15 replies to this topic

[EndZone26]

OK...so I coach in a 5 on 5 league of 9 and 10 year olds. This year, I have 27 plays and have them all on a wrist-coach. I yell out the number that corresponds to the numbered play on the wristband.....and for some reason there is still MASS confusion. We only have 5 formations (Ace, trips left, trips right, twins left, and twins right) and 5 routes (stop, go, slant, now & drag). My players tend to forget their routes almost immediately, have trouble lining up in the right spot and my qb (the kid with the best arm) has decision-making issues. I only have 30 seconds in between plays and I'm not allowed on the field. What do you all suggests? Do I shrink my playbook? Do I display each play on a full-size piece of paper and have them come to the sideline on every down? Keep in mind, making a switch at QB is not an option. We only have 2 kids that can throw and the other one is the best athlete on the team, so I would be taking away a HUGE part of our offense. We are 1-3 (lost the first game by 6, second game by 1, and fourth game by 8)....we lost all three games ourselves with blown assignments, interceptions and sleep-walking....PLEASE HELP. Thx!

[Johnp2]

OK...so I coach in a 5 on 5 league of 9 and 10 year olds. This year, I have 27 plays and have them all on a wrist-coach. I yell out the number that corresponds to the numbered play on the wristband.....and for some reason there is still MASS confusion. We only have 5 formations (Ace, trips left, trips right, twins left, and twins right) and 5 routes (stop, go, slant, now & drag). My players tend to forget their routes almost immediately, have trouble lining up in the right spot and my qb (the kid with the best arm) has decision-making issues. I only have 30 seconds in between plays and I'm not allowed on the field. What do you all suggests? Do I shrink my playbook? Do I display each play on a full-size piece of paper and have them come to the sideline on every down? Keep in mind, making a switch at QB is not an option. We only have 2 kids that can throw and the other one is the best athlete on the team, so I would be taking away a HUGE part of our offense. We are 1-3 (lost the first game by 6, second game by 1, and fourth game by 8)....we lost all three games ourselves with blown assignments, interceptions and sleep-walking....PLEASE HELP. Thx!

How many seasons has this team played together under your system? If most of them are new, I'd scale it down to your top 15 plays and work on fine-tuning those. Routes should not be a problem. You have to simply go over them again and again in practice. Once the kids have their routes down, go over them again. Not sure how often you get to practice, but I'd imagine a team of 9-10 fairly intelligent boys can learn five routes after they focus only on routes for a few practices.

Also, allowing the players to focus on one position (as opposed with moving them around to different positions) goes a long way in allowing them to know their responsibilities on each play. Too bad you are not allowed on the field--that has to be tough. Hope this helped some. If this is a new team altogether, I would not expect miracles. Unless, or course you have a few athletes you rely on to carry the load in each game (which is not teaching the other kids much, unfortunately).

[EndZone26]

I get what you're saying about the plays, but I don't think the 15 plays will be any different from the 27 plays. It's mostly just different route combinations. I don't have a lot of crazy trick plays or even that many run plays. It's 18 pass plays, 8 run plays and 1 half-back pass. So, my biggest issue is trying to find the best way to communicate the play to them and not have them forget by the time the ball is snapped.

[TeeDub23]

Work on this in practice. Stand on the side with your plays and call out the number. Have them line up and run it. Do it again and again. Make sure they know they can keep looking at in on their arm until the hike.

I agree. 27 plays is way too many. Especially with multiple formations. The more they run it, the better they will get. If they dont, may you have mercy from the football gods.

Have the routes color coded so they know they are the red route or blue route. How do you have them labeled? Are they each specific? Such as X, Y, Z wideouts or are they all Xs? If they are all the same and you change formations, the kids might not know which X is them. But, if Johnny knows he is the X reciever and Mike knows he is the Z reciever, that should be easy. The C and QB should be set, it is just the WRs?

Let us know.

[Coach Rob]

Doesn't appear your losses were blow outs, a few pts here and there. Some good points by the other coaches already.

Have you asked the kids why they think it's difficult to line up and run the plays?

You said your QB has decision making issues. I'd make it simple for him and take away the variables. Play #1 you hand off to RB. Play #2 you fake handoff and throw to WR1. And so on. If you run plays and he is supposed to find the "open" man most of the time, that could be difficult.

If they're having trouble lining up and running routes, I'd simplify things. It's better than having chaos on the field every possession. Maybe two formations and run varations off those. I'd give the same kids the same colors every time.

