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Johnp2

How Do You Call Your Plays In The Game?

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I'd like to get some feedback on how you coaches call your plays in the game. Not from a strategic stand-point, but literally how you call them.

Our league allows 30-seconds from the time the play has stopped until you must run the next play. It has been VERY difficult for us to get this done in the allocated time. If you figure it, a good 5-10 seconds pass once the play ends before all the kids are in the huddle and listening (and that is if they hustle). After the play is called (and questions answered) it takes another 5 seconds for the team to line up on the LOS. Thus in reality we have about 15 seconds to call our play.

I've pretty much given up on all the players knowing what to do just by the name of the play. A lot of time, once they are reminded, "This is the play where you do x and z" they remember.

Additionally, because every single player has a responsibility (even if it is just "block left") I always ensure each player knows what to do.

Consequently, I've developed cheat sheets for my huddle. They are simple tables that have the play name, the position, and the responsibility for that position. I usually call the formation, then play name, and then I go around and announce what each player does. Example: "LR--post route." "MR run an end-around and do a fake hand-off from the QB", etc.

This is the easiest way I know to do this. Of course, the easy-way out would be just to say, "Hand the ball of to so-and-so and everyone else just do whatever" or, "Everyone just go out for a pass"--but of course I don't want that.

So . . . I'm just curious how you call out your plays in the game, and any tips for being efficient with it. Please tell me the age group you coach and how many are on the field. I have 6-9 year old and 8 players on the field.

Thanks!

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I'd like to get some feedback on how you coaches call your plays in the game. Not from a strategic stand-point, but literally how you call them.

Our league allows 30-seconds from the time the play has stopped until you must run the next play. It has been VERY difficult for us to get this done in the allocated time. If you figure it, a good 5-10 seconds pass once the play ends before all the kids are in the huddle and listening (and that is if they hustle). After the play is called (and questions answered) it takes another 5 seconds for the team to line up on the LOS. Thus in reality we have about 15 seconds to call our play.

I've pretty much given up on all the players knowing what to do just by the name of the play. A lot of time, once they are reminded, "This is the play where you do x and z" they remember.

Additionally, because every single player has a responsibility (even if it is just "block left") I always ensure each player knows what to do.

Consequently, I've developed cheat sheets for my huddle. They are simple tables that have the play name, the position, and the responsibility for that position. I usually call the formation, then play name, and then I go around and announce what each player does. Example: "LR--post route." "MR run an end-around and do a fake hand-off from the QB", etc.

This is the easiest way I know to do this. Of course, the easy-way out would be just to say, "Hand the ball of to so-and-so and everyone else just do whatever" or, "Everyone just go out for a pass"--but of course I don't want that.

So . . . I'm just curious how you call out your plays in the game, and any tips for being efficient with it. Please tell me the age group you coach and how many are on the field. I have 6-9 year old and 8 players on the field.

Thanks!

With the kids your age I would definitely go with a little cheat sheet and let them know whats going on.

I coach 11-13 year olds that is 5 on 5.I tell the play to someone I'm substituting in the game.I will also meet the QB and give him the play.Last season I gave my QB an armband and would go by numbers for the play...

This season coming up I'm getting my QB another Armband and i'm going to probably call the plays by number again to him.

I practice the plays numerous times over & over again in practice so they are usually able to remember all the plays...Its crazy but by the end of the season we usually end up with roughly 25 plays and the kids remember them all.I might have to remind them in practice but before the game I usually quiz them on what they do on what play.But I teach my QB to know what everyone should be doing on every play so he can tell the kids in the huddle if they forget.

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Have 8-9 y/o's playing 5 v 5. My plays are on 8 1/2 x 11 sheets of paper, two plays per page, double sided. I had them laminated because we've run across wind, rain and snow. At the top corner, I have either a red mark (pass) or green mark (run). We teach our kids to hustle back after every play, I kneel down and all the kids stand behind me so they can see the play being called. Each player has a color on my plays, so it's easier for me to say, "John you're blue, run this route". I just started experimenting with calling two plays at once using the same formation with a different twist on the 2nd play. This isn't too bad with 5 kids, 8 would be a handful.

CRob

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I coach 7-9 year olds in 5 on 5! We also have exactly 30 sec to call a play and snap the ball.

