Effective play calling involves understanding defensive weaknesses and putting defenders in conflict.
Joey Montoya (HC at Placer High School in CA) stresses the importance of preparation, such as studying defensive schemes and adapting to real-time situations during games.
The video below is a segment from his Glazier Drive clinic: Utilizing the Play Action Game with Your Wing-T Offense.
Highlights
🏈Conflict Identification: Understanding which defenders to put in conflict is crucial for exploiting defensive weaknesses.
🏈 Wing T Offense: The importance of strategic play selection within the Wing T, rather than selecting plays based on preference.
🏈 Timing in Play Calling: Emphasizes that timing is essential both in calling plays and executing them.
🏈 Situational Awareness: The need for in-game adjustments based on specific defensive setups during practice.
🏈 Player Preparation: Starting the throwing drills early can engage players and enhance their skill-set.
🏈 Continuous Learning: Constantly seeking input from defensive coordinators can deepen understanding and improve offensive strategies.
🏈 Gimmick Plays: Incorporating deceptive plays that mimic core strategies can effectively confuse defenders.
Key Insights
- Strategic Play Calling: Effective play calling involves selecting plays that intentionally exploit opposing defenses’ weaknesses. Coaches must thoroughly understand defensive schematics to maximize the potential of their offensive plays. By putting specific defenders in conflict, teams can create advantageous matchups.|
- Preparation and Research: Understanding opponents starts with extensive film study and preparation that identifies specific defensive matchups. Coaches and players should be aware of where opponents have deficiencies to better capitalize on those moments in-game.
- Practice Simulation: Structured practices, including seven-on-seven situations, prepare coaches for real-time decision-making on game days. By simulating challenging scenarios, they develop a mindset that can adapt dynamically during the game, ensuring that their strategies remain fluid and effective.
- Importance of Timing: In both calling plays and executing them, timing can significantly affect outcomes. Coaches must master when to call particular plays and how quickly players can implement them. This level of timing can be critical in play-action scenarios to maximize effectiveness.
- Utilization of Gimmick Plays: Integrating deceptive plays that appear similar to core runs can draw defenders into false reads. This reliance on looks and misdirection can open opportunities for big plays by creating uncertainty among defensive players.
- Continuous Gameplay Analysis: Assigning a spotter to observe particular defensive players during the game enhances the play calling process. This practice aids play callers in adjusting strategy based on real-time performance data and defensive patterns.
- Adapting Techniques: Coaches must remain flexible and patient, recognizing when to implement certain plays during the game based on how the opposing defense is deployed. The ability to delay gratification in play-calling can set up advantageous positions for the team, especially against stronger opponents.