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dbcoach

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About dbcoach

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  1. Thanks Coach. I coach in a Canadian youth football league and I think our difference in opinion could be rooted there. I really like to get involved in these discussions because I find it quite educational but I sometimes post without thinking about how our game differs from the American game. This brings up a really interesting point with respect to systems... In the Canadian game, we use a field that is 65 yds wide and you only get 3 downs. The ball is almost always spotted on a hashmark, wich is roughly 9 yds wide of mid field. This leaves you with a 42 yd flank on one side and a 24 yd flank on the other. We also play with 12 men. There are many other big differences but these points could be the main reason why we choose to run slightly different fronts. When we run what we might call a "44 Regular", we often use stunts as you say that turn that face into what could be considered a 62 or a 53, but we still have 2 safeties (AKA "D halfbacks") and 2 CB's. I have personally never seen a team come out with 7 defenseman on the LOS. I think if you tried that in our game you would have your butt handed to you by the middle of the first quarter. With that 42 yard flank and a couple of fast TBs (and maybe a screen pass or two in your playbook), you could effectively eliminate 6 of those 7 D linemen from the game every play. On the other hand, you would cram up the middle pretty well. With a 42 yard flank to defend, I suppose that our D secondary would have a vastly different role to play than what you are used to seeing. Also, even at the youth level, you do see a fair amount of passing because we need to get 10 yds in 3 downs. That being said, the sweep is still the bread-and-butter when it comes making the "big play". So, my apparent ignorance is more a product of the game I play than that of inexperience and watching too much Monday Night Football. Nonetheless, ignorance, it is (I'll admit that). I have said it before, and I'll say it again.. It would be really great to set up an exhibition game against some of our American brothers and play US rules for one half and Canadian rules for the the other. I think the kids and the coaches would enjoy that allot. Cheers, dbcoach
  2. I think almost any D can be sound against sweeps, but it really depends on your personnel. A 44 is just as good as a 63 or a 72. But remember, the more boys you commit to the LOS, the less secondary you have. If you have a concentration of smaller/faster guys and fewer big athletic studs, you might find that a 44 will work better for you. In a 72, if your end misses the tackle and that TB has a motor, you will have max 2 to 3 kids -spread out in the open field - who have a shot at saving the play. If you run a 44, the end can reep havoc simply by cutting the play in, stringing it out, or slowing the ball carrier down in leu of making the tackle. With 4 LBs and 3 DBs pursuing you still have a great shot at preventing a gain of yds even if your end misses. A 44 is a more passive/reactive front and it allows for more mistakes at the LOS. I would only run a 62 or 73 if I had a really great pack of D Linemen. Cheers, dbcoach
  3. dbcoach

    Rules Help

    Wow. That's something I didn't know about american rules. So you just can't do On Side punts? Makes sense, how would an ON Side player be required to react to the "fair catch" signal. It's interesting how those seemingly little differences in rules can have really broad effects on the nature of the game. In our game, there is no fair catch rule. Kicking team players who were ahead of the kicker at the time of the kick must keep 5 yds between themselves and the ball untill the recieving team touches it. Kicking team players that were behind the kicker (and the kicker himself) are On Side and do not have to give the 5 yards and can recover the kick. Also, matters of ball possession are only addressed at the time that the play is ruled dead. So no matter what happens between the whistles, the offensive side can only be awarded a 1st down if they possess the ball up field of the sticks when the play is ruled dead. Thanks for the info Maleko. It would be interesting to have an exhibition game between American and Canadian teams. 1st half, play American rules, 2nd half, Canadian rules. The game looks the same, but those seemingly little nuances make a world of difference. Cheers and good luck! dbc
  4. dbcoach