Break down into smaller groups (stations) during practice and have different dads/coaches work on fundamentals (running routes, taking handoffs, executing good fakes, QB footwork, etc.). Rotate the kids through the each station.

[EndZone26]

To answer a previous question, this is the first year with this team (w/ the exception of my son). However, we have been practicing since March and they had the playbooks since then as well.

My QB is the only one with a wrist coach. I call out a number & he calls the play that corresponds with that number. No pictures on the wrist coach, just words. My positions are R, L, C, H and QB. For example Twins Left would look something like this:

L_____H_____C__________R
____________QB

If I yell out "7". The QB would read: "Twins Left L-Go, R-Stop, H-Stop, C-Go". L & C are running go routes and H & R should run stop routes.

[TeeDub23]

Get them all wrist coaches and have the plays diagramed out.

[EndZone26]

Doesn't appear your losses were blow outs, a few pts here and there. Some good points by the other coaches already.

Have you asked the kids why they think it's difficult to line up and run the plays?

You said your QB has decision making issues. I'd make it simple for him and take away the variables. Play #1 you hand off to RB. Play #2 you fake handoff and throw to WR1. And so on. If you run plays and he is supposed to find the "open" man most of the time, that could be difficult.

If they're having trouble lining up and running routes, I'd simplify things. It's better than having chaos on the field every possession. Maybe two formations and run varations off those. I'd give the same kids the same colors every time.

Break down into smaller groups (stations) during practice and have different dads/coaches work on fundamentals (running routes, taking handoffs, executing good fakes, QB footwork, etc.). Rotate the kids through the each station.

Yeah, our losses have been a few bad plays here & there. The first loss was completely a bad coaching move. I had all of my best players on "1st team" and my lesser athletes on "2nd team" and alternated them back & forth throughout the game. The other team only scored on our 2nd team. The ran back 2 picks for TDs and have a long drive. I plan to ask them tomorrow about why they think we are having the problems. Each player plays only one position on offense and one on defense because they kept getting confused the first 2 weeks of practice. My fear about having the QB throw to s specific person is that he may throw to them if he/she isn't open. You have obviously been doing this longer than I have.....so am I just being paranoid & should roll with it?

[Orange]

My first thought would be to pare down the number of formations and plays. It would be better to run a few plays very well than run a lot of plays mediocre (or worse).

My second thought would be to change your play calling technique. Instead of using the wrist band, get in the huddle yourself with a full page diagram of the play (or half page). The diagram will make it easier for the kids to understand. I know you have to hustle off the field so you have to modify how you do it. Instead of huddling ten yards back centered in the field like a traditional huddle, meet your team about ten yards behind the los but closer to the sideline (maybe a quarter instead of halfway). You'll have to call the play quickly and the kids will have to hustle but I think this would work. Of course practice doing it to make sure everyone understands the timing involved. You might get so good at it, you'll have something akin to a hurry up offense.

Philosophically the kids should be able to remember the plays and routes from the wristband. But practically, I know they don't. Seeing a diagram is so much easier for them.

Edit: OK, so I just reread that you are not allowed on the field. You could still do the huddle. You just have to have everyone hustle. Meet them on the sideline and call the play there. Maybe run some trip plays to your side of the field so they have less distance to travel. I'd try it at least.

[Coach Rob]

I like Teedub's suggestion of wrist bands for all with diagrams. $$ might be an issue though.

I plan to ask them tomorrow about why they think we are having the problems.

I just finished coaching a competitive 6th grade 3 on 3 basketball team with kids I've coached since they were in kindergarten. They're all very good players and smart. I gave them a set of 4-5 options (plays) on offense, things like pass and set an off ball screen, pass and fake a screen/then cut, pick n roll, etc. Nothing fancy. First few games they couldn't run a play to save their lives. I knew why, but asked them what they thought. They figured out they weren't patient enough waiting for the screens. You might be surprised what they come up with on their own.

My fear about having the QB throw to s specific person is that he may throw to them if he/she isn't open. You have obviously been doing this longer than I have.....so am I just being paranoid & should roll with it?

Well, I'd always give them a primary and secondary receiver. I like using play action to help my QB find an open receiver, also looking hard one way and throwing back the other way. Everything looks good on paper, then the game starts. A lot of this will come from the kids playing week to week. Remember to catch them doing something right and make a big deal out of it. Lots of encouragement.

