The Football Coaching Podcast with Joe Daniel

When they hit the football coaching scene a few years ago, defensive coordinators were scratching their heads defending RPOs. But while it's a great tool for offenses to attack, run pass options are not as mystical as they may seem. If you've got a good RPO team on your schedule this season, you don't need to panic and change your whole defense. Follow the 5 tips for defending RPO's in this podcast to shut 'em down.

Using a creative evolution in the coverage package leading to a modified 2-Read Coverage in his 4-2-5 Defense, Hollis-Brookline High School Defensive Coordinator Fred Hubert helped lead his team to a New Hampshire State Championship in 2019. Find out the keys to the team's success and how this take the 2-Read Quarters Coverage package can work for your defense.

Week 1 of your season sets the tone, so you need to have your best offensive game plan ready to go. With the 2020/2021 season that doesn't mean having incredible strategies, either. It means getting the most from your offensive playbook. The game plan that wins this year is the one that's tailored to your players. What they can handle. It's about keeping it simple so they can play with confidence from the start. No matter what that defensive coordinator throws at you. Study Game Film Unlike most seasons, you probably won't get any scrimmage film this year. You're going to get a couple weeks of practice, then jump right into that first game of the season. You need to know all you can about the defense you're facing before you can develop your offensive game plan. So study last season's film. Anything you can get your hands on. "Can I break this defense with formations? Can I break this defense with plays? Where is it not sound? What is it not ready for?" Identify who they are. Not what you saw last year, but what that defense would look like if they had just a couple weeks to prepare. Because that's what they've got. Looking at what their JV team usually runs is a good start. Figure out the base defense. You aren't looking for tendencies here. Now it's about figuring out if you can break their umbrella. Create seams in the defense. Take advantage. What's Working in your Offensive Playbook? Now you need to look at your own team. What you've seen in the past, and what you've seen in practice so far (if you've had that). The best plays are the plays that work in practice. They are the plays that your players have the most confidence in running. So make sure in your offensive game plan you expect to call more of those! "What do you feel like you can call on a 1st & 10 in almost any situation and guarantee that you'll get 4 yards? You need to have that play in mind." You need a couple of calls in that game plan that you feel incredibly confident about. One is a play you can always get 4+ yards on 1st & 10. The other is a way to give your Quarterback some confidence throwing the ball with a simple pass. Pull Simple Levers in Your Offensive Game Plan Even in the best of times, game plans don't win many football games. Its the sad fact of coaching. You do a lot more damage over-coaching with fancy plays that win on a napkin that you'd do under-coaching and letting your players play. Formations are cheap. Plays are expensive. Don't over-do it, but as much as possible use base blocking schemes with special formations, shifts and motions to put the defense in a bind. "Script the first 10 plays, because you have an idea of things you want to see… but go off script in a heartbeat." You do want to script your first 10 plays, but you don't want to be completely controlled by the script. If the first play call carves them up, keep calling it! Finally, you need a plan for making adjustments throughout the game. The ASKA principle comes into play here, and pulling levers. Make sure you check out the ASKA podcast. It applies to offensive adjustments as much as it does to defense. Do You Have the Right Offensive Playbook? You've got the details on putting together that call sheet for Week 1 of the season. If you've got the right offensive system in place and your coaches are ready to teach the players, you're in good shape. Need help getting that offensive system just right? That's where JDFB Coaching Systems comes in for your team. Clients get access to The Pistol Power Offense System plus all of my other coaching systems, web clinic archives, private message board and more. Right now you can get instant access to the entire JDFB Coaching Systems resource library for 7 days for just $1: Click here to get started Related Episodes How to Game Plan Your Offense – Football Coaching Podcast Episode 172. Coaching ASKA Principle – Football Coaching Podcast S07E03. Levers Principle – Football Coaching Podcast S07E06. Learn all about Horizontal and Vertical Seams – Football Coaching Podcast S07E10. Study the Umbrella Principle so that you know how to break it. Scripting Your First 10 Offensive Plays State of Football 2020 and returning to play this year from The Football Coaching Podcast S07E15. 5 Day Install Plan to prepare your playbook install plan for a short off-season – Football Coaching Podcast S05E02.

