AFQ X's and O's

Free football coaching strategies, play diagrams, X’s and O’s for coaches at all levels

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Strategies to Structure an Offense

Introduction This time of year is always challenging as a coordinator. Your mind runs wild with the seemingly limitless possibilities of great schemes people are running across the nation. The purpose of this article is to present ideas and concepts…



Beyond the Scoreboard: What Football Means to Me—Win or Lose

  Happy Holidays The Wednesday before Thanksgiving one of my good coaching buddies shot me a text. It said, “Hey, if Nathan wins Friday he will be in the MAC Championship and we should go!” I politely texted him back…



Finding Something Positive…. at Notre Dame

  In the fall of 2011, our Mason County Royals finished the season at 2-8, on October 21st. Forget about Thanksgiving Day practice… we didn’t even make it to Halloween. It was depressing. John Combs had just completed his freshman…



Exit Interviews

  I try to have exit interviews with every player at the end of the season. I ask all of them four questions: 1- What did you like about playing football here? 2- What did you not like about playing…



Helpful Drills for Quarterbacks at All Levels

  V.        Wave Drill – To emphasize movement in the pocket, avoid the rush, maintaining concentration downfield. Set Up:   REC      REC Coach (gives directions) C             QB Procedure:  1. Quarterback will take a 5 step drop or from gun alignment.              2. Coach will give…



Program Evaluation – Seton Hill University

     By Gerard Wilcher, Defensive Coordinator Seton Hill University Assistant coaches rarely have an opportunity to impact the philosophical side of the football program. Generally, we are very much like the military. Policy is made and passed down and it…



A Great Gift & Shooting the Elephant in the Room

This past Thursday at our football banquet, Gabby Banks & Morgan Reed gave me one of the nicest gifts I’ve ever received at the end of the season. It was an engraved, framed picture from their appearance on the Scholastic…



QUARTERBACK DRILLS WITH COACH CHARLIE STUBBS:

  IV:     Read Progression Drills – For quarterback to go through their  progression on a pass pattern – working on vision and quick drills. Set Up:    #2 REC               #1 REC                           #3 REC                                                               QB Coach   Procedure: 1. Position 3 receivers in…



Lou Holtz on Pre-Game Meeting with Officials, what should you say?

Hall of Fame coach Lou Holtz answers his second question as sent to him from an AFM subscriber. Today, Coach Holtz lists a total of 15 items that should be discussed with the game referee before kickoff. Question from Pete…



WHEN YOU LIFT WEIGHTS, IT’S LIKE STRAPPIN METAL AROUND YOUR JOINTS!

By John Scanlan That rant played over and over in my head. During the summer of 1974’s two-a-days, our new Head Coach had corralled us in the gymnasium, with that declaration being one of his major talking points. As if…