Shannon Kelley talks Game Prep

[HornSports Staff]

The Best Laid Plans

By: Shannon Kelley

Allow me to take you through many of the steps in preparing for game day. Let’s break preparations down into the manageable pieces that most coaching staffs focus on.

First thing to understand is that game prep is a long, arduous process that most of the time carries a quantitative approach that easily converts into 90-hour work weeks. The information below is an extremely high level overview of the process.

1) Breakdown - The last 3 games your opponent has played, including: formations, down and distance, boundary vs field, red zone, personnel groupings, substitutions, blitzes & stunts, coverages, the entire kicking game and, of course, whether or not you can pick up any signals from their sideline.

2) Formations â€“ However we line up, how is it going to affect the opponent’s call? What kind of substitutions will they make and how can we get the best match ups? Can we gain a tactical advantage in a certain formation? Does this allow us to have better numbers into the boundary or into the field? How do they fit their safeties & linebackers in their run fits? Do they blitz certain formations?

3) Down and distance â€“ When are they most likely to give us the coverage we want? How often do they blitz on 1st , 2nd, and 3rd down? On ‘neutral’ downs, what will you most likely get? 2nd and short vs 2nd and long? 3rd and short vs 3rd and long? Does their coverage compliment their defensive front on certain downs and/or distances? Do they stunt when they blitz? How so? And what are they attempting do? Do they blitz primarily to the RB side or away from the back on certain downs and distances? Do they give away anything particular by their alignment on certain downs? What does their substitution package look like when in nickel or Dime?

4) Boundary vs Field â€“Can we gain an edge running into the boundary? Do they always shift the strength toward the field? Do they slant their front to the field? How often? If we shift from one formation to another, how do they adjust their front, their backers? Do they roll their coverage based on field vs boundary? How do they run support from the field vs the boundary? How do they spill?

5) Red Zone â€“ Is this when it heats up? Are they bringing the house or playing vanilla? Do their fronts change dramatically? If so, why? Do they like to play man in the red zone? Subs? Packages?

6) Blitzes, coverages and stunts â€“ What are their favorite blitzes? What are their favorite stunts? How can you beat it? Do they blitz the back to take him out of the route? Do they blitz away from the back? Why? What are their favorite stunts? When will you most likely get a certain blitz or coverage? Again, do they have any certain ticks that give away their call?

7) Coverages â€“ what are the most frequent coverages? Cover 1; Cover 2; 2-Inverted; Cover 3; 3-Insert; 3-Cloud; 4 (quarters); 6 (quarter, quarter, halves) or man? Who is in the game? What do they not do well? Who is their weakest cover guy? How do they attempt to cover him up? What are they attempting to take away from your attack?

8) Kicking Game â€“ (perspective from Kick off return team only) From where do they kick the ball on kickoffs – left hash, middle, right hash? Do they cross any of their cover guys while running down the field? Do they fold the end players or anyone else running down the field? Where does their kicker most often kick the ball? How deep does he kick it? Do they sky kick, pooch kick or squib kick? Who are their best runners?

9) Signals â€“ Can you see their signal caller on film? Can you pick up any particular signal that gives way the play?

Side Note: The answer is very often yes! Most film you get has been cropped, so you can’t see the signal caller. However, when you separate all the plays called into categories, (all opponent’s inside zone runs, power, dart, zone read, option, drop back pass, play action, etc.,) you will see the same plays run over and over. It doesn’t take too long to see the same signals given for the same plays. So what do you do? Change the signals from week to week? That is a pain in the rear! Many do not change their signals.

This is just a little insight on what coaches do during the week in preparation for a game. Mind you, this is only a snap shot from the film room. This does not include: team meetings, staff meetings, unit meetings, special teams meetings, practices, weights and, of course, the class room.

 

[echeese]

Great stuff. . . .loads of work goes into something many think can be done with an XBOX or keyboard. . . .

 

[doc longhorn]

Extremely interesting and a great insight on what coaches have to go through.

This article is gold.  Great job.

