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AFM Magazine


The Little Things...

Where ‘little things’ add up to ‘big things’
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Presented by www.schutt-sports.com • 800-426-9784

Dead Ball Snap
Bill Powers, Head Coach, Jupiter Christian High School (FL)
“Out of our shotgun formation, we use the Dead Ball Snap which is pretty unique. I watch a lot of football and I don’t see a lot of schools doing it. This is great for programs who rely on the shotgun formation, but have problems with consistent snaps. We think it will revolutionize the shotgun snap for four reasons: 1. because it’s easy to teach and kids pick it up quickly; 2. the consistency of snaps; 3, the quarterback gets the laces quicker; and, 4. when a bad snap occurs the ball will not go as far as the traditional shotgun snap.

“It takes a just a few minutes to teach the Dead Ball Snap and just a few repetitions for most centers to begin to feel comfortable with it. In teaching the Dead Ball Snap, have the center pick up the end of the ball closest to him and simply have him throw it through his legs. I have found that this simple method for shotgun snaps increases the accuracy. You’ll find your center is hitting his target within a few inches on every snap – which only aids quarterback play. Quarterbacks tend to find the laces much quicker than traditional shot gun snaps. I’ve also found that the Dead Ball Snap is excellent for 7-on-7 competition.” Editor’s note: Jupiter Christian, a school with an enrollment of 249, finished 2nd in the 2008 adidas National 7-on-7 tournament and won their second consecutive 1B State Championship.

Mini-Scripts
Charlie Stubbs, Offensive Coordinator, Central Missouri State University
“I script the first 10 to 12 plays every game, so that our players are prepared and come out of the game more confident and to dispel any nervousness. During those first 10 to 12 plays, I’m trying to make sure that I get the ball in the playmakers hands and also change personnel groupings and formations so that I can see what adjustments our opponent is going to make. In addition to these scripts, I also prepare mini-scripts to use during certain situations.

“One of the mini-scripts I prepare is the ‘Attack-Mode’ mini-script which is used when we have our opponent back on their heels. Having a mini-script of attack-style plays to use at any time during the game helps us put them away early or to gain momentum.

“Another of my mini-scripts is the ‘Settle-Down’ scripts. If we come out and our players are nervous or just not executing then I have a select group of plays just to settle them down. These are plays not necessarily on our first 10 to 12 play script, but I know we can execute them at a very high rate and let us get our feet on the ground. I might use this mini-script when we’re on the road with crowd noise or bad weather. You never know the situation, but I’ll have those plays that we do best.

“In addition, when we’re off the field and the defense is playing, I talk with the other offensive coaches and come up with a basic four-to-five play script which will be our next approach once we get the ball back.”

Snap-Count for Youth Football
Larry Canard, Youth Football Coordinator, USA Football
“At the beginning of a new season, the first thing that I do in practice is always go on ‘2’. I do this for several weeks of practice before I change the snap count to go on ‘1’. I do this because at some point in a game you’re going to be able to pick up a first down without ever snapping the ball. If your kids are used to going on ‘2’, they are less likely to jump when you try to draw the defense off-sides.”

Have a ‘little thing’ detail that you would like to share with 15,000 football coaches? E-mail it to tdavis@lcclark.com (type ‘little things’ in the subject line of your e-mail).





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