I am alot like Coach Rob, I have my plays on a standard sheet of paper with 2 plays on the same side and both sides have plays. I also mark my plays in the right top corner with Green for Run and Blue for Pass. All of my diagrams of the players on each play is numbered (1-5) and color coded. I call out every kids assignment in the huddle quickly usually by color as Coach Rob does as well. Its VERY important you let each of your kids know what they are to do every play, especially for my age group. Its a challenge even with 5 kids to get the play called and to the LOS, so I could imagine a tougher job with more. I also have a small dry erase white board and marker. I use this board to draw up plays "on the go". If I see something to expliot against the defense I'll modify some plays and pull the board out and start drawing plays up quickly right in the huddle to attack. This works pretty good if YOU know exactly what you want to draw up right away. As you draw out the routes and such you call out to that kid what he is doing and show him as you draw it.

I made the mistake last year with trying to have to many plays. I had something like 15 plays of passing and 10 running and a few different formations. It was way to much..... this year I am dumbing down to have 7-10 plays MAX! Thats running and passing! My theory is perfect 7-10 plays to a absolute tee like the back of our hands and the plays will be more effective and the kids will easily remember everything about them! I also am contemplating going to something like a 3x5 index card size for my plays.

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Thanks for the feeback. We do have quite a few plays, but I don't see this being much of an issue. The reason we have a lot of plays is of course so each player can get the ball (my players stick with the same position). A lot of them are the same with just a different player getting the ball (end-arounds, shuffle passes, etc.). We have three formations, but only the RB and Middle Receiver line up differently, so that has been okay, also.

I also agree about the need for every player to know exactly what his responsibility is. This is mainly so that they feel a sense of accomplishment.

We spent the majority of practice yesterday working on blocking (our league allows blocking). I've noticed that not many of our opponents block well, so figure we might use this to our advantage. I'm teaching them to "take the fight" to the defense so yesterday we had some very fun (physical) drills that centered around blocking. We run a lot of pulls and traps, so it is important for everyone to know what to do even on running plays.

Thanks again.

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Have 8-9 y/o's playing 5 v 5. My plays are on 8 1/2 x 11 sheets of paper, two plays per page, double sided. I had them laminated because we've run across wind, rain and snow. At the top corner, I have either a red mark (pass) or green mark (run). We teach our kids to hustle back after every play, I kneel down and all the kids stand behind me so they can see the play being called. Each player has a color on my plays, so it's easier for me to say, "John you're blue, run this route". I just started experimenting with calling two plays at once using the same formation with a different twist on the 2nd play. This isn't too bad with 5 kids, 8 would be a handful.

CRob

I pretty much do this. The only difference is that I point to the page and say, Joe, this is you. Jim, that is you, etc. That's all I really need to say because they can look at the page and see their route. I will say a little more to the go-to player, like Bob, this is you, make sure you keep the route short, 2-3 yards. And I usually give the qb a quick reminder too like Sam, go down the line of scrimmage but don't cross the line. On the next play they all have the same position so I really don't even need to point out their positions. I simply hold up the page, point to the play and say, lets go. They look to see what it is and then line up.

One thing I had to do is tell them to break the huddle together. My decoys would see that they were out of the play, get their route and leave. The go-to players would study it harder and then break last. I thought this was too much a tipoff of who was going to get the ball.

Ps 5-on-5, 7-9 year olds.

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I started coaching 8-9 year olds this spring in 5 on 5 and at first I had a 8 1/2 by 11 binder with plays. Then I decided to buy a 3x5 spiral card notebook and diagramed plays on the cards. I mark them as pass or run and show the players by right. left and middle as well as QB and Center. Then I show them the play which we have practiced and then they run the play. We can usually get the play off in 10-15 seconds. I run up to the LOS after the play and we start again. We won 24-0 in our last game. I diagram a play and then show the play going the opposite way on the next card. I can put the notebook in my pocket and it is easy to add plays. Just keep it simple. Hope this helps.

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5v5, 10-12 and we're allowed a coach on the field when on Offense. I drew mine up in PowerPoint (geeky I know), which didn't take as long as you'd think. On each page I had three lines depicting LOS, 5yards out, 10 and 15. Each position was ID'd and their route was shown as well. Just like Orange, I would stand with my back to the LOS, and then point to each position and say, "Johnny, 5 & out", etc. We never were called for taking more than 30 seconds.

I did have a ton of plays (24) and each of those had a L/R as well. Once in awhile it would get hectic, but overall it was nice to have a good assortment to choose from.

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