There's a good reason so many defensive coordinators are also coaching linebackers on their staff. The position is critical for High School and Youth Football defenses to stop the run. Many coaches put their best defender at an Inside Linebacker position. If you're fortunate enough to have a natural, instinctive linebacker to play the position then your job is easy. Just stay out of his way and don't slow him down. For the rest of your guys, you need to coach. Earlier this season on The Football Coaching Podcast, I shared the ASKA Principle that has become one of the core principles for our defensive coaching systems. On this week's episode of the Football Coaching Podcast, we're going in-depth on coaching linebackers using the ASKA Principle. What is ASKA? ASKA stands for Alignment, Stance, Key Reads and Assignment. It started as a pre-snap checklist (stolen from the TCU coaching staff) for our defensive players. It evolved to a checklist for the coaches, and then to the foundation of how each defensive position gets coached. Each of those elements of ASKA gives you a lever to pull. By systematically seeking out weaknesses, and then pulling levers for solutions, you have constant improvement on your defense. Check out this podcast on Coaching the Levers Principle to learn more. ASKA for Coaching Linebackers When you're coaching linebackers using ASKA, there's a lot of levers you can pull. Check out these examples of levers to pull with your inside linebacker group: Alignment: Move your linebackers away from the line of scrimmage so they can flow to the football. Moving them closer makes them one-gap defenders, so you might as well put their hand in the dirt. Stance: Years ago, I made a simple adjustment in the way we coached linebacker stance to stop making false steps. I go in detail on that in this episode. Key Reads: Simplify your key reads if they're not working. There's usually too many if-then situations you're giving your athletes if they're not reading their keys. You can always start simple and build later. I detail both guard reads and linebacker reads in the episode. Assignment: You've got the most flexibility here. Changing the assignment can mean everything from a blitz call or coverage call, changing the front, or tons of other minor adjustments. Your most critical piece here is clearly defining the run fits using the Umbrella Principle. Listen to this week's episode of The Football Coaching Podcast using the player below, or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts!

Welcome to Coaching Football 101, class is now in session. Today's episode barely scratches the surface of all that a new football coach needs to know, but we only have an hour. A football coaching friend likes to say that every man in America thinks he can do two things: grill and coach football (in 2020 you can add doctor to that list). But every experienced football coach knows at least half of that is not remotely true. What You'll Learn in Coaching Football 101 This podcast isn't the place to get into the details of coaching football. The little things like how to design a good play, decide which play to call, or figure out what drills to run during your practice. That's what a lot of new coaches are looking for. But in Football Coaching 101, we need to start at the beginning. Instead, today's lesson is going to focus on 10 things every football coach should know. Young or old. Youth, High School, College or NFL. First year coaches and 30 year veterans. 10 Things Every Football Coach Should Know Here's the list of 10 things every football coach needs to know that we'll kick off Football Coaching 101 with. You coach long enough, you'll learn all of these things through trial and error. Most of these I've learned through a lot of pain and suffering. I want you, new coach, to skip all that. I want you to start out in the fast lane. It's a better way to live. I'll go into each point in depth in the episode, which you can listen to at the bottom of this post. It's all about relationships. That'll get beat into your head any time you ask a coach the most important thing to know. You do not need to learn any plays to get your first job. Drills are for solving problems. Don't waste time on worthless drills. There is no RIGHT way. But there is OUR way. Confidence is critical. Being 'mean' or 'violent' is not. If you're new to coaching football, accept that you know very little. And that's OK. Drop all the excuses. You're a coach. Keep your composure. Terminology in football coaching is not universal. Execution of plays, not the play itself, wins football games. This is a great list to get started. But as I said earlier, it's just scratching the surface. There's a another great post on the most common mistakes youth coaches make here, but it applies to all coaches in my experience. And then there's all the fun stuff you're really looking to learn. The X's and O's of coaching football. There's a great place to start learning more of that too, with JDFB Coaching Systems.

Coach Tim Snow wasn't thinking about spread formations when he first started studying the Pistol Power Offense System in 2015. That first version of the system looked a lot more like the traditional One Back Offense that I first learned from Coach Bill Mountjoy years ago. But the great thing about the System is that it evolves. And as Coach Snow and the Winnisquam High School offense evolved in New Hampshire, so did their offensive playbook. The version of the playbook that won back to back New Hampshire State Championships in 2018 and 2019 uses a lot more wide open spread formations. But it keeps the same core principles and schemes. Scroll down to listen to this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast and my interview with Coach Snow on the use of spread formations in the Pistol Power Offense System. Versatility of the System Coach Snow credits the versatility of the Pistol Power Offense System with helping his offense evolve to fit the players. Each season, the Winnisquam staff takes a look at what his athletes can do. Then they build the playbook around that, while keeping the core teachings. After using a bruising rushing attack for 3 seasons, the talent the small New England school changed. It was time for a wide open attack. Starting in 2018, Coach Snow incorporated spread formations, the read option, and an expanded passing attack. That took Winnisquam to their first State Championship. The following season, the offense continued to evolve. RPOs were added to open up the playbook for an athletic Quarterback who's understanding of how to read a defense continued to improve. Winnisquam rode that development all the way to a second State Championship in 2019. They'll look to defend the Championship and three-peat (do I owe someone money for that?) in 2020. Play Calling with Spread Formations It's not just about the playbook. Coaches have to know how to choose what to use from the playbook. It's not just about spread formations. It's knowing what your athletes can handle, and what they can do best. Season to season, you're selecting the plays and formations that define your identity. You need to adapt to the style that fits your athletes best. You also need to game plan each week for how you're going to attack the opponent. Then you're looking at how to call the plays during the game. Play selection throughout the game determines the outcome much more than the game planning you do on the weekends. The Winnisquam offense has that down, scoring three times as many points in the second half as they did in the first half during 2019. Listen to this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast to find out the simple process Coach Snow uses to determine play selection. Tim shares exactly what he looks for to determine how his team will attack their opponents during the game. This is a great look at how the Pistol Power Offense is a lot more than just running the ball, or even lining up in pistol! Check it out using the player below, or search for The Football Coaching Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts!

