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Slick

5 On 5 Initial Playbook (5-8 Year Olds)

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OK guys, thanks again for all the input and advice on how to structure the team, I am trying to incorporate that with the rules of our local YMCA. I have attached my initial playbook, we have had two practices and our first game is this Saturday. Many of the plays have been adapted from much of the material posted on here. Anyway, please take a look and let me know your thoughts, I trid to put in as much misdirection as I could as I really see this being a key factor for the 5-8 year olds division that we are in. Thanks in advance for your comments.

Wolverines 2011 palybook.ppt

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Looks good, but can your offensive players block? You have a few plays where they block and at this age and in flag, blocking is not typically allowed.

Also, unless you expect the teams to pass, I would not start my CB almost 10 yards deep. I would literally run a 3-2 or 4-1 where my front line (3 or 4 kids) would be maybe 2 yards off the line of scrimmage and have the safeties or LBs maybe 5-7 yards off the line. Especially if you are blitzing. You will not have any 5, 6 or even 7 year olds passing much. You could see some 8 year olds throwing. However, your primary concern is keeping them in position and to stop the sweeps or outside runs.

Other than that, looks good. Rep, rep, rep and more reps on offense.

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Yea I agree I coach in the ymca to and at this age the reverses and misdirection runs will kill a defense if you keep your players up close and 1 back you can blow those plays up

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Great feedback, I appreciate the note on the defense, that makes a lot of since. By blocking, it is more like a 'screen' in basketball trying to get between the defense and the guy with the ball. (we just call it 'blocking' to get them used to the concept) They can't use their hands and can't run into the defense, but they can get 'in the way'. We do not blitz in our league, we can go over the LOS only on a hand off, pitch, or fake hand off. The QB has 7 seconds to either pass or hand off or the play is dead, so we do pass a little more since the QB is not pressured by the defense. Thanks again, this is my first year coaching so I appreciate any tips and hints.

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A couple of comments.

1.) I would add in the Reverse Action behind your dive plays. That then gives you a "key" to watch on the Dive Play. If backside DE/OLB is biting on the Dive then the Reverse is open.

2.) I would consider rolling out the QB on the Bunch Passes. Even though the QB can't run a lot of times this "holds" the Defenders and allows your receivers to get open. It also makes the length of the pass you are asking your QB to make shorter. Just stress to them to plant their feet and point there non throwing shoulder at the target before they throw.

No rush at all??? This really opens up your playbook (for Future seasons) with the things you can do with misdirection/PA in the backfield since you are not concerned with a defender blowing up your plays in the backfield.

Solid.

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Thanks Royal! We had our first game this past weekend and took a beating... the team we played had 8 older players that you could tell have played together for at least a couple of sessions. They all stayed home on defense and were very disciplined, much more then 2-3 practices are going to get you. My team has 11 players and 6 of them have never played before. We had one long run on a reverse for a TD, and missed one opportunity that could have went all the way. I think the kids had a good time anyway, so I guess that’s what counts, but from a coaching standpoint it is frustrating going into the season thinking most teams would be pretty evenly matched. Oh well live and learn…

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Hang in there, Slick. Here's my $0.02:

  1. Watch the other games in your league to see what works for other teams. Don't be above stealing a few plays or techniques for your squad.
  2. The younger your league, the more likely it is to be a run-heavy league. If your league runs a lot, you might not get much mileage out of your weak side WR. Consider running some plays in a two-back offense to give you a lead blocker on running plays. If your opponents play zone, a two-back offense lets you overload one side of the zone, giving you as many blockers as defenders, with your RB running free (in theory, anyway. The blocks still have to be solid and on time to spring your runner.)
  3. Speaking of blocking, my league is similar in that we can only set basketball-type picks. I call our blocking "setting a rock", like our player is this big boulder we gonna set in the defender's way, blocking their path and their vision. Us grown-ups know what setting a pick is, but I've had to find this other way to really explain and sell the concept to my young players.
  4. Once you run a reverse with green handing off to blue, come back later with a fake reverse where green puts the ball into blue's belly but pulls it back and keeps it! As long as I don't overuse it, I've have a lot of success with this play--even with my slower runners! This can be a killer play, especially against younger defenders who will wind up literally running away from your ball carrier. Practice your handoffs and fake handoffs early and often throughout your season. For those who need to fake getting the handoff, encourage them to be great actors! Heap the praise on your "fakers" if they get their flags pulled instead!

Good luck!

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Thanks Royal! We had our first game this past weekend and took a beating... the team we played had 8 older players that you could tell have played together for at least a couple of sessions. They all stayed home on defense and were very disciplined, much more then 2-3 practices are going to get you.

No shame in losing to a more experienced team. One thing I have noticed is when a team does stay home & gets in a good position to make a flag pull my kids/runners would "break down" and attempt to get to fancy, stop & reverse field etc. Work on stressing to them to always run hard. Simply put let's say you run your reverse 4 times in a row but your kid runs hard every time right at the outside shoulder of the defender. All it takes is 1 missed flag pull & you have a foot race to the end zone. Truth is as a DC I would be happy with 3 out of 4 flag pulls at this level in a similar situation. Often coaches look for the miracle play to many times instead of focusing on execution. In this case the execution is to make sure your backs are running HARD with the ball.

I have moved on to Tackle this year and it is a similar thing. I'm an AC & am frustrated by the HC/OC believing that every play should go for a TD. We started out with 5 base plays....all very solid but as the season has progressed he has continued to put in more plays to the point were I don't understand the backfield action/blocking schemes. The problem with the base plays (which are solid) is that we don't execute. Backs bouncing the Off-Tackle Play to the outside when there is a defender in the hole...instead of lowering their shoulder and delivering the hit on the defender and gaining 2 or 3 yards. You do that 5 or 6 times and all of a sudden the LB doesn't feel like filling that hole and then you get the missed tackle and the long TD run.

Same concept applies to flag, run hard with the ball...we don't want dancers we want runners, make 1 move at the most and stay at full speed and sell the fakes, that is the execution part of your plays.

BTW you scored....so that little voice in your head can go away ("What if we don't even score this year?") Congrats, you keep working at it and stressing running hard, good fakes, and lots of flag pulling in practice and you will get your 1st win before you know it.

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