Philosophy of scripting plays

[swarm2ball]

Coaches,

I would like to generate a discussion on your philosophy behind scripting offensive plays.

What is your main objective?
Are you more concerned with seeing how defenses are lining up to certain formations and running plays with goals of noticing what the defense is doing, to counterattack later in the quarter or half?

Or are you basing those plays around the game film you studied and going with an all out attack mode, being more concerned about scoring rather than how the defense is lining up and playing after the snap?

Or do you try to incorporate both ideas?

[CoachMikeJudy]

Good question!

I used to feel that studying the game film and having a predetermined attack was the way to open a game. This was when we were a I back/zone/power team. But I found that defenses would have good game plans versus our few formations, and we ended up scoring 2 times on on the opening drive that year.

Then we started to incorporate a system that uses few plays (rocket/jet) out of multiple formations (15-20 a night). My opening philosophies changed because we felt that we dictated more of the game to the defense, and they were constantly "scrambling" to align to our formations. More of a "smoke and mirrors" concept. The more we could get them to mis-align, the greater number of big plays we had, and we ended up scoring on 6 of 10 opening drives.

I script the first 8-10 plays:

1. If I have any questions on how they will align to a certain formation (unbalanced, end over, spread, empty), I want to find out in my opening drive

2. I also want to throw as many of basic formations at them, including shifts and motions, before we focus our attack- I'll use a TE trade, motion/reset, and scatter in the first 2 series.

3. Screen, draw, misdirection (sally) - try to get 1 of each or 2 out of 3 in the 10 plays.

4. I love throwing a special (toss pass, reverse pass, QB screen, etc.) against a stronger defense in the first series- it's the best when a coach from the other team will comment on how your OC is "crazy as hell for running that" - I love it...Gives us identity

[dmp225]

I like to script my first 10 plays, but often times it can change with a down and distance. I prefer to script my plays based on the down and distance. For instance, 5 plays for 1 & 10, 5 for 2 and short, etc. Then i can just go off my list. I do not agree with the old notion of scripting plays to see what the defenses are going to set up, b/c any good team will make a change when the offense puts them in a bad situation

[spreadattack]

I'll type up a better post later but main objectives:

1) Come out aggressive, be willing to throw a fake screen or play action pass that could score a TD
2) Set up the rest of the game, as whitemike said get lots of formation variety and figure out how they line up v. those looks, this will dictate the game
3) Set up what we do want to go to the rest of the game, i.e. if we want to run lots of zone we run some bootlegs, if we want to throw lots of hitches throw the hitch and go--set it up early
4) Screen/draw/misdirection to take away aggressiveness
5) Get the ball to some of our playmakers early. Screen, toss, etc. Cannot have our go-to receiver go the first half without a catch, or a RB getting the ball in space.

I found that sticking to these ideas and not trying to put together the perfect package of plays (lots of my script is organized into two or three play packages anyway) we saw equal if not more success for the first few drives and way more success later.

Also, I used the system the Broncos used which I got from some other schools too, where the HC and OC both script the first 20 plays, and the QB, and some assistants script about 5. Then the HC and OC put them together into a script of 12-15. If a play repeatedly comes up among everyone, it gets used. The rest is for the formation/strategic goals. I like making the QB feel involved too.

[fbcoach33]

We are a no huddle team option team. We like to script formations more than plays. I like to see how the other team is going to adjust to certain formations, often by being no huddle, people get locked into certain defenses vs our formations, we can call the effective plays from there.
I heard Charlie Weiss not to long ago at a clinic talk about this subject, I think they mentioned it in his bowl game as well, that playcalling is an art and he goes off his script very quickly if the defense is not how he wants it or sees things he can attack right away. HIs point was that if you see weakness go after it right away, never waste plays. I thought it made alot of sense.

[nohuddlecoach]

I sometimes script 15 to 20. I always stick to the first 10 and may go deeper if it is clicking. I do allow myself to step away from the script for down and distance, but i usually have those situations scripted as well. Several reasons why i script. The most obvious is to see their varied defenses to our formations, reaction to motion, etc.... I also like to those first 10 to really reflect our offensive attitude coming in, we are no huddle so we go very fast pace, and go sideline to sideline, screen, etc..really wide open.

[jhanawa]

What we will do is script the first 10 but will change up do to situation-weakness/down/distance, etc.
We are looking for matchups and mis alignments to attack where we think we can hurt them most based on scouting, as well as just keeping the defense off balance by giving different looks- we want to make them watch and think rather than react.
We scout ourselves and try to give the defense different looks than what we think they are going to prepare for, we will also try to set up a big play off something that they will have seen and prepared for, say our middle screen, we might fake it and throw deep, or something of that nature.

[fish]

if you are scripting your plays, what are you thinking when putting them in order? are you thinking like, this play will get us about 3-5 yards, so i'll follow it with this, etc. or is it strictly just to see how the defense reacts?

[fish]

i have my scripts according to down and distance as well as the first 10-15 that i want to see early in the game. when i script i am thinking situational and like to complement my plays as well as put things in that i want to see.

so i'll have a 10 play list and down and distance list for different situations. i will break away from the script and refer to the down and distance situations if i feel its necessary.

[CoachMikeJudy]

Fish

When scripting, I try to think about my plays I want to see, but when it's 3&10 we obviously are going to go to our situational scripts.

I try to stick to the openers as much as possible but if it gets t oa situation like 3rd +5, I go to my 3-4 plays under the 3rd + 5 column on my call sheet.

[fish]

thanks mike. what about specials? do you ever put something in the script to set up a special play that you'll use later in the game? or is that something that you just make a point of doing during the calling of the game?

[CoachMikeJudy]

Absolutely. If I can set something up early, then I will. Can't run hitch & go without running the hitch early!

For example:

Let's say you want to hit the D with a "Toss Pass", I make a point of attacking the flank and when we get that corner to fly up on toss, I circle TOSS PASS RT (or left) on my call sheet and sit on it until the time is right.

Another big one is reverse- my HC loves it when he sees the LBs flying and secondary rotating to stop the run. He starts barking in my ear about "them boys are fly'n over tha top" He knows I'm crazy and will call that 3-4 times a game if it hits.

If you are a spread team I would run some bubble early in script.
1) Gets them conscious of covering the slot
2) Sets up run inside
3) Sets up special- Fake Bubble and throw deep

[mrfr33z3]

What are some other plays that set things up? I need all the ideas I can get , I'm coaching a spread Gun team we basically run the IZ, OZ, Traps, Counters, and then throw the quick game stuff as well as 5-step. so what are some plays that I can use to set others up ?