What Goes Into a Game Plan

8/13/2019 What Goes Into a Game Plan

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What goes into a game plan?

By Jim DonnanSpecial to ESPN.com

Rather than predicting what each team's game plan will be in the Miami-ennesseematch!p" this wee# $ will gi%e yo! an idea o& how those game plans are &orm!latedand what the teams may be doing in the days leading !p to the game.

ame planning act!ally starts in the o&&season" especially &or the non-con&erenceopponents teams do not see on a reg!lar basis. he coaching sta&& will watch tapes"brea# down games &rom the pre%io!s season and spend plenty o& time preparing awinter report &or each opponent a&ter the recr!iting season ends in (ebr!ary.

hat will be &ollowed by some wor# d!ring spring practice and a s!mmer report thatwill set !p a lot o& the plans &or the !pcoming season.

S!ch early preparation gi%es coaches plenty o& time and ta#es some o& the press!reo&&. Sta&&s can spend a month loo#ing at &ilm in the o&&season rather than cramminge%erything into one wee# d!ring the season" lea%ing game wee# &ree to polish andper&ect the plan already in place.

(ew big changes are made d!ring the wee# leading !p to a partic!lar game" b!t a loto& what happens is dictated by in)!ries.

*s &ar as this game is concerned" ennessee li#ely did not watch Miami's last &ewgames and come away deciding to ma#e wholesale changes. he +ols ha%eprobably not decided they are going to r!n right at the ,!rricanes s!ddenly-wea#r!sh de&ense on e%ery play" b!t an in)!ry to wide recei%er elley ashington and theret!rn to &!ll health by r!nning bac# /edric ,o!ston may res!lt in some minorad)!stments.

hile preparing his players to &ace the No. 0 team in the nation a coach has to b!ild!p his moti%ational plan thro!gho!t the wee#" stressing what strengths can be!tili1ed. (alse hope is always a poor way to comm!nicate -- the coach needs to beconcise and to the point while shooting straight with his players.

$t is also good to #eep the team loose b!t not being dead-serio!s all the time. $ oncerode a steamroller into practice to emphasi1e to my players that we co!ld either bethe pa%ement or the steamroller.

Daily short tal#s abo!t pride" teamwor#" !nity and p!tting &orth a great e&&ort are %ital.radition m!st be be stressed" as well as the &act that big games are o&ten lost witht!rno%ers" penalties and special teams mista#es.

(inally" $ always maintained that we had to a%oid mista#es and playing loose andconstantly !sed the slogan 2e are the best third-down team in *merica32


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The final countdown--------------------------------------------------------------------------------By Jim DonnanSpecial to ESPN.com

Playing at home ma#es the wee#end o& the game a little less stress&!l" and here's aloo# at a sample itinerary &or the home team starting with (riday's practice.

Friday

4506 p.m. - Depart &or stadi!m &or practice

4546 p.m. - Practice

6546 p.m. - Depart &or dinner

7588 p.m. - Dinner

B* - Mo%ie

95:8 p.m. - *rri%e Ramada $nn

95:6 p.m. - eam meeting

B* - Snac#

00588 p.m. - ;ights o!t and

Saturday

=588 a.m. - a#e-!p call

=5:8 a.m. - /hapel

9588 a.m. - Pre-game meal

9588 a.m.-00588 a.m. - aping >all an#les and #nees taped at hotel?

00586 a.m. - eam meeting >e%eryone ready to lea%e &or stadi!m?

00508 a.m. - Depart &or stadi!m

005@8 a.m. - *rri%e at stadi!m

0588 p.m. - $/A((3 >B!ses will ret!rn &rom stadi!m a&ter game?

Sunday


3/8

@588 p.m. - reatmenttraining room

@588 p.m.-:5:8 p.m. - Aptional weightli&ting

Plenty to be done--------------------------------------------------------------------------------By Jim DonnanSpecial to ESPN.com

$n my days as a head coach $ delegated %ario!s aspects o& the o&&ensi%e game planto each member o& my sta&&. ,ere is a loo# at how wee#ly preparation was organi1edand the di&&erent aspects handled by the coaches.

