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AFM Magazine


From Huddle to No-Huddle in 5 Simple Steps

by: Sam Nichols
Head Coach - South Haven H.S. (MI)
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Over the past few years, no huddle offenses have become increasingly prevalent among D-I football teams. While no-huddle has found its way into the high school game to a certain extent, many coaches still avoid this concept because of the perceived communication barriers. They watch college QBs constantly changing the play and get headaches thinking about how that could work on their team. At the same time, it is hard to deny the advantages that you can gain from the no huddle such as controlling the pace and eliminating defensive substitution.
When we decided to go to no huddle, our main concern was simplicity. We wanted a system that could be installed in a few short days and not take attention away from teaching offensive plays. After some brief research, we decided that wrist play cards offered us the best way to get the information to our players quickly and simply. With each player having his own play card, we were able to eliminate many game-time mistakes and tailor each card to the position that the player played. After studying the experts in this field, we came up with a system that met our goals and immediately helped us on the field. Having been through that process at two different schools, I learned that there is a simple step-by-step process that can effectively transform your team from huddle to no-huddle in just a few days.
1. “Begin with the end in mind”
Each coach has his own reasons for making the switch to no-huddle. But without the entire staff knowing and understanding what you hope to gain from this change, you will likely not maximize your potential within the no-huddle. For that reason, it is crucial to start this transition with a staff meeting that answers the following questions:

A. What do we dislike about using a huddle?

B. What problems are we trying to solve by implementing a change?

C. What advantages of the no-huddle are most appealing to us? Why?

D. Are we going to use no-huddle as our entire offense? Change of pace? Two-minute situations?

E. What hurdles will we encounter as we make this transition and add this component to our offense?

At the end of that discussion, you should have a pretty good feel for where you are and where you are going. This information will make it easier to reach your goals.
2. Trim your offense
Offensive coaches love fat playbooks. We are constantly expanding as we learn more from the speakers we hear at clinics and the conversations we have during the off-season. We say we understand the KISS method, but few of us truly apply it. For that reason, it is essential to take a hard look at the plays in your scheme and decide if they are essential.
While purging the fat from a playbook is a good exercise for any staff, it is an exceptionally helpful starting point for a no-huddle coach. As you begin to place plays on the play card, it will become apparent what plays deserve a spot on the card. By starting with the essentials, you give yourself the flexibility to condense and refine the card to include any plays you find necessary. At South Haven, we have 45 slots on our card. If we want to add a play to the card, we are forced to take one off. This limitation has helped us stay simple and focus on our base offensive plays.
Here are a few ways that you can reduce your offense to ease the transition to no-huddle.

A. Start by rating the plays you use. 5 is a base play (5+ times per game) and 1 is an extra play (1-5 times/season). You may be surprised to find that you spend a lot of time practicing a play that is rarely used. Use these ratings to guide you as you trim.
B. Search for duplicates. Do you have two plays that are very similar? Could you combine those ideas?

C. Don’t forget formations and motions. These will need to be communicated also. Do you use these formations for a reason? Does the defense adjust differently to those formations? Do the teams you play react differently to the variety of motions that you use?

3. Organize your plays

We are big fans of grouping similar plays on the play card. This is helpful both for coaches as they call the play and players as they view the card. There are many different ways to group your plays. A few examples include blocking type, formation, series, or play type. We have used this to help us limit plays within parts of our offense to ensure balance and simplicity (e.g., we only carry five screens on our card).
Once you have organized your plays, you are ready to put them on the card. It may take a few rough drafts before you find a pattern that you like and that fits your needs. Bring a few players into the process at this point and see what questions arise as you teach them how to use it. This feedback will help you tailor the card to fit their needs and will lead to effectiveness on the field. (See Sample Card)

4. Choose a communication style

You can have the best cards and the best offense, but, if the players can’t figure out what you are calling, it is a waste. For that reason, this step is of the utmost importance. In theory, there are an infinite number of ways you can communicate your play call to your team and you can come up with your own method if you so desire. However, a little research online will reveal many proven communication methods to match your needs. This will save you from reinventing the wheel.
We use a numerical system to communicate the play on the card to the players. This allows us to limit our signals to ten numbers, making it simple to learn. Our players had it down after one day of pre-season camp. How you communicate those ten numbers is up to you. Some people like the body clock idea where you label the parts of the body a numerical value and rotate clockwise. Others use word associations like 1=nose, 2=eyes and so on. Again, online research will give you a number of different ideas that you can adopt or adapt to your liking.

5. Practice, Practice, Practice!

Once you have created your card and decided upon a communication system, it is time to put it into action. We found it is important that you implement it in steps to make sure everyone is on the same page and no pieces are skipped. Here is the implementation schedule we follow:

A. Start with the coaches. Hopefully, since they have been part of the process to this point, this should not be a big hurdle. But before you move on, make sure the coaches understand their roles within this concept. Who is the primary signaler? Secondary? Who is installing it with different position groups?

B. Move to the QB. Some states have rules about working with a certain number of players during parts of the off-season, so getting this information in your QB’s hands early is crucial. He can then use the card as he throws routes with his buddies and at the same time he will gain a familiarity with the card himself. We gave our QB four wristbands that he could use in these situations. We do not teach the signals yet, just the numbering system.

C. Use it early and often. As players gather for position-specific training, use the cards as the way you call plays. Instead of saying “fly sweep right” when prepping run game with your backfield, say “756”. This gets the players used to the coding and prepares them for the signals.

D. Signals come last. Once people know how to find the plays on the card, it is time to incorporate the signals. We have found that teaching the signals at the same time as the card is harder for them to pick up. Once the signals are taught, don’t go back. There will be growing pains, but you will get past them. The players will get the handle of the timing and it will soon become second nature. We found that having the players yell out the play number also helps reinforce the concept. So, for the first week of team camp, our players yelled out the numbers as they were signaled. During the second week, we proceed to quiz players during individual and team time while everyone is watching. The added pressure helps ensure that each player learns the system.

The strength of this process is that it allows you and your staff to work together to create a no-huddle system that works for you. It uses your plays, your terminology and your own personalized communication system. In the end, you will have what you wanted because you started by identifying where you wanted to be in the end and kept those goals in mind throughout the process. Whether you use this no-huddle concept as an entire offense or a change of pace, I am confident that you will be happy with the results.

About the Author:

Sam Nichols is the Head Coach at South Haven High School in South Haven, Michigan. In 2008 he led them to their first district championship in school history during his first year at the helm. Coach Nichols’ offensive specialty is the quarterback position. His last three quarterbacks have each thrown for over 2,500 yds. and 23 TDs per season with all three signing scholarships to Michigan State, Central Michigan, and Grand Valley State, respectively.






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