    Rules Help

    The "defense" touching the ball signals the change of possession (thus becoming the offense). That point is 100% of the reason why the former offense didn't need to advance the ball at all. If the ball had not been touched by the receiving team, it would have been a dead ball, 1st and 10 for the receiving team (i.e. the defense in your wording) no matter where on the field the kicking team recovered it (unless the punt never cleared the LOS). Sorry there Maleko. Didn't mean to say something stupid. I coach Canadian football (slightly different rules). It's easy to forget that (my bad). In Canadian football rules a team does not gain posession by touching the ball (unless it goes directly out of bounds as a live ball). Thus, the 'offense' would remain the 'offense' in this case. But we are talking American rules... So, In American rules a change of possession gives you a first down? I mean, of course, if the recovering team was the 'defense' to begin with. But if the ball changes hands twice? i.e.: 3rd and 10 Team B. Ball is stripped by team A who is hit immediately after and then fumbles. Team B recovers the fumble say, 5 yds behind the LOS. 1st a and Ten Team B? or 4th and 15 Team B? Funny, In Canadian rules that situation would land you with 1st and ten Team A! In what other situations besides punts does touching the ball give you possession? Not a pass, I watch enough NFL and NCAA ball to know that. How about lateral passes? 2nd and 10, Team A. Team A attempts a backward pass. Team B tips the pass, it bounces on the ground team A covers the ball 5 yds behind the LOS. 3rd and 15, Team A? or 1st and 10, Team A? I would think 3rd and 15, but from your explanation, Team B may have 'possessed' the ball, and change of possession gives you a 1st down. Cheers, dbc
  5. dbcoach

