The purpose of this post is to give you an example on how one staff divides their weekend duties. It is meant to serve to stimulate your thoughts and not meant to say that this is how every staff should operate.
Weekend In-Season Game Preparations
Saturday A.M.
8:00 Coaches Report grade film, grading film normally takes about 2 hours.
8:30 Injured players to trainer if applicable.
9:30 Players Report to weight room.
10:30 Run Condition
10:45 Water
10:50 Team Meeting
11:05 Off. / Def. Meets review film with players hand out grades.
12:00 Release Players
12:00 Coaches Lunch (might consider booster club providing lunch).
1:00 Break Down Opponent Game Tape
3:00 Dismiss
Sunday P.M.
Coaches report after church 1:30 for staff meeting.
Develop Personnel, offensive, defensive, and kicking game plans.
Prepare all scouting reports.
Bulletin boards and motivational information done.
Discuss Monday practice schedule.
Scouting reports must be ready to hand out Monday morning.
Weekend Duties
Film cut-ups done.
Opponent’s Bulletin board done.
All goal boards completed.
Theme of the week board completed.
Game statistics done.
Tackle charts done and updated.
Scout teams; offense, defense and kicking game cards completed.
Defensive Data Input for computer printouts done.
Offensive Data both self-scout and opponent input completed.
Scouting reports all coaches.
Grade Friday night film – all varsity positions.
Freshman coaches assist JV and Varsity coaches in film breakdown.
Scouting Checklist
What is our opponents basic philosophy offense / defense
Starting line-ups offense / defense
Purchase and bring back two programs.
Purchase local newspaper.
Who are their dominant players, numbers, etc?
Snap count
Does our opponent like to stem their fronts
Base to Blitz ratio / defense.
Get all numbers on personnel changes offense / defense.
Did you notice any injuries
Sideline demeanor.
How does our opponent handle sudden change?
Punters number.
Punters longest punt.
Kickers’ number.
Kickers sustained distance kicks.
Furthest pre-practice field goal made.
Punt returnee’s numbers.
Kickoff returnee’s numbers.
How good do you feel their deep snapper is?
Is the deep snapper consistent with his snaps?
Who’s their best returnee’s name and number?
Which players do you feel we can exploit offense / defense?
What is their sideline organization? Which side off the bench does the offense and defense report to when coming off the field?
What yard line do they go into their goal line package?
Did you notice any trick plays?
In pre-game warm up do they come out in their game jerseys?
When do they come out in game jerseys if applicable?
Primary penalties and problems.
Defensive hand signals.
Pre-game plays and routes.
Any problems getting aligned?
Any hand signals used by offensive receivers?
What You Should Expect From Your Athletes
To give their very best effort towards receiving a quality education.
Do right.
Always give their best effort for the team, teammates, and themselves.
Treat others the way you want to be treated.
To be prompt.
To hustle, give the best effort possible.
To know their assignments, be students of the game.
Abide by team and school rules.
Sacrifice for the team, each individual is only as good as the team.
Be the best person that they can be, be a role model for others.
To play with Character – “Play as well as you can for as long as you can.”
To play with Pride – “Know that you won’t quit when it gets tough.”
To be mentally Tough – “Accept discomfort and live with it.”
About the Author of this post:
Jerry Campbell has over 30 years of high school and college coaching experience. He has experience as a head coach, offensive coordinator, and various position coaches. He has written numerous football coaching articles in various publications, is the author of over 30 books on coaching football, and has produced 12 coaching video series. Additionally, he is a nationally sought after speaker on the coaching clinic circuit.