And I thought I worked long hours as a doctor - 90 hours is ridiculous.  How did you coaches stay married?

 

[Lukus Alderman]

Wow!  That's a lot of work.

Do programs employ people to break down specific stats such as plays run on down and distance/blitzes a % of the time, etc?  Or are coaches just given this task?

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

I suspect graduate assistants/video staff are tasked with categorizing plays by formation, run vs pass, down & distance, personnel groupings, tendencies, etc.  Video editing software like Hudl makes this much easier than it used to be on reel to reel film.  Now the coaching staff filters the meaningful data and passes it on to the players.  They get to digest this information overload in the 20 hours of practice allowed per week.

Sometimes the best made plans go awry.  It helps to have smart football players!

 

[Chitownhorn]

Great stuff. i would imagine that this is an ongoing process that as the season goes on starts weeks in advance with film breakdown. 

Everyone is always wondering about half time adjustments. Once the game plan has been put in place how difficult is it to make significant half time adjustments if you start seeing something different from your opponent? 

 

[Shannon Kelley]

I suspect graduate assistants/video staff are tasked with categorizing plays by formation, run vs pass, down & distance, personnel groupings, tendencies, etc.  Video editing software like Hudl makes this much easier than it used to be on reel to reel film.  Now the coaching staff filters the meaningful data and passes it on to the players.  They get to digest this information overload in the 20 hours of practice allowed per week.

Sometimes the best made plans go awry.  It helps to have smart football players!

True dat!!

 

[Shannon Kelley]

Great stuff. i would imagine that this is an ongoing process that as the season goes on starts weeks in advance with film breakdown. 

Everyone is always wondering about half time adjustments. Once the game plan has been put in place how difficult is it to make significant half time adjustments if you start seeing something different from your opponent? 

Not real hard. What you have to have is good information. The guys upstairs need to see it and write it down. Then, you go from there. I can't tell how many guys up in the box, just give bad information. You have to have really good trained eyes in the sky in order to get the help you need. OC's and DC's can't see it all. They too need lots of help!

 

[Shannon Kelley]

Wow!  That's a lot of work.

Do programs employ people to break down specific stats such as plays run on down and distance/blitzes a % of the time, etc?  Or are coaches just given this task?

Yes. It's primarily done by really good GA's. They do the breakdown for us, however, all of their film break is always double checked. We have video editing guys that help as well. But, remember, the guys are only as good as they are trained for what info is important to the staff. What really stinks is when one of the guys you have spent countless hours training up, bolts for another job. It's good for them, and we are happy for em', but there is always the little voice inside that says " Dang it, now I gotta train another guy"...

 

[Shannon Kelley]

Great stuff. . . .loads of work goes into something many think can be done with an XBOX or keyboard. . . .

lol....I have made a training vid using X-BOX players. Seriously, you can make some bad to the bone animated teaching tapes. You wouldn't believe how creative some coaches get with this stuff.

 

[Sirhornsalot]

Ok Shannon. Tell us the gospel. Do certain programs in the Big 12 or SEC read the other teams' signals? If so, how many do you think do this? I recently heard a complaint from a HC (but can't remember which one) who said his signs were being stolen or read by the other team's staff.

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

Ok Shannon. Tell us the gospel. Do certain programs in the Big 12 or SEC read the other teams' signals? If so, how many do you think do this? I recently heard a complaint from a HC (but can't remember which one) who said his signs were being stolen or read by the other team's staff.

If coaches are stealing the opponents signals it's on the team getting ripped off.  They gotta change 'em up periodically.  

Having said that, it is unethical to do what Belicheck did - having a camera exclusively monitoring the opponent's signals.

 

[Matt Cotcher]

http://www.si.com/college-football/2014/09/29/auburn-stealing-signals-michigan-brady-hoke-devonte-fields

By: Thayer Evans & Pete Thamel

During the national title game in January, Florida State staffers held up white towels in the second half to shield their offensive signals from Auburn’s coaches. When Auburn played Kansas State on Sept. 18, Wildcats coach Bill Snyder spiced up his halftime interview by mentioning Auburn had figured out K-State’s signals.

