No Huddle Discussion Part 2

Coaching The No Huddle

With today's technology, players have the ability to access and study game/practice film anywhere and at any time.  Players and coaches can upload film onto laptops or other devices and study.  Football players are very competitive and highly motivated to be successful which in turn drives the players to learn.  This of course makes teaching the no-huddle process more effective.

How Do We Start?

It's not what the coaches know that counts, but rather what the players have learned

You must start with teaching and/or installing a communication system.  We as coaches have to invest time with our players to teach terminology in order to communicate the information to the offense from the coaching staff.  Remember, the no-huddle communication is the ability to tell our offense what we want them to do without huddling or allowing the defense to understand our communication on any given play.

After speaking with a friend of mine, Coach Scott Weaver (Gilbert HS in Arizona), he truly opened my eyes to what was involved in the development of the no-huddle and the spread type offense we were running.  He provided me with so much information and told me ways to establish the communication process which players could better adapt to and memorize.

Coach Weaver told me to lay out the foundation and allow the players to be involved in the development of the no-huddle communication.  I found that allowing the players to be involved with hand and arm signals allowed them to adapt and memorize the process better.  For example, if all runs are named after States, the players would come up with which State's to be used and the hand/arm signals.

When installing the no-huddle communication system, you want to start with the "Big Picture."  Tell the players/coaches why this type of communication system is used and followup with teaching sessions  that break down the communication into separate categories.  TEST your players and coaches!!  Regular testing makes the players accountable for learning the system and should be done during the spring and summer.  During the season, you may want to administer tests weekly, prior to game day, in order to see if the players know their responsibilities on the field or sideline.

Once offensive players have learned the no-huddle communication system, coaches can now devote more time to schemes and skills.  Coaches must be ready to improvise, overcome, and adapt to any situations that can occur.

Remember:  "It's not what the coaches know that counts, but rather what the players have learned."

Gotta Be In Shape!!  

No-huddle teams play fast and should practice fast.  No-huddle teams must be highly conditioned so that they can operate at a high tempo for an entire game.  When our coaching staff visited the University of Oregon, Coach Jim Radcliffe advised that there was no reason to make football players, who run the no-huddle offense, run 3 or 4 mile runs.  He explained that working the team in short bursts multiple times through conditioning proved better.  Hustle should be stressed at all times in all practices, even in the weight room.  Conditioning is stressed from spring practice through the summer.  We must be able to practice fast and play fast on both sides of the ball.

No Huddle Discussion Part 1

Why Run  the No Huddle

There are many benefits to running no-huddle attack in today's football.  One of the benefits is that a team has the opportunity to run more plays during a game, due to them using less time between plays.  Instead of huddling after every play, teams will line up in a formation and either snap the ball or freeze the defense to catch them off guard.  With that said, defenses have less time to substitute players or to line up, which may and can lead to either mismatches or a blown coverage.

Statistics show that a team that holds the ball for 30 minutes in a 60 minute game, and use each second of the play clock, would be expected to run 45 plays per game (College Level).  The no-huddle offense eliminates approximately 10 seconds per play due to not returning to a huddle, getting the play call, and then proceeding back to the line of scrimmage.  Eliminating these 10 seconds, a no-huddle offense is able to run approximately 60 plays, which is 33 percent more offensive plays per game than a team that huddles after every play.

Now I know your thinking, "Huddles allow our offense time to catch a breather.  In my opinion, after studying the no-huddle offense for several years through clinics, books, and discussion boards, I believe that huddling after plays is essentially unproductive and provides little benefit to an offense.  Those additional 10 seconds can often benefit the opposing defense more than the offense.  Defenses have an opportunity to make substitutions, give different looks, rest, and prepare themselves for the next play.

No-huddle offenses are to generate more plays per game, however they also do not hold the ball as long as offenses that huddle.  In the NCAA, the top 10 no-huddle offenses on average held the ball for less than 30 minutes per game.  In 2010 Oregon's top-ranked offense (#1 in the Nation) held the ball for just 28:09 per game and was ranked 106 out of 120 Division 1.