Every coach has been trying to figure out just what's going to happen with the 2020 football season. From state to state there seems to be just as much uncertainty today as there was 3 months ago. This week's episode of The Football Coaching Podcast takes a look at the questions your coaching staff needs to address to get ready. This is not about what's going to happen. None of us really know what is going to happen with COVID-19. It's actually about preparing your football program for what could happen this season. What Could Happen This Season? There are multiple possibilities. Things could turn out pretty good (at least from a football standpoint). It could turn out very bad. This is not about any scientific or political beliefs you hold personally. It's about being prepared for very real possibilities. From state to state, we will all be dealing with different situations. We've already seen different plans within the same state, like California and Texas. To keep track of what's happening around the country, there's a state-by-state look here. Possibilities for the 2020 Football Season Many states are still on track to start on time, or within a week to two weeks of the planned starting time. None of that is official until teams actually start stepping onto the field. But even for those coaches that are getting back to practice as expected, there are a lot of issues to plan for. This episode addresses the issues you need to expect in the 2020 football season even when starting on time. Then there are states with a longer delay planned. Anywhere from one to two months. Several of those plans include shortened seasons. You're already dealing with a shortened off-season as well. How much do you need to simplify your playbooks? Other states have looked at flipping some spring sports with the fall season sports, or moving football entirely to the spring this year. Those longer delays can open up a whole new can of worms - like totally flipping the weather dynamic. Is it better to play in 100 degree weather when you're just starting, or fatigued from the season? I don't know that answer. And then there's the elephant in the room. What about a situation where you don't even have a 2020 football season? Not in 2020. Not in Spring 2021. Not at all. Scary, but a very real situation. One that Spring 2020 sports already had to face. Prepare for Adversity This Year There's a lot of questions. This episode doesn't even touch on all the possible questions that could be asked. I'll be working with our JDFB Coaching Systems clients to get better insight on the big issues each scenario causes through the next 6 months or more. One thing is sure. Teams that are prepared for the adversity of the 2020 football season are going to fare better than the teams that are not. There are opportunities for your program to get ahead despite all the uncertainty that has been caused by COVID-19 this year. Check out this episode for some of the steps your program can take to find those opportunities.

Coaching defensive line technique for young players can be frustrating. There's a world of bad habits and natural instincts you've got to break. During Season 7 of The Football Coaching Podcast we've looked at how to use some of the core principles from JDFB Coaching Systems to solve problems. Those core principles include shows on coaching using ASKA and pulling levers for constant improvement. Now it's time to apply those concepts to defensive line technique and solve those problems we see all the time with young defensive linemen learning the position. Top 5 Defensive Line Technique Issues Football is a complicated game. With JDFB I'm always working to simplify it for coaches. That will simplify the game for players. We're focusing on 5 big technique issues that Defensive Linemen at the High School level often have. 1. Staying Low: Every defensive line coach knows this one. We're constantly screaming about pad level. Low man wins! There's some critical levers to pull with your ASKA to solve this one. Honestly, if you can fix this problem your defensive line is going to be significantly better regardless of what else you manage to improve. 2. Eyes in the Backfield: You know that look. When you've got a defensive lineman trying to look over the shoulder of his blocker. That's not a good thing. Let's fix that technique issue too. 3. Getting Trap Blocked: Seems simple. Don't get up the field. But the levers you need to pull to solve that problem are a lot more complex. Kind of like telling a wide receiver to just CATCH THE BALL! We'll pull the levers to solve this defensive line technique problem. 4. Staying Blocked: The ability to get off blocks is critical for defensive linemen. They need to use active hands to get off the block. We'll look at some drills and coaching cues to make this happen. 5. Losing Quarterback Contain: It's not the top-of-mind issue for coaches. But this is a defensive line killer. Losing contain on an athletic quarterback when you have great coverage is a disaster. It often extends the drive for an otherwise sputtering offense. Find out how to solve this issue when you listen to the podcast. Constant Improvement Using the ASKA principle and the Levers method gets constant improvement for your defensive line technique. Follow the concepts that I'll talk about in this episode and apply them to any position on your football team if you want to keep getting better all season long. This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast uses critical elements of JDFB Coaching Systems. You don't need to run every front, every coverage that we teach to get the most out of our systems. They are a framework for your football team to maximize the performance of your football players. Click here to find out more about JDFB Coaching Systems and get instant access to 5 Complete Coaching Systems and all of the resources JDFB clients enjoy.

