AFM Home | The Staff Report | Sept 2003

By Tommy Knotts
Head Coach, Independence High School, Charlotte, N.C.
2002 Schutt Sports Southeast Regional High School Coach of the Year

The latest summer trend in high school football is seven-on-seven. As more and more high schools rely on the forward pass, more coaches are joining seven-on-seven leagues, pairing up with nearby teams, or competing in college- or high school-sponsored tournaments. I believe the success we have achieved at Independence High School (three straight championships and 46 straight wins) is in part due to our participation in seven-on-seven events.

Our staff began competing in seven-on-sevens in the late-80s. Since we are a team that relies on the pass to set up the run, we found that seven-on-seven provided a great opportunity to develop our offensive team. We begin each summer with two weeks of fundamentals, conditioning and schemes before competing against another team. We prefer to work against one or two schools once or twice a week. Our format is generally the same – three plays on the right hash, three plays in the middle and three plays on the left hash. Towards the end of our scrimmage, we may work situations, red zone, hurry up, or “high intensity.” We want our players to compete, but we never keep score. Winning or losing is not important – teamwork, communication, timing, conditioning, assignments and improvement are our goals. This format allows the coaches to coach and the players to compete and practice in a game-like atmosphere.

This summer we competed in two tournaments. I have mixed emotions about the benefits of tournaments. We approached the tournaments as an opportunity to improve our football team by competing against quality opposition. However, in a tournament format, the emphasis quickly becomes winning. Many coaches discarded their base offense and defense and replaced them with “empty” backfields and shotgun and nickel and dime pass defenses. Fundamentals seemed to be lacking and many coaches resorted to “drawing in the dirt.” Linebackers neglected the run, running backs released without checking, quarterbacks forgot their progressions. Further, the tournament format created long, hot days, and with each snap, the risk of injury got higher. Despite those shortcomings, every young man competed to the best of his abilities and gained valuable experience in the process. This was a great learning experience for players and coaches alike. When we returned home, we seemed to have a newfound focus. We all learned a lot about our team, and we came home with a renewed confidence.

In conclusion, seven-on-sevens should be an integral part of every summer program. I believe the coach’s attitude and philosophy toward these events will determine just how valuable an experience it will be for their team. Coaches should put winning and losing on the back burner for seven on sevens and use the opportunity to improve their football team for the upcoming season.