky look for the entire secondary. It would have the added benefit of the entire secondary of seeing what the other DBs do within your system if you have to move people around due to injuries/numbers.
You can do similar things for the front. Heck, you can even put safeties and LBs together for a run fit/pass distribution period if the CBs need a little more indy time with the DB coach.
Also, have SS split time between DB and LB because his skill set is more of a tweener anyway within that system.
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Post by coachd5085 on Aug 18, 2020 9:36:47 GMT -6
Again, not a system snob, nor do I think any offense or defense is a silver bullet but I think given your situation trying to implement these is going to prove difficult Disagree, depends on the quality of your 3 coaches. 3 good coaches that work well together get a lot more done than 6 idiots helping. If they can coach their parts effectively, you can definitely coach up those systems. It isn't just the 3 coach aspect, but the 3 coach aspect in conjunction with 21 players in the program total. As has been mentioned there is a definite advantage in small number/small staff situations in increasing the ease of players learning multiple positions. Based on what the OP described I believe it is more difficult to be able to "plug and play". The skills are less transferable from position to position. Defensively, the corners are very different than the safeties, which are very different than the two LBs, which are different than the DL. On offense, the TE has to learn multiple skills coinciding with OL and WR (and you have to teach 3 different WR positions) plus QB and RB. Sure, it is conceivable to come up with a practice schedule that allows you to teach what you need taught with just those 3 coaches, but doing so, AND factoring in that if your RB goes down, the best thing might be moving your #3 receiver to RB, and the next guy off the bench to the SE and bump the split end down inside to the #3 (or any number of similar switches) is much tougher. Same for D, if a Safety goes down, and you need to move your ILB to safety/overhang, then a DE to ILB and guy off the bench in at DE. Not saying the OP should change. Just pointing out that with only 21 players 10-12 (he said only one frosh) and only 3 coaches to break up and teach individual skills, having something that is easy to plug in players could be beneficial for the troubling season. And the downside may be minimal since there probably aren't developmental levels (JV/Frosh teams) so it isn't like you slowing their development. |
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Post by doitforthekids on Aug 18, 2020 9:48:35 GMT -6
Disagree, depends on the quality of your 3 coaches. 3 good coaches that work well together get a lot more done than 6 idiots helping. If they can coach their parts effectively, you can definitely coach up those systems. It isn't just the 3 coach aspect, but the 3 coach aspect in conjunction with 21 players in the program total. As has been mentioned there is a definite advantage in small number/small staff situations in increasing the ease of players learning multiple positions. Based on what the OP described I believe it is more difficult to be able to "plug and play". The skills are less transferable from position to position. Defensively, the corners are very different than the safeties, which are very different than the two LBs, which are different than the DL. On offense, the TE has to learn multiple skills coinciding with OL and WR (and you have to teach 3 different WR positions) plus QB and RB. Sure, it is conceivable to come up with a practice schedule that allows you to teach what you need taught with just those 3 coaches, but doing so, AND factoring in that if your RB goes down, the best thing might be moving your #3 receiver to RB, and the next guy off the bench to the SE and bump the split end down inside to the #3 (or any number of similar switches) is much tougher. Same for D, if a Safety goes down, and you need to move your ILB to safety/overhang, then a DE to ILB and guy off the bench in at DE. Not saying the OP should change. Just pointing out that with only 21 players 10-12 (he said only one frosh) and only 3 coaches to break up and teach individual skills, having something that is easy to plug in players could be beneficial for the troubling season. And the downside may be minimal since there probably aren't developmental levels (JV/Frosh teams) so it isn't like you slowing their development. Personally have coached both systems with a small team and it’s doable. Difficult but doable. Teach general concepts, cross train like crazy, plan out who your next man up is, and coach the crap out of them. We play small school football here and this is daily life. |
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Post by coachd5085 on Aug 18, 2020 9:59:28 GMT -6
It isn't just the 3 coach aspect, but the 3 coach aspect in conjunction with 21 players in the program total. As has been mentioned there is a definite advantage in small number/small staff situations in increasing the ease of players learning multiple positions. Based on what the OP described I believe it is more difficult to be able to "plug and play". The skills are less transferable from position to position. Defensively, the corners are very different than the safeties, which are very different than the two LBs, which are different than the DL. On offense, the TE has to learn multiple skills coinciding with OL and WR (and you have to teach 3 different WR positions) plus QB and RB. Sure, it is conceivable to come up with a practice schedule that allows you to teach what you need taught with just those 3 coaches, but doing so, AND factoring in that if your RB goes down, the best thing might be moving your #3 receiver to RB, and the next guy off the bench to the SE and bump the split end down inside to the #3 (or any number of similar switches) is much tougher. Same for D, if a Safety goes down, and you need to move your ILB to safety/overhang, then a DE to ILB and guy off the bench in at DE. Not saying the OP should change. Just pointing out that with only 21 players 10-12 (he said only one frosh) and only 3 coaches to break up and teach individual skills, having something that is easy to plug in players could be beneficial for the troubling season. And the downside may be minimal since there probably aren't developmental levels (JV/Frosh teams) so it isn't like you slowing their development. Personally have coached both systems with a small team and it’s doable. Difficult but doable. Teach general concepts, cross train like crazy, plan out who your next man up is, and coach the crap out of them. We play small school football here and this is daily life. I don't disagree that it is doable. My point is that it may be disadvantageous, particularly because the OP isn't playing "small school football". He is a large school (almost 2000 students) and will be playing other large schools. I just think there are better choices that match up with teaching general concepts and cross training like crazy and allowing for the best possible next man up. |
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Post by coachwoodall on Aug 18, 2020 11:24:54 GMT -6
A lot of good suggestions, I would just tweak the punt return/block - make it a defensive call but do a simple 1 for 1 switch.... we would take out the NG (since you can't hit the snapper)or the biggest kids on the DL and put in a kid to return. Or really just the kid you trust the most to catch it and not let it bounce and roll. Block it every time either from a 44 stack and let the kids take ownership of picking how to cross.
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Post by freezeoption on Aug 18, 2020 12:13:40 GMT -6
Look, you can listen to everyone and get their suggestion which is nice if you have time, I don't. You better coach what you know inside and out. When it comes down to nut cutting time, you will be rehired or fired depending on how you do. I had 2 coaches and myself for 50 plus players. I've had myself just coach for 17. If you are in charge, it's your butt so I would do what YOU know.
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