You can argue if it's the best, but the power blocking scheme is definitely one of the most used running plays in football today. On this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, we're doing a deep dive into all the details of this great gap blocking scheme attack. Gap Blocking vs. Zone Blocking I'm biased. Power is a core run play in The Pistol Power Offense System. But the other primary blocking scheme is the zone run game. So we get started with a discussion about Gap Blocking vs Zone Blocking schemes. Inside Zone and Outside Zone runs are like pattern matching on defense. That means they take whatever you do on the other side of the ball and use it against you. There's nothing soft about zone blocking. But there is a somewhat passive nature about zone blocking. We're letting you make the decision on how we're going to beat you. With the Power blocking scheme, it's the opposite. This is a gap blocking play. The offensive line is going to create a seam where we want it, when we want it. Gap blocking schemes like Power use angles and numbers to create an advantage and open the hole whether you want us to do it or not! Blocks for Running Power Now that we've established the difference in gap schemes vs zone schemes, it's time to work through the rules of the Power blocking scheme. It starts with identifying the different types of blocks your players need to execute. Down blocking is critical in any gap scheme play. Power is no different. Base blocks aren't used very often, but we'll talk about them too. The combo is the other major feature of the power blocking scheme - a double team at the point of attack against most defensive fronts. That's where you force the issue to create your run lane. Of course you have the other two notable features of a power run play. The kickout block on the defensive end, and wrapping the back side Guard to block the play side Linebacker. There's intricate details of angle and footwork you've got to teach to get the most of out your play. Those details are also in the podcast. Power Blocking Scheme Rules And finally, you need a set of rules. When you're a Coach Simple, Play Fast, Win offensive coach you have to keep those rules in check. There can't be a lot of if-then situations. I'm not going to blow your mind with the basics of Power. It's more about the little details. That's what makes this play work for absolutely any offensive attack. You use angles to create the running lane and get great at the play because you keep it simple. Blocking Assignments for Power If the Guard is covered, and Center uncovered combo between Guard and Tackle. If the Guard is uncovered, combo between Tackle and Tight End. If the Guard is covered and the Center is covered everybody down blocks. Center always blocks back. Tight End, if not in the combo, blocks the A Gap Area. Back side Guard wraps to block the back side number of the play side Linebacker. Back side Tackle hinges. H-Back, Fullback, whoever your kick out guy is going to be based on formation - kicks out the man on or outside the Tight End. With no Tight End, it's the man on or outside the Tackle. Flexibility of the Power Blocking Scheme Finally, this podcast closes out with a look at how versatile the blocking scheme really is. This is not just one play. In fact, in the Pistol Power Offense System we built an entire series around it. Click here to get my free 3 video series on the Power Series! Power Read. 'G' Power. 1-Back Power. Counter and Counter Trey. You can get a lot of mileage out of this one single gap blocking scheme. So invest in it! Listen to this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast to get all the details on running the Power Blocking Scheme. Then subscribe so you don't miss great new episodes coming out every week.

Time to put the finishing touches on that defensive playbook to get ready for the upcoming season. How much do you need in it? The biggest problem many coordinators will run into this season is not going to be not having enough play calls. It's going to be having a defensive playbook that is too big. And for no reason. When you're using a Coach Simple approach, that defensive playbook needs to only include the calls you absolutely need. Especially with a shortened off-season. Check out this podcast to find out just how much you need in your defensive playbook this season.

Understanding horizontal and vertical seams is critical to your run fits on defense. Let's take a deeper look at the concepts. This concept is a big one in run fits. Understanding horizontal and vertical seams, and how to pull the levers to fix those seams for your force defenders, is one of the fastest ways to improve your defense. Seams is a fancy word for run lanes… or run lanes is a fancy word for seams. They can happen horizontal to the line of scrimmage, or perpendicular to the line of scrimmage. But the issue remains, when you have seams in your defense, you create run lanes for the offense. In this episode we'll explain what horizontal and vertical seams are, how they create run lanes, why they happen, and how to fix them. This is a critical episode if your defense has had trouble maintaining force on the perimeter. Show Links Pulling Levers for Constant Improvement: FBCP S07E06 Coaching the ASKA Principle: FBCP S07E03

What does it take to run a Championship caliber 4-3 Defense? Find out from Coach Dave Dugan. Bishop-Fenwick High School in Massachusetts is a perennial title contender and their 4-3 Defense run by Defensive Coordinator Dave Dugan is a big contributor to that success. Coach Dugan joins The Football Coaching Podcast to talk about what's worked in building his defensive attack. Find out how this brand of the 4-3 Defense teaches simple Linebacker reads and a pattern match Cover 2 coverage to shut down their opponents. Plus you'll find out how you can prepare your team with a short off-season - because in Massachusetts they do it every year!

Strength calls are important to get your best players in position to make the play. Here's how to use them. There's a reason defensive coaches make strength calls. But there's a lot of thought that needs to go into those strength calls. In this episode we'll talk about how to make your strength calls fast, make them easy, and make them work for your defense. Because if they're not helping your defense, they're making your defense worse.

Do you have a plan for when your team gets to start practicing again? Here's the Do's and Don'ts. In some areas, coaches are getting to start working with their players again. In other areas, that time is still a long way off. But you need to have a plan. I'll share the 7 things you cannot do if you want to have success in the 2020 season when teams start getting back to work. Plus the plan for teams getting back to work in June, July, August and beyond.

