Use “The Ball Carnival” to Emphasize Creating & Recovering Turnovers
As the myriad of bowl games across the television screen begin to wind down, it amazes me just how many errant passes are dropped by defenders and how many lost fumbles end up going just past or through a defender’s…
The Vacation Season Provides Energy for the Real Work
As we are wrapping up the major college recruiting dead period and the rest and relaxation period that most people (especially football coaches) get to enjoy this time of the year, we are set to embark on the heavy lifting…
3 Ways to Defend Trips Formations in Your 4-3 Defense
The 4-3 defense has proven to be very versatile. We have dealt with a lot of changes in offensive attacks recently and have been able to deal with the explosion of spread offenses. At the same time, the 4-3 defense…
Simple Success with the Punt Return/Punt Block Unit
I am of the belief that nothing can create momentum (or lose momentum) quicker than a big play with your punt return unit. Whether it’s a blocked punt or a big return, a big play here can swing the pendulum…
Using the Punt Block/Return Team as a Weapon
Of all the ways to seize momentum in a football game, there are few things more devastating than a blocked punt. The field position swing that comes with a blocked punt drastically changes the expectations and the strategy of both…
The Godfather of the Royals Offense
Roger Gruneisen seemed different from any football coach that I had grown up with. He had long hair and was an expert on rock and roll — the first coach I ever saw play the air guitar or reference ‘The…
Better Running Form for Fewer Football Injuries
I’ve written about the role of technique (form) and the prevention of injury many times. Most the time technique was related to a disruption in the neuromuscular pathway exhibited in execution of the skill. However, there is still another…
Running Veer Option From the Gun, With Special Blocking for Read
I began running the Veer later in my coaching career. I had a QB who was a good fit for the Veer and we were able to get some big plays for our offense. As I became more familiar with…
Single Wide Receiver, Boundary “Read” Concept (With RB)
An often overlooked version of the vertical pass game is the 3 x 1 or 2 x 1 boundary “Read” involving the running back working into the boundary with a single wide receiver. Field Side: Whether a 3 x 1…
Get More Out of Your Zone Scheme with the Fullback Zone Dive
One of my favorite plays from the two-back offense that we ran at the high school level was a fullback zone dive. This was a play that we used to complement our stretch play. Our version of the stretch play…