    Rules Help

    That surprises me. I always thought that the kicking team needed to advance the ball 10 yrds from original point of possession to get a first down. (barring penalties, etc.) How does the fact that the ball was touched by the defense really play into the ruling? What if the ball was not touched and the offensive player that recovered the kick was On Side? With the yards not gained, would it still be first & ten - kicking team?
  6. Hey Coach. The kids on my team are a bit older than yours so you might want to take this with a "grain of salt". I have never coached that age group. I've had similar problems and the solutions are always specific to the given situation. For example, my most recent case like this was solved by giving the kid a different set of responsibilties. He is one of our team's best players and had been a fantastic LB for a few years. After talking to his father many times, he would react well for 1 or 2 practices then back to the same negative behaviour. After a while he just started to mock the whole thing (father and coaches). I was at my wit's end. This kid was destroying every ounce of the D's unity. Negativity and lack of motivation are extremely contageous with the young ones. After a while, I simply wanted him off the defense (kids can't play both ways in our league). So I "dumped" him on the Offense. My bad? Maybe so, but ever since then he's back to that same great kid that we knew in previous years. Now he's playing slotback and having a ball. Simply put, the kid was bored and didn't know it. One thing that we never do is administer "punishment". That's not to say that kids dont do laps/updowns/pushups, etc. when things get out of hand. We just don't consider it punishment. It's just what we do when behavour disrupts the team (action/reaction - B follows A - a fact of life). Do you think his behavour is prtly because he thinks the other kids look up to him? Try this: The next time the kid (or any other kid) sours on you, send the whole team on a little marathon. When they get back, give the whole team the lecture you want to give to the kid. Don't single him out. Every individual IS the team. When he acts out, the TEAM acts out. When it happens again, repeat the process. The kid will no longer feel "cool" when he does it. He'll have to run along with his team mates. It's amazing what a little peer pressure can accomplish... alot more than a lecture from the coach in some cases. Again, maybe a bit mature for 2nd graders. I don't know... Cheers, dbc
  7. Hey Coach. Your 53, from a d scheme perspective should defend the sweeps quite well. The questions are: 1. How do you coach your contain men? -3 pt stance? 2 pt. stance? -Outside shade of TE/SB? or a little wider? -bump the TE/SB? -Shoulders square to the LOS? -Collapse or maintain width of C gap while maintaining outside control of D gap? 2. How do you staff those positions? You can use a quick, strong D lineman. A smaller, faster OLB-type player. How you staff those positions will determine the techniques that they use to contain. The idea is to stop the sweep on the outside of the box BEFORE that tailback has a chance to turn it on for that all-too-often dissapointing foot race for the sideline. So the picture perfect contain execution results in a nice tackle by the DE at the edge of the box. I coach my contain men to keep their shoulders square to the LOS and hopefully make the tackle with head in front (on the outside). This, of course, is after he fades off of the TE/SB. With his shoulders square, field position is on your side because the TB has to run straight past the face to your end. All your end has to do is attack straight ahead as the TB attempts get past him. The end might have to take a slight pursuit angle toward the outside to get him. He can't juke him outside because your end can accelerate much faster as he is facing in that direction. If he turns his shoulders to face the TB, you end up with a 1 on 1 head to head situation and that speedy TB can juke inside or outside without missing much of a stride. And if he chooses to juke inside, he doesn't have to cut staight up field. In my experience, even your best defenders will lose that fight at least 7/10 times. If your end executes that play well, the only way for the TB to avoid being tackled is to cut straight upfield into C gap, where your OLB and the rest of your D are waiting for (or should I say Pursuing?) him. That is exactly what you want to happen in the case where your end doesn't make the tackle. The TB's 2nd option is to belly way out (running backward) to get around the end. Well, that allows ample time for the rest of the D to gain in the pursuit. If you use a 53 you have fewer LBs for secondary pursuit to support the contain man but you gain an advantage with it if your tackles can penetrate the LOS and break up the sweep inside before it develops. If you use a 44, then you want really fast LBs and the advantage is that the contain man has one more player supporting him. Hope this helps. Cheers, dbc
  8. Hi Leslie, In my first year as a DC I used to encourage my MAC, MIKE and Tackles to shake down the center like that. It really can cause havoc with an opposing Offense. It was pointed out to me by an opposing coach that I should rethink such strategies, and I have. You see, young centers (like 9-10 yr olds) more often than not have not learned and mastered the proper posture and techniques to protect themselves immediately after the snap. You send your stronger, more physically fit MAC LB in to rough him up and you put that center in a very unfair and dangerous position. Especially for long snaps such as punts, shotgun, etc. Even though he is your opponent, you have a responsibility for his safety and development. Don't take this the wrong way, It's just some food for thought. Topics like this always have people polarized. I know half of the coaches out there will probably dissagree with me on this one. i.e.: some would say "he has to learn somehow", etc. but I nonetheless think at such a young age, we should at least give those little centers a chance to develop some before throwing them into the fire. Thoughts? Cheers, dbc