The concept of using Levers to get constant improvement on the field has fascinated me. Here's how to make it work for you. Nothing has changed the way I look at coaching football in the last twelve months like the concept of pulling levers. It takes everything I've learned about coaching and puts it into a systematic approach to constant improvement. I love the levers concept because it builds on the ASKA principle we've been using with our defensive position groups for several years. Now you can use that ASKA principle to create levers you can pull - like buttons to press - to get incremental improvement all season long.

Forget about fancy ball drills. This is what Wide Receivers really need to work on in your football practice. No position group wastes more time working on things that don't matter for their offensive attack than receivers. In this episode, we're going to focus on what a Coach Simple, Play Fast, Win approach to Wide Receiver drills really looks like. Cut the fancy ball drills. You just don't have time for that with the 90 Minute Practice Plan. It's all about blocking, and running precision routes with perfect timing for the receivers in this offense.

Randy Jackson is the guru on creating a winning culture for your football. He's going to answer the questions that need answers. When I had my first chance to be a head coach, I knew I needed to establish a certain attitude in our players. Call it culture. But we needed a strategy to do it. Randy Jackson is the author of Culture Defeats Strategy, but as you find out in this podcast, there's a strategy to building culture. Find out the keys to building that team identity, plus a ton of incredible nuggets you don't expect. We had our JDFB Insider clients on hand to ask some questions that you'll love to hear the answers to.

ASKA is a pre-snap checklist for your players. But it's much more than that for your coaching staff. Alignment. Stance. Key Read. Assignment. I stole the ASKA principle from TCU several years ago. But it's grown into so much more than it started. ASKA is a pre-snap checklist for your players. But it's the Coach Simple, Play Fast, Win measuring stick for coaches. If your ASKA is too complicated, your players are playing slow. In this episode, find out what ASKA is all about, get examples of ASKA, and find out how it has become of the backbone principles of JDFB Coaching Systems (including the offense!).

If you have the right Offensive Line Footwork, your guys should never miss a block. Here's how to make it happen. Coaching Offensive Line has always been my true passion in football. It's the most exciting position to work with for me. And I love working on the perfect footwork to make a block. The right footwork turns an average offensive lineman into a great player. It can turn a bad player into an average offensive lineman. It's amazing how focusing on just the first two steps of your offensive line footwork can change the entire fortune of a football team's offense.

Football Drills are what every coach seems to be looking for. But what really matters is running the RIGHT drills. Looking for the best football drills for every position? You won't find that in this episode. This episode is the guide to choosing which drills to run, and creating the drills you need to run. It's about being efficient. Effective. Getting results. Actually doing something with your coaching besides wasting your player's time running around a hula hoop or fighting over a pad. This episode is all about football drills that actually make your football team better at playing football. This is not rocket science. Show Links Learn all about the 90-Minute Practice Plan with Practice Planning to Keep Your Players Fresh from Season 3 of The Football Coaching Podcast Check out Group Football Drills for Low Numbers from Season 5 for developing your group drills. Also from Season 5, an episode on 12 Keys to Getting the Most From Individual Football Drills.

The 4-2-5 Defense System requires a lot of planning. Here's how to plan your defensive System. The 4-2-5 Defense System has been completely updated for 2020. Here's the blueprint you need to follow to get your System ready for the 2020 Season. You don't have to use the 4-2-5 Defense System to make this blueprint work for you. But you must make sure you've covered all these bases if you're going to be ready to win in 2020.

Time for the definitive answer of 4-3 Defense or 4-2-5 Defense… which one is better? It's the Battle of the 40 Fronts. What's the right defense for your team? There's no single defense that is BETTER than any other front - that's not what we're here to figure out. It's about whether the Miami 4-3 Defense that we teach in the 4-3 Defense System, or the 4-2-5 Defense System is the right one for your football team. I'll break down 15 key points for each defense, score it up, and come to a completely meaningless conclusion. It's up to you to decide which one is right for your team.

Get the full plan for your 4-3 Defense Install Schedule. It only takes 5 practices to get this done. During Season 6 of The Football Coaching Podcast, we've been going through the pieces of the 4-3 Defense System. Now it's time to actually install your 4-3 Defense with your players. Learn how you can get the entire defense installed in just one week of practice. No two-a-days and you don't need to be a 2-platoon team to get it done. This is the Coach Simple, Play Fast, Win approach to the Miami 4-3 Defense Show Links Coaching Quarters Coverage in the 4-3 Defense System: https://joedanielfootball.com/2019quarters43/ Foundations of the 4-3 Defense System: https://joedanielfootball.com/2019miami43/ The 90 Minute Practice Plan: https://joedanielfootball.com/2018practice/

How can you get the most out of your 4-3 Defense Safeties in Quarters Coverage? Here's the levers you need to pull. During Season 6 of The Football Coaching Podcast, we've been looking at the Miami 4-3 Defense System. No position is going to define the success of that defense for you more than your 4-3 Defense Safeties. Today's episode walks you through the A.S.K.A. for Quarters Coverage Safeties. The Alignment, Stance, Key Reads and Assignment for the position. Learn how you can use these 4 levers to have constant improvement at the Safety position (and all over the field) all season long. Show Links Listen to the podcast on the Simplified Quarters Coverage package Get access to the 4-3 Defense System when your team joins JDFB Insider