Those two incidents in Auburn’s last two high-profile games have put the Tigers at the forefront of a growing conversation in college football about the cloak-and-dagger world of stealing signals. The Inside Read interviewed a dozen current and former coaches about the prevalence of stealing signals, and a majority consider the espionage a high-stakes game within the game. Most programs have staffers with binoculars in the press box peering at the signals being sent in on the opposing sideline. This has left coaches rife with paranoia. While the extent of some teams’ sign-stealing operations can raise ethical questions, the practice is so common it may soon prompt rule changes to curtail it.

“It’s a delicate balance,” Memphis coach Justin Fuente said. “I know that it happens a lot. If your signals are out there and people want to look at them, it’s hard to fault them.”

It’s important to note that no one accused Auburn of doing anything illegal. Tigers coach Gus Malzahn denied stealing Kansas State’s signals. The only mention of stealing signs in the NCAA rulebook comes from a Spygate-inspired rule that prevents recording signals with audio or video. If anything, the public accusations of Auburn’s sign stealing may simply be an acknowledgement that the Tigers are really good at it.

Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher conceded at the time that stealing signals is “part of the game” and said he had “no problem” with what Auburn did. One SEC assistant told The Inside Read that his team will change their signals and use wristbands before playing Auburn this season. Another SEC assistant said the bigger the staff of the school, the more he’s concerned. “I worry about Alabamamore than Auburn to be honest,” he said. 

Auburn co-offensive coordinator Dameyune Craig, a former FSU assistant, stood next to the Tigers' defensive coaches during the first half of the title game. Seminoles receiver Kelvin Benjamin, visibly annoyed as FSU’s offense sputtered during the first half, was caught during a timeout on the television broadcast saying, “Dameyune calling all the plays.” Auburn led 21-3 in the second quarter and 21-10 at halftime. FSU adjusted and outscored Auburn 24-10 in the second half to win 34-31.

“[Craig] was giving him everything that he thought he knew,” said a person familiar with Florida State’s game plan against Auburn. “They were right in a lot of instances in the first half. In the second half, Florida State covered the signals and kicked their ass.”

Simply glance over at the sideline during any college football game and you’ll see how prevalent sign stealing has become. Mississippi State uses four signalers to throw off opponents, leaving them looking like they’re street mimes signaling for tips. Then there are the big boards with pictures of everyone from Scott Van Pelt to the Caddyshack gopher that have become as much a part of sideline scenery as Gatorade cups and ankle tape.

Terry McAulay, the American Athletic Conference coordinator of officials, said a point of emphasis this offseason was to enforce a rule for players and coaches to stay out of the six-foot “white area” on the sideline came because of the proliferation of signalers.

When does gamesmanship veer into an ethical gray area? Gerry DiNardo, the former coach at Indiana, Vanderbilt and LSU, admitted he had a graduate assistant on his staff dedicated to stealing signals. He recalled a 41-10 Vanderbilt win at Army in 1991 where his team had stolen Army’s signs so thoroughly that the tight end stood up and raised his arms in exasperation when a Vanderbilt assistant called out a tight end pass before the snap.

“It’s expected,” he said of opponents stealing signals. “If you don’t have a good signal system, you are going to get read.”

DiNardo said video taping the signalers -- as opposed to relying on picking them up off the game film -- is where he draws the line.

Memphis’ Fuente referenced a 1964 Supreme Court ruling on obscenity when asked what is unethical in the world of signal stealing. “I’m not sure how to define it,” he said, “but I’d know it when I see it.”

Ohio State offensive coordinator Tom Herman said the Buckeyes don’t have a specific staff member assigned to trying to break the code of the opposition’s signals. He did say that he’d pass on tendencies of signals to his players if he picks up, for example, the MIKE linebacker’s signals on film. Ohio State attempts to prevent others from stealing signs by having three Buckeyes staffers signal in plays. Herman always reminds his starting center before the game to tell him immediately if the MIKE linebacker says something like, “Watch for the screen,” and that’s the play OSU has called. That hasn’t happened, but the vigilance persists. “I think it happens all the time,” Herman said of opponents stealing signals. “I don’t have a problem with it.”