  9. Hi there Meg. In response to your question: "How long have I been coaching/playing?"... Well, I wish I could tell you that I have a coaching resume a mile long, but I've only been coaching for going on 3 yrs. I played competetive football from the time I was 8 yrs old, and every year (sometimes on two teams) until I was 20. Here's another point for your son to mull over: If you intend to play University/College ball, you MUST get good grades in school. For my last 2 years playing, i was desperately searching for a spot on a University/College team. I had scouts approaching me at all star games to express their interest but my grades just stunk. All schools have strict policies regarding grades that they just don't bend. If your son intends to follow his dream of playing football, he needs to take school very seriously. After taking about 6 years off of school (and having run out of football leagues for my age group), I decided to go to University for Acedemic reasons. I guess everyone gets a second chance in some respects if they put the work in, but at 26 yrs old, my prospects on the football team were not so good. After finishing university a few years ago, I got the itch to be involved in the game and atmosphere that played so much of a role in making me who I am today. I love every second I spend coaching youth football and I strive to be even better than the best coaches I ever knew -a very tall order, but it's a valuable pursuit. Cheers, dbc
  10. Beginner players are at more at risk of getting hurt than the season vets. When I say "hurt" I mean hurt, not injured. As your son's coaches train him, he will learn how to hit and be hit properly and this risk will quickly deminish. I think that beginner players are often surprised when they first start hitting. Yes, it can be painful. You get bumped, bruised, scraped, wind knocked out of you and much more on a regular basis. He has to understand that their is a distinct difference between pain and injury. Sometimes pain is the result of an injury (i.e.: sprained ankle) but more often than not, it's just the result of contact. Hey, it hurts sometimes. There's no denying it. But with some experience and exposure to the game, hopefully he'll get used to the bumps and thuds and find that the fun out-weighs the slightly unpleasant consequences of contact. You should also get it across to him that as he gains experience, he will learn how to avoid the bruised arms, stubbed fingers and yes, even the neck snapping concequences of being tacken off-guard. Also, It sounds like your son is sensitive to failure. As a DB coach and past defensive back player, I can tell you that it's easy to get really down on yourself when you screw up. See, when a D-lineman screws up, he has the Linebackers behind him. When Linebackers miss the play, the DB's are backing them up. They save the big plays. But when a DB screws up, well the rest is history. There's no second chances for them in any given play. One of the first things I teach kids that I coach as db's is they have to learn to put the past behind them. Each play is an entirely new season. Past failures and successes are of no concequence in the present. People notice when db's screw up because it usually culminates into a TD for the bad guys. It's a selfless position to play in that respect. Your son needs to grow some thicker skin and he will be fine. So in a nutshell, for some kids it takes more than just 1 pre-season to overcome the surprises of contact, and perhaps the surprise that he's not automatically going to be the team MVP. If he sticks it out, he might learn what football is really about. And he might like it. I hope this helps. Cheers, dbc
  11. Thanks coach, I'll see if I can get a copy. Cheers, dbc
  12. Hey Coach. Sounds like your in a real bind. At least that's how I would see it if I were in your shoes. You are forced to coach a two-teir team with that "5th quarter" system. A good squad and a bad squad, or not-so-good squad, whaterver you want to call it. For your own enjoyment and to develop your players have you considered playing everybody sufficiently in the league games and not playing in the consolation games? Like " our team are all first to fourth quarter players." Your kids just might buy into that sort of team spirit stuff. I don't mean to play devil's advocate, it's just that your description of that 5th quarter mondays vs. league games kind of rubs me the wrong way. Am I missing something? Cheers, dbc
  13. Anybody know of any articles that discuss how to coach and use 4 point stance for your D-Line? Your thoughts and advice would also be appreciated. Cheers, dbc
  14. Yep, Keep practice fun. Don't show anger, it just festers inside them. You guys have to turn on the enthusiasm when preparing for practice. Keep the drills short, fast and as intense as possible. Don't set your practices up so that there is alot of opportunities for them to stand around and wait there turn. Hunger to hit is as infectous as laziness. Use that to your advantage. The few kids who can and do hit should be your leaders. Give them some responsibility. It should be their job to fire up the rest of the kids. Tell them it isn't enough for them to come out and do their thing. They have to cheer and yell when others get the itch and lay a hit. When that happens, you coaches should be ecstatic about it. You have another leader, and so on. But most important, you have to lead by example. Don't tell them about what their on-field mentality should be like. Show them. When preparing for practice, you and your coaches should become what you want the kids to be. Hope this helps... dbc
  15. Hey Sooner. How old are your kids again? I'd stay away from the 34 until they get up to the older levels. That's just my opinion. I ran a 34 a couple of years back with wee ones (12 yr olds). In my experience, you just don't have enough bodies on the LOS to stop most runs before giving up at least a few yards. I think a 43 is more forgiving in that respect. Perhaps though, the 34 problems were more of a coaching issue. I found that I needed to blitz at least two LBs every play just to force them to mind their gaps, and also to provide a significant pass rush. When you start blitzing kids to stop the run, it becomes a crap shoot. Blitz the wrong gap and you just took a valuable defender out of the play. Don't blitz it and you probably give up a few before the play is made. Can anybody else tell us how to make a 34 viable for the young ones? cheers dbc
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