Get extra possessions for your football team using the Onside Kick this season. Here's how to do it. Kevin Kelley is a 8 time Arkansas State Championship Pulaski Academy. He's known for doing this a little different. Like onside kicking every single time. A while back, I adopted the same philosophy. It really is a difference maker for your team when you commit to it! Check out this podcast to hear Coach Kelley and myself talk about the onside kick. The logic behind it, how to study the analytics, and why you're going to want to use the onside kick every time for your team. Show Links Learn how to execute Coach Kelley's best onside kicks: Coach Kevin Kelley`s Onside Kicks from CoachTube. Find Kevin Kelley on Twitter @coachkelley1

How do you lead your players through the recruiting process? How can you protect them from a harsh business? You've got athletes that want to play at the next level. And they're capable of doing it. But how do you point them the right direction? It's a thin line between helping your players get exposure, and wasting your athlete's time and money by attending a bunch of one-day 'camps' (fundraisers?). This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast is more like a JDFB Quick Clinic. I'm answering a listener question on recruiting… because we all need to work on it.

Coaches love talking about the X's and O's. But it's these 'Little Things' that make the big difference for Championship Programs. You spend your entire off-season working on blitz packages and trick plays. You might call some of them once or twice the entire season. But you miss the big picture. Chris Fore from The Coaches Locker Podcast joins me on today's episode to talk about the 'little things' that really matter in coaching. We'll talk about recruiting your building, player academics, and everything else your program needs to win.

The Double Wing Offense is one of the most feared and brutal offensive attacks in football. Learn it or lose to it! Years ago, I wanted to learn the Double Wing Offense and turned to the Internet for resources. After all, you can't just visit your local college to learn this stuff. I found an amazing resource to learn from. That was Coach Jerry Vallotton's "The Toss" book, available at DoubleWing.org. Easily the best resource I found then, and still great. This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast is your chance to learn the Double Wing Offense from Coach Val! Check it out as we talk about the philosophy behind the offense, the base play series, and the details of coaching The Toss, Coach Val's Super Power play. Show Links Check out all the resources from Coach Val at DoubleWing.org Find Coach Val on Instagram at @doublewingfootball The Smash Mouth Alumni Facebook Group started by Coach Vallotton

How can you simplify the Play Action Pass for your offense and still be effective? All you need to know is in this episode. The Play Action Pass is a critical part of any offensive playbook. You've got base runs, counters, and play action. That creates a simple series based offensive package. You can go overboard in preparing your Play Action Pass game, though. The key is to get the maximum amount of benefit with the minimal amount of teaching. Check out this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast to find out how we've simplified the Play Action Pass for the Pistol Power Offense System.

What are the Special Teams schemes your football team needs to be running? Here's my favorites. Every football coach knows how important Special Teams are to winning football games. If it's one-third of the game, why don't coaches spend a whole lot more time on it? There's good reason. If you're going to be a Coach Simple, Play Fast, Win type of coach - it needs to carry over to your Special Teams philosophy. Check out this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast to find out the special teams schemes that have worked best for my teams. And how you can add them to your own football team. Show Links The Shield Punt book by Coach Fore (I'm an idiot - the actual URL is shieldpunt.com). Lew Johnston's Put the "Special" in Special Teams video from Championship Productions. Gaining Possession Using the Onside Kick by Kevin Kelley from Championship Productions.

How do you get the most out of 7 on 7 football this off-season? Don't waste your team's time - follow these tips. I'm not the biggest fan of 7 on 7, and that's no secret. It's not because it's an offensive drill or because there's anything wrong with the concept, either. It's more about how 7 on 7 has evolved in the football landscape over the years. But the truth is, 7 on 7 football can be really valuable for your team. It's a chance to learn the route concepts, learn the coverage concepts, and get better as a football program. You just need to do it the right way. Check out these 10 tips for getting the most from 7 on 7 football this off-season. And remember, it doesn't matter if you're winning with no pads on in June.

Your 4-3 Defense Linebacker Reads are critical to your run stopping defense. Here's how to get the job done. The Miami 4-3 Defense has proved itself time and again to adapt to every change that offenses have thrown at it in the last 30+ years. At the core is a sound, aggressive defense that can play fast. This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast looks at the Linebacker Reads for the 4-3 Defense System. We'll talk about the options you have, the thought process I've been through over the last decade in testing different options, and how to coach the most effective Linebacker Reads I've learned for the 4-3 Defense.

Champions are Built in the Weight Room, so check out these tips for better football strength training! It's great to come back from the winter holidays and see your guys again. Ready to get after in the weight room and start building for the next season. But don't waste their time. Check out these 10 football strength training tips to get more out of your weight room this off-season!