[Orange]

My fear about having the QB throw to s specific person is that he may throw to them if he/she isn't open. You have obviously been doing this longer than I have.....so am I just being paranoid & should roll with it?

Well, I'd always give them a primary and secondary receiver. I like using play action to help my QB find an open receiver, also looking hard one way and throwing back the other way. Everything looks good on paper, then the game starts. A lot of this will come from the kids playing week to week. Remember to catch them doing something right and make a big deal out of it. Lots of encouragement.

I too designate who the pass is going to. It's up to the QB to make that happen or if he's covered, something else.

And there is an intangible that certain people (and kids) have that makes them better at positions like QB, pitcher in baseball or point guard in basketball. Florida coach Urban Meyer referred to it as the "it" factor when describing Tim Tebow. As in some people just have "it." I see it over and over in youth sports. In flag football my eventual top QB was probably my 4th or even 5th best passer when we lined up and did drills in practice. But come game time "it" would kick in and he'd shine, making the right plays, taking chances and just making things happen. So don't overlook someone because they don't throw a pretty spiral. If they can think quickly and make good fast decisions, they could be a good QB.

[Coach Rob]

Florida coach Urban Meyer referred to it as the "it" factor when describing Tim Tebow.

We just need to see "it" more here in Denver.

I see it over and over in youth sports. In flag football my eventual top QB was probably my 4th or even 5th best passer when we lined up and did drills in practice. But come game time "it" would kick in and he'd shine, making the right plays, taking chances and just making things happen. So don't overlook someone because they don't throw a pretty spiral. If they can think quickly and make good fast decisions, they could be a good QB.

Couldn't agree more. One of my best QBs is a kid who is smaller and younger than everyone else. What makes him good is the "it" factor. He just seems to know what to do out on the field, very calm under pressure.

[Johnp2]

You could still do the huddle. You just have to have everyone hustle. Meet them on the sideline and call the play there. Maybe run some trip plays to your side of the field so they have less distance to travel. I'd try it at least.

Good advice. This is what I would do. If your team knows their plays well: think 10 seconds for them to get to the sidline and huddle, 5-7 seconds for you to call the play, and 10 seconds for them to get lined up on the LOS. If you can discipline your players well enough to do this (it will require some practice and repetition), it might really help. Again, the key is for them to know the plays so well you can quickly call the play and each player's routes (after a while you would just have to call the play). It would take time, but if you feel you will be coaching this team for the future, it's a good approach.

Additionally, design your plays with a primary receiver in mind, as well as a check down. Teach the QB to quickly look for his primary, and if he isn't "wide open" then quickly scan the field. If nothing, check down to a RB in the flats. Keep the check downs consistent on each play so he always knows his safety net.

[Coach Rob]

Sideline huddle or kids call it?

Do you see any other coaches doing the sideline huddle or do they all allow the kids to call the play?

I'd opt for the sideline idea if this was a short term gig for me as a coach. If I planned on coaching in this league for several more seasons, I'd probably figure out how to make it work with the kids calling the play in the huddle.

Maybe you could use a combo of letting them call it and sideline huddles. They call the simple plays, you call them over when you want to emphasize something.

[rushbuster70]

OK...so I coach in a 5 on 5 league of 9 and 10 year olds. This year, I have 27 plays and have them all on a wrist-coach. I yell out the number that corresponds to the numbered play on the wristband.....and for some reason there is still MASS confusion. We only have 5 formations (Ace, trips left, trips right, twins left, and twins right) and 5 routes (stop, go, slant, now & drag). My players tend to forget their routes almost immediately, have trouble lining up in the right spot and my qb (the kid with the best arm) has decision-making issues. I only have 30 seconds in between plays and I'm not allowed on the field. What do you all suggests? Do I shrink my playbook? Do I display each play on a full-size piece of paper and have them come to the sideline on every down? Keep in mind, making a switch at QB is not an option. We only have 2 kids that can throw and the other one is the best athlete on the team, so I would be taking away a HUGE part of our offense. We are 1-3 (lost the first game by 6, second game by 1, and fourth game by 8)....we lost all three games ourselves with blown assignments, interceptions and sleep-walking....PLEASE HELP. Thx!

too many plays...i coached 11-14 and we had 10 plays.we ran the plays with different kids so it didnt really matter.however we did run them out of about 5 different formations.that definitely helps.it comes down to practice.run the plays that work.there is no way you run all 27 plays in the game.just doesnt happen.so do what works & keep practicing those constantly.