One defensive coach told The Inside Read that in the no-huddle era, the stealing of defensive signs has become more commonplace. He said in a recent game against a perennial Top 25 team that the offense wouldn’t call a play until the defensive coordinator signaled. The defensive coordinator waited so long a few times he could hear the quarterback yell to the sideline, “Guys, I need a play! I need a play!”

“I wanted to turn around to the press box and hold up my middle finger,” the assistant coach said.

The coach argues that an offense intercepting a defensive signal is more useful, comparing it to a poker player knowing who has pocket aces. He said it’s much more difficult to communicate a stolen offensive signal to 11 defensive players as opposed to sending in an audible to the quarterback. If an offensive coach gets tipped on a signal for a corner blitz or Cover 2, he can easily call a counter play. “It’s literally how we’re calling the game,” the defensive coach said. “There’s a lot of guys running around we’re calling [offensive] gurus, and that’s really what they’re doing.”

An SEC assistant added that one of the nuances of halftime adjustments is that it gives coaches a chance to take a breath and discuss which signals may or may not being intercepted. He said, essentially, one of the unspoken tenants of halftime coaching acumen -- such a hot topic among commentators -- comes down to figuring out what’s been stolen.

There’s an easy way to curtail the culture of signal stealing in college football. McAulay, who has refereed three Super Bowls, is a vocal advocate of sideline-to-helmet wireless communication. The NFL has used the technology with quarterbacks since 1994 and added it for a defensive player in 2008. “A lot of us believe right now that college is ready for that,” McAulay said. “The technology exists, and the money is there. Why don’t we allow that type of communication?”

That wouldn’t eliminate all the sign stealing, as Herman noted that if he called in a play to his quarterback, there would still need to be on-field signals to the receivers in OSU’s no-huddle offense. But every coach interviewed agreed that the wireless communication would reduce the culture of sign stealing and accompanying sideline nonsense.

Rogers Redding, the secretary-rules editor of the NCAA football rules committee, said that the committee has not formally discussed sideline-to-helmet wireless devices. But he acknowledged there is an appetite for it. “I would be surprised if the NCAA rules committee didn’t consider it,” he said.

Until then, the cat-and-mouse game of spying from the press box and elaborate games of signaling charades will continue. When is a team stealing signals? You’ll know it when you see it.

 

[Lukus Alderman]

The easiest way to combat signal stealing is to go in a slow down, huddle offense.

 

[Aaron Carrara]

Kelley, good luck against Incarnate Word this weekend.  Pulling for your Huskies - you are solid bro.

 

[Shannon Kelley]

Ok Shannon. Tell us the gospel. Do certain programs in the Big 12 or SEC read the other teams' signals? If so, how many do you think do this? I recently heard a complaint from a HC (but can't remember which one) who said his signs were being stolen or read by the other team's staff.

All of em'. If they say they aren't, then you know someone isn't telling the truth. You know your signals have been picked up when the D-lineman are calling screen as soon as you signal it. You know the D has picked up your signals , when the walk backers up to run fit a hole you just signaled. The real good ones, have you picked up by the end of the first qtr..However, there are many coaches who don't care..I don't get it, but whatever. We change ours weekly.

 

[Shannon Kelley]

If coaches are stealing the opponents signals it's on the team getting ripped off.  They gotta change 'em up periodically.  

Having said that, it is unethical to do what Belicheck did - having a camera exclusively monitoring the opponent's signals.

I'm not speaking of what Belicheck did, I'm simply talking during the game. 

 

[Shannon Kelley]

The easiest way to combat signal stealing is to go in a slow down, huddle offense.

true

 

[Shannon Kelley]

Kelley, good luck against Incarnate Word this weekend.  Pulling for your Huskies - you are solid bro.

Thanks Aaron. Good luck to me too! We could always use some luck. A lot of it, in-fact!