Your football team's defensive playbook just didn't get the job done last season. Is it time for a change? I've been spending a lot of time focusing on the reasons you should NOT change your defensive playbook. Way too many coaches jumping from shiny object to shiny object. But there are reasons why you SHOULD make a change. Remember, only a Sith deal in absolutes. This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast shares the 8 reasons why you might want to change that defensive playbook for the 2020 season… and hopefully for the last time! Sign up for your Free MaxOne Demo

The Wishbone Offense might not be as popular as it once was. But we can still learn a lot from a 1970s Arkansas Playbook. Download the Arkansas Wishbone Offense Playbook The Miami 4-3 Defense was originally developed to shut down the Wishbone Offense that Barry Switzer was running at Oklahoma in the 1980s. But we're going to go a little further back. Today's playbook breakdown is on the 1970s Arkansas Wishbone Offense. It's a really well laid out playbook from the Lou Holtz era (that's the claim anyway). Plenty to learn from any football coach, whether you run the Option or not! Show Links Download the Arkansas Wishbone Offense Playbook Sign up for your Free MaxOne Demo

Quarters Coverage is the perfect fit for your 4-3 Defense. But you can't let Pattern Matching slow your defense down. Quarters Coverage can mean a lot of things to a lot of different coaches. Cover 4? 2-Read? Palms? Hey who knows… but here's how we do Quarters Coverage as of now, in 2019. A lot has changed over the last 12 years since I started running Quarters Coverage. It's a pattern match coverage that requires you to have some pretty good Safeties. But if you've got the horses, and the time to teach it… this is a great way to coach a winning football defense! Check out the episode for an in-depth look at updating Quarters Coverage for the 2020 Season. Show Links Get the 4-3 Defense Video Series here: http://joedanielfootball.com/43videos Learn the Umbrella Principle, the most important concept I've learned for defense Fritz Shurmur's Coaching Team Defense at https://amzn.to/2Z0DEmf, for which I wrote the foreword. My interview with Shap Boyd, author of Quarters Coverage Made Simple from several years back is at https://joedanielfootball.com/shapboyd/. The original Quarters Coverage Made Simple that I learned the 4-3 Defense Quarters Coverage system from is at https://coacheschoice.com/quarters-coverage-made-simple/ Sign up for your Free MaxOne Demo

Let's get outside the box for leveling up your football team's off-season in a new way. Coach McKie joins us on this episode! Coach McKie from The Talking Football podcast and the Football Coaching Podcast Network joins the show as we run down our Top 5 Ways to Level Up Your Football Program. This is a little more 'out of the box' thinking on ways to make your team better this off-season. You're going to get some tricks that we've used throughout our coaching careers, plus some ideas we've taken from other walks of life to apply to coaching. This is a good one! Show Links Check out Coach McKie's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/rsmckie The best strength training program I've ever used is available at http://joedanielfootball.com/weightroom. For your speed program, Dale Baskett is at godfatherofspeed.com.

Time to plan your 2020 Football Off-Season. And there's a whole lot to plan for if you want to be successful. OK, Mister #nooffseason, here it is. All the things… well, most of the things… you've got to get done during the off-season. There's plenty of work. This episode breaks down your football off-season into coaching development, player development, speed and strength development and on-field development. This is going to be a critical time for your 2020 Football Season.

Get the breakdown on coaching defensive line in the 4-3 Defense. Alignment, Stance, Key Reads and Assignment. The Miami 4-3 Defense is a great system for defenses that have the right athletes. One of the features is the simplicity and aggressiveness in the Defensive Line play. We'll break down the ASKA for coaching defensive line play in this great defensive front. Alignment, Stance, Key Reads and Assignments for your base 4-3 Defensive Line.

Is there a perfect Offensive Playbook for your Football Team? Probably, but it might not be for the reasons you think. Following up on last week's show on choosing the perfect defense, this week we're working on finding the right offensive playbook for your football team. It's a little different. I'll walk you through eight different offensive playbooks that might fit your team. It's not an exhaustive list by any means, but a good enough look for you to get a good idea on how to figure out which one is right for you. At the end of the day, none of these offensive systems are better or worse. Every single one of them can and has won championships. But there's one that's right for you as a coach. Find it, and then STICK TO IT!

What's the best football defense for your team to run? There is no 'right' defense, but there's a right one for you. Wasn't planning to do this show, but it's a good time for it. If your defense wasn't 'lights out' last season, or if you're just moving into coaching or rising to a coordinator position, you're probably looking for that 'right' football defense. I can end your search for the Holy Grail of defense right now. It doesn't exist. But there is definitely a right defense for you to latch onto and become the expert at. This episode is going to help you choose the best football defense for you and your football team. Then help you stick to it. Show Links Check out the Umbrella Principle for the 4-2-5 Defense at http://425defense.com/podcast Download the Defensive Installation Manual above or at https://joedanielfootball.com/dim