No-huddle teams generally require their defenses to play for longer stretches of time because the no-huddle system increases the number of plays per game.  This results in defenses surrendering more total yards and give up more points.

No-huddle offenses enjoy advantages which are driven in part by opportunities created by the offense, and in part based on the added pressure a no-huddle offense places on opposing defenses.  Playing against a no-huddle offense creates anxiety and defenses are more likely to become confused or suffer from fatigue, increasing the likelihood of missed assignments or blown coverage.

One of the main reasons to sue the no-huddle offense is to reduce the defense's ability to call their own plays.  Defenses are accustomed to playing at a certain pace against teams that huddle.  The communication used by most defenses rely on the break in action while the offense is in its huddle.

Practicing against a no-huddle condition within a week's worth of practice time is challenging for most opponents.  The no-huddle is an extra component that defenses must prepare for which takes time.  Defenses will try to counter a no-huddle offense by simplifying their coverage and game plan, which plays right into the hands of a no-huddle offense.  No-huddle offenses tend to dictate the pace of the game which in turn dictates how an opposing defense can react.  Defensive substitutions are limited and defenses are less likely to blitz.

Inside/Outside Zone Count System

A few years ago, our high school sent our football coaching staff to the University of Oregon to learn more about the No Huddle Spread Offense.

When we sat down with the O-line coaching staff, they talked about how they use the Count System in order to identify who's blocking who.  So here is what I learned while attending the clinic.

When running any type of zone play, the Count System tells the offensive line who they are suppose to block while the covered/uncovered principal tells them how they are suppose to block (footwork & hand placement).  When using the Count System it ensures the offensive line will block five to six play side defenders, while the Quarterback or insert player is responsible for one defender.  The Center must recognize and identify which defender is #0.  Must have a Center who is somewhat smart (must be able to count, LOL!!) and is a good leader, since he is setting the blocking schemes.

How Does It Work Coach?

The Center must identify and block the "Point" man (the defender assigned as the A-Gap defender to the play side, which we number 0).  The O-line will block five (5) play side defenders.  Now if we incorporate a formation with a Tight-End, he will be responsible for the #3 defender outside of the Center's man.  If the defense aligns in a six (6) man box, the Quarterback is responsible for the 6th man.  Quarterback must make the defender respect him as a runner.  Understand that we will double team the 1st line defender to our assigned number and must get VERTICAL Movement!!

Covered

• Outside Shade
• Head Up
• Inside Shade

Uncovered

• No D-Lineman covering you up

Man

• Two (2) adjacent lineman covered

Vertical Movement

• 2nd Step is a lead step straight ahead
• Take care of the 1st level 1st
• Getting vertical movement on double teams
• Stay on your aiming point

Blocking Rules:

• Center - Identify and block #0
• Guards - Block play side #1 and backside #1
• Tackles - Block play side #2 and backside #2
• Tight-End - Block play side #3, while QB is responsible for backside

So here's how it looks:

NOTE:

The Inside Zone is a HOLE to CUTBACK play.  DO NOT BOUNCE OUTSIDE!!


Examples

Outside Zone Explanation

• Blocking rules are the same as Inside Zone
• Difference is the aiming point of the Offensive Lineman
• Play Side O-Line takes a kick-step to the outside and Karaoke crossover step to get up field
• Backside opens on the play side foot and loses ground (Don't allow penetration)
• Rip & Run technique, try to get the outside shoulder of defender
• If we haven't reached the defender by the 3rd step, run them as far as you can

NOTE:

The Outside Zone is not a CUTBACK play, it's a CUT-UP play!!

Coach Grabowski

Yup... I bought Coach Grabowski's book on iTunes!!  AMAZING STUFF!!  You need to have an iPad or Mac in order to view the book, which at first I thought was going to be a pain, however it's grown on me. This is a must buy for those who run or wanna run the Pistol Offense.