Game Plan Organization0. Apponent brea#down@. Emphasis - /!t-!ps

*. Sit!ations0. (rontsst!ntsdogsblit1@. (ormations:. Red Cone4. oal line6. Short yardage7. /o%erages

. Special Plays=. Down and distance

a. P and 08b. *ll 0st downsc. :rd and medi!m >:-7 yds.?d. :rd and long > or longer?

:. ,ando!ts to players4. Sta&& wee#ly organi1ational chart

*. eam sched!leB. Sta&& sched!le/. ame planD. B!lletin board

6. Sel&-sco!ting*. Down and distanceB. (ormation hit chart/. (ield position chart

7. o-&or-two chartill-cloc# chart. Pass chec# list

=. R!n chec# list9. Speci&ic sit!ations game plan


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*. A%erall game plan organi1ationB. (rontsgamesst!nts/. /o%erageD. Red ConeE. oal line

(. Short yardage. Screens,. Base r!ns$. Base passJ. Blit1 pic#-!p. wo-play h!ddle;. Play actionM. No bac#sN. AptionsA. wo-min!te o&&enseP. wo-point plays

. +ictory o&&enseR. Slow and &ast sa&etyS. (ree1e play. Special playsF. Shi&ts and motions+. M!st-r!ns

$n addition to game-planning responsibilities" each coach was in charge o& one ormore more o& the &ollowing areas &or practices

Practice Organization0. Position

*. A&&ensi%e lineB. ight ends/. R!nning bac#sD. ide recei%ersE. !arterbac#s

@. Practice sched!le:. Scripts

*. $nside

B. $nside s#elly/. S#ellyD. eam passE. eam(. Blit1 pic#-!p

4. Distrib!tion o& practice sched!les and scripts6. E

9. Sco!t team08. /enter-


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00. eam ta#e-o&&0@. P* and go-&or-two0:. a!ntlet04. $nside drill06. Ane-on-one RDB

07. $nside s#elly0. S#elly

he sta&& d!ties &or game wee# begin on right away on the S!nday &ollowing a game.*s yo! can see" act!al practice time ma#es !p a small &raction o& the gamepreparation.

Coaches Duties*. Sunday

0. rade &ilm@. R!n game stats:. pass game stats4. ame s!mmary6. !rn in grades7. Sta&& meeting. Re%iew tape as a sta&&=. $n)!ries9. Sel&-sco!ting08. Brea#down o& opponents last game00. (orm!late sco!ting report

a. Base &rontsb. /o%eragesc. St!ntsdogsblit1esd. Down and distance hit charte. (ield position hit chart&. Personnelg. /o%er page

B. onday0. /omplete sco!ting report@. /opy sco!ting report &or distrib!tion

:. /oncerns %s.a. Base r!nsb. base protections

4. (ormations - Shi&ts and motions6. ;its r!ns by &ormation7. ;ist passes by &ormations. oal line pac#age=. New ideas9. $ndi%id!al meeting08. oals meeting00. Re%iew Sat!rday game tapes >players?0@. Practice


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0:. Sco!ting report distrib!tion04. ic#ing game responsibility

/. Tuesday0. Aptions

@. wo-play h!ddle:. Red 1one4. Play action6. Sprint pac#age7. No bac#s. (irst down=. Screens9. New ideas08. Re%iew Monday00. $ndi%id!al meeting0@. Special teams

0:. Practice

D. Wednesday0. /omplete goal line pac#age@. Short yardage !p&ield:. Special plays4. No h!ddle6. hird down7. M!st-r!ns. Special motions or shi&ts=. (o!rth down9. wo-point play08. Re%iew Monday and !esday00. $ndi%id!al meetings0@. Special teams0:. Practice04. Begin tape brea#down o& neGt opponent06. Recr!iting

E. Thursday0. Pre-game plan ready

@. ristbands:. Re%iewa. Short yardagegoal lineb. Red Conec. hird and longd. wo-min!te o&&ensee. Blit1 pic#-!p&. Down-and-distance tendencyg. wo-play chec#sh. wo-point playi. Special plays


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4. Begin tests and tips6. $ndi%id!al meeting7. Practice

(. Friday

0. i%e tests and tips@. (inal ad)!stments:. (inal game plan4. ame ob)ecti%es6. Emphasis

a. ame planb. Special sit!ationsc. Special teamsd. A&&ensi%e s!bstit!tionse. Re%iew anything new&. A%ertime

g. +ictory o&&ense


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What Goes Into a Game Plan