Once upon a time, the I-Formation Offense was dominating the High School football world. And it's not dead yet. When I started coaching way back when, we were lining up in the I-Formation Offense. Running the toss sweep, Iso, and trap. And it was a pretty good offense. The I-Formation Offense is not dead in the high school football landscape. In today's episode I'll break down when you should use the formation, how to make it a part of your offense, and we'll put together a basic playbook for the I-Formation. Show Links Free 3-Video Series teaches the Power, Counter and Power Pass Coaching the Trap Play Coaching the Toss Sweep Play in the I-Formation Offense

The Miami 4-3 Defense was the foundation of my understanding of defensive football. And it's still a great System. The Miami 4-3 Defense is where it all started for me. Not the first defense I ever ran, but the first time I really understood how a defense works. How do all the parts fit together? Why do you spill the football? Who's the force player? Why does Coverage have to match the defensive front? Learning the Miami 4-3 Defense put it all together for me. I'm going to share what I've learned about the 4-3 Defense over the course of Season 6 of the Football Coaching Podcast. And how some of my views have changed. Check out this podcast to learn the foundations of the 7 man front in the 4-3 Defense System, plus choosing the right personnel to fill those spots. Show Links Adjusting to the Spread with the 4-3 Defense (since we were in an I Formation all podcast) 1996 Miami Hurricanes 4-3 Defense Playbook breakdown Quarters Coverage in the Miami 4-3 Defense from Season 2 of the FBCP

Nearly every High School Football Team is using Hudl for game film. Are you getting the most out of it? How much has Hudl changed the world of High School Football coaches? If you were around going back to the VHS days, you know that it's been an amazing innovation in our lives. But there's so much more than just exchanging film with your opponents and watching the game. And we're not talking about those additional tools. This episode is all about getting the most out of plain old basic Hudl for Football. Check out the 5 ways you can get more from Hudl and see if your football team is getting the most out of your video software!

It's never a good idea to make huge changes for your football team in the middle of the season. Not if you're a Coach Simple, Play Fast, Win coach. It'll just slow your kids down. But you can make adjustments. You SHOULD make adjustments. But you need to make the right adjustments. This week's Football Coaching Podcast takes a look at the 10 in-season adjustments you can make, that will actually make your football team better. Right now. Each adjustment is ranked according to the return on investment. That ROI is estimated by how much practice time it takes to implement the adjustment compared to how much better it'll make your team. Listen to the show, then download the PDF above and work through the list with your staff!

It's Game Day! Here's the full plan, from the end of school to the opening kick, to get your team ready to win. Coaches are always looking for an edge. Or a solution to a problem (that's what coaches do!). And the problem of starting slow, or starting fast, on football game day can be that edge. We're going to go in depth on the Game Day Itinerary and the reasoning behind each step in today's podcast. It's the Coach Simple, Play Fast, Win approach to getting your players amped up for the opening kickoff! Plus you can download the Game Day Itinerary in PDF Format. Just enter your email address in the box at the top of this post.

Get your 33 Defense Zone Blitz package ready to attack… in the right ways. There's no guessing here. The 33 Stack Defensive System offers so much versatility... but you need to know how to use it. That freedom can be a blessing and a curse. This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast will break down 5 different Zone Blitzes from the 33 Stack Defense. Plus how to use them, when to use them… and the extremely important difference between run blitz and zone bltiz. Show Links Coaching the Stacks in the 33 Stack Defense: https://joedanielfootball.com/2019stacks/ Creating Fronts in the 33 Stack Defense: https://joedanielfootball.com/creating-fronts-3-5-3-defense/ Coaching Outside Linebackers and Overhang Safeties: https://joedanielfootball.com/2019safeties/

Perfect Thursday, the last practice plan you run before Game Day. Here's the step by step guide to get your players ready. Perfect Thursday has been a long tradition in football coaching. But every program seems to approach it differently. This is the practice plan for perfect Thursday that has worked best in my experience. Of course, there's a lot of other factors. This practice plan goes hand in hand with the 90 Minute Practice Plan week, which you can download for free above. I'll talk about the step by step process, and all the factors that go into preparing the perfect Thursday practice plan. Show Links The 90 Minute Practice Plan and how to use it: https://joedanielfootball.com/2018practice/ Individual Drills in the 90 Minute Practice Plan: https://joedanielfootball.com/2019individuals/ Group Drills in the 90 Minute Practice Plan: https://joedanielfootball.com/2019group/ Using Pre-Practice in your Practice Plan: https://joedanielfootball.com/2019prepractice/

If your Quarterback fakes can freeze the defense, your offense has the advantage on every snap. Here's how to make it happen. Coach Dan Gonzalez has been working with Quarterbacks and the passing game for a long time. He's a true expert on the subject. So I asked him to get on the phone and talk Quarterback ball handling for this week's Football Coaching Podcast. We go into detail about coaching the hand-off and coaching multiple different Quarterback fakes for your Play Action passing game in any offense. We also touch on zone read ball handling, drills for improving your exchanges in the backfield, and plenty more. Under center, Pistol or Gun alignment. Doesn't matter. It's all here on this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast! Show Links Follow Dan Gonzalez on Twitter @dan_gonzalez16 Visit Coach Gonzalez's website at https://gonzalezpassinggame.weebly.com