Great job Coach G. can't wait for what's next.

R4 System

I highly recommend reading this book!  The day I received it in the mail, I couldn't put it down.  As a coach it opened my eyes and made me realize, there are other ways to communicate with your QB's.

This system helps guide your QB's in their decision making process, pre-snap to post-snap.

Rhythm, Read, Rush, and Release!!

Just Getting Started

I have been a football coach for about 14 years now.  I started coaching when I was still in High School, assisting my Dad with a pee-wee football and felt it made me a better player if I was able to coach my position.

I played High School Football in Bremerton, Washington from 1991-1994.  We had a pretty damn good team back then and I was fortunate enough to win 3 league titles and into the playoffs.  I had a few friends of mine get recruited and they went off to play football at the College Level.  Due to me being a teenager and not studying when I should have, I lost an offer from University of Idaho (Vandals), so I decided to go off and join the military.

I served my country in the United States Army 82nd Airborne Division, and jumped out of planes for a living.  I never had the opportunity to coach football while in the service, but once I got out, one of my Uncle's friends invited me out to help coach his offensive line.  I LOVED IT!!

I grew up running the Wishbone and knew about Zone blocking schemes, so I did my best to coach it.  One day after practice, an old team mate of mine told me about one of our other team mates getting the Head Football Coach's position at our old High School.  He said, "I don't know if he will pay you, but he's looking for an O-line/D-Line guy."  My first thought was, "I'm not sure if I can coach at the High School level," but applied for the position and interviewed.

Coach Nate Gillam of the Bremerton High Knights brought me on board as the offensive line coordinator and that's where I've been for the last 10 years now.  Coach Gillam played college ball for Boise State and had a lot of knowledge.  I learned a lot from that man and I consider him to be one of the best around.  After my 3rd year of coaching the O-line, he asked me if I was interested in running the offense.  I thought long and hard about that, since I have been on the sideline and heard the fans comments during a Friday night game, that wasn't going in our favor.  I spoke with my wife about the offer and she told me to go for it!  She is my rock, my best friend, and keeps me motivated and grounded.

Throughout the next 7 years or so, we ran everything from Wing-T, Shot-T, Double Wing, I, and lastly our Spread Option Offense.  The reason why we ran the Wing-T was because after Coach Gillam took over the program, that's what these young men knew...  At least we thought they did.  I studied my ass off and watched hours and hours of film, and attended every Glazier or Pemco clinic I could.  I asked a lot of questions and got feedback from some of the best like Tom Herman and Wes Elrod.

When we first started out, we were lucky to score 40 points the entire season.  We were a small school that was put in the Narrows League which consisted of power houses like South Kitsap, Bellermine, and Capital.  We would show up to a game with 30 kids suited up and ready to play, and when looking across the field at the other team, I thought, "Damn, are we playing against a junior college team?"  We were losing games 50-something to not enough, and kids would quit, get injured, or start having eligibility  problems.  We finished one season with 25 kids, when these other teams have nearly 80 man rosters.

Coach Gillam pulled me a side one day after practice and said we needed a 2-minute offense, mostly pass heavy (since we had a QB with a hell of an arm).  So I was back in the books studying, trying to find a way to get points on the board.  We came out one game against another power house team, and I thought lets open up with a Spread type look and throw the ball around.  That game we threw for almost 400 yards and rushed for another 200.  We scored more points that night then we did in the last two seasons combined.

From that point on, we became a Spread Option team!!

The High School sent the coaching staff to the University of Oregon in order to get a better understanding of the Spread Offense.  Our staff came back from a little 3 day stay, and we took home a League Title.  It was our first league title in 19 years (I was the last class to win a league title).

I never stop learning and love to talk football.  I am new to this blogging stuff, but have learned a lot from other coach's blog sites.  I hope that this blog site can help educate others.

Go Knights!