David Shaw- Stanford- Nike AC Clinic

David Shaw- Stanford

4 Questions for Programs?
1) What are our base concepts?

• For them it is pulling guards, TE and FB power running.
• He believes these concepts should be limited so that technique can be emphasized
• "Muscles are dumb"

2) How many formations, shifts, motions? 

• Maximize this area in order to disguise the overall simplicity of the offense

3) What base defenses will we face? 

• For them, this meant a lot of QB boot passing to take advantage of the defenses they faced

4) How do they use their safeties?

• Are they used primarily as run defenders or pass defenders?
• Does their technique and scheme allow you to open up your passing game?

Examples of Answers:

Lead O Play

Watch the play of the safeties....are they deep? or are they creeping down on the run play as it gets pounded inside. Once they begin creeping it sets this up.....

Play action Passing

Watch the play of the Backside Defensive End, is he crashing down on the LEAD O play? If so, it opens up....

Boot Pass

If the safeties are sitting back and the BSDE is not crashing, then keep running the power run game.  

"LIVE FOR THE 4-5 yard GAIN.....THESE ARE BODY BLOWS TO THE DEFENSE." 

Creating Conflicts for the Defense
Unbalanced Offense

Unbalanced Rule=2 foot splits

Power:

Weak G Power

Counter

-ONLY AFTER THE GROUND GAME HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED DOES STANFORD WORK IN PLAY ACTION.

PA off COUNTER

STANFORD RULE:

THE TE AND FB ARE NEVER ALLOWED TO STEP OUT OF BOUNDS. LOWER THE SHOULDER AND PLAY POWER FOOTBALL!

IDEAS FOR PRACTICE

Every padded practice begins with Oklahoma Drill

-Football is a game about blocking and tackling and this has both.

Limit each segment of practice to only 10-12 plays. (5 reps for 1's, 4 reps for 2's, back to 1's)

Fullbacks are lesser athletic LBs

MAKE THE DEFENSE PAY FOR WHAT THEY DO GIVE YOU. 

Lastly, maybe my favorite clinic quote of all time:

When speaking about the cutback lane on inside zone, "We teach our backs that sometimes, a giant cutback lane will open on the backside A gap, if they see it they should take it, but they shouldnt be looking for it all of the time. It is like a $20 dollar bill.  If you are walking down the block, and you see a $20 you should take it, but if you spend your whole life walking around looking at the ground as you go hoping to see a $20 bill, youll most likely get his by a fucking bus!!!"

That's classic, and very true. 

Mark D'Antonio Clinic Notes- Nike Atlantic City

Coach Mark D’Antonio

“WINNING THOUGHTS”

Program Goals:

1)      Lifelong Relationships with Players, Coaches, Staff, and Team

2)      Graduate all players with a meaningful degree/launch their career/have them be self sufficient men

3)      Win…..Success!!!

4)      Be Positive in the community

Plan for Success:

1)      Make the right choices (Moral/Spiritual)

2)      Family (Foster a sense of trust)

3)      Discipline and Maturity

4)      Use Resources (FB, Academic, Social)

a)      Player

b)      Coach

c)      Chemistry

Let Players Make the Mission Statement for the Program

Michigan State’s 2012 Mission Statement

The Challenge: Work Hard- Live Right- Graduate

1)      Toughness: The hardest steel is forged in the hottest fire

2)      Hard Work: We will carry ourselves with a relentless work ethic. We are the hardest workers in the country

3)      Unity: We will not approach the season as individuals. We grow together through every challenge we face. Brotherhood is formed through adversity, based on communication, and cemented in trust.

4)      Finish: We make it a habit to finish everything we do. Every workout, every drill, every practice, every game. Teams that finish are the teams that are committed to winning.

Leadership Council (Eagles):

1)      Vision

2)      Not scavengers, leaders go where action is

3)      Use trouble or problems to excel

4)      Teach and train the organization

Winning Thoughts:

1)      Commitment

2)      Communication

3)      Trust

4)      Mentor Meetings

a)      Discuss Goals

b)      Write them down

c)      Give Player Evaluations

d)     Eat meals together (without discussing football)

e)      Match up players with Mentor they want

5)      What is most important to each position group? Write it down. Focus on technique.

O-Line

-          Eyes on Aiming Point

-          Establish Leverage

-          Elbows in

-          Drive your backside knee

Quarterbacks

-          Manage the game

-          Make good decisions

Running Backs

-          Assignment

-          Execution

-          Finish

-          Ball Security

Wide Receivers

-          Locate the ball

-          Hands in Front of Eyes

-          See your hands catch the ball

-          Tuck

-          Ball Security

6)      Effort

Toughness

Knowledge

7)      It is a long season. Do you keep your players and coaches fresh? Both physically and mentally?

8)      Do you let assistant coaches speak to the team?

a)      Yes!! This is very important

b)      Empower your coaches to serve as leaders on the team

c)      Keep it fresh for players not always hearing your voice

9)      Red Line Thoughts

a)      Know the fundamentals of the field

b)      Bottom of Numbers 6yds- Top of Numbers 7yds

c)      Distance from hashes to sideline and between each other

d)     Be able to use your vision and break technique based on this.

Cover 3 Dividers

Ball in Middle of Field=Divider 1 yd on Top of the #’s

Ball on Hash= Wide Side- Split Difference between #’s and Hash/ Boundary- Bottom #’s

 

No Coverage Zone

The backfield and the area 5-7 yds from the Line of Scrimmage, Sideline to Sideline

-          This area is not accounted for in coverage. Instead it will be rallied to afte r  a catch.

-          **This is especially important for linebackers, as to not get sucked up on a shallow crossing route and allow a completion to a route behind them.

3 Deep Seams

Receivers cannot be allowed to run in the seams. Corners need to get depth on their divider vs Seam routes. Corners can squeeze #1 receiver as long as there is no threat of #2 in the seam or a second level deep crosser.

2 Deep Seams

We want to funnel players into seams that were previously described as Keep Out Zones in Cover 3. The keep out zones for Cover 2 are:

10)  Special Teams

a)      Emphasize Individual Drills

b)      Know the ABC’s of Special Teams POSITIONS

11)  Staff Evaluations

a)      Evaluate Players and have Players evaluate Staff

b)      Empower Players

12)  In all drills begin with football position

a)      Everything starts with power position

b)      Knees bent

c)      Toes Forward

d)     Even agilities need to start in this position

13)  Blocking/Tackling/Catching/Ball Protection/Throwing/Running=MOST IMPORTANT

Tackling Coaching Points:

·         Bend at the knees, not at the back

·         Hit on the rise with head up

·         Hit with the near leg and near shoulder

·         Back straight, head up, tail down

·         Don’t overextend

·         Rip up with arms

·         Don’t play in body sections

             Tackling Circuit Progression:

·         Fit

·         Step to Fit

·         Step out and back in

·         Stick

·         Angle Tackle

·         Open Field

·         Game Situations

14)  Put players in adverse situations where they must think to succeed

15)  Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of the things that matter least. PRIORITIZE!!

16)  WIN!!! Does what we do give us the best chance to win??

                    “Anticipate the Difficult by Managing the Easy”- Lao Tzu

 

Punt Coverage

As a gunner, watch the arms of the punt returner and your landmark when they come up

·         If you are further then 10 yds away explode into him

·         If you are less then 10 yds start to throttle down and anticipate catch and tackle

Use Towel drill (Race for towel while keeping leverage)

Kickoff Coverage

Aim for 4.0 hangtime

Use leverage indy drills for coverage teams

Maintain lanes is of maximum importance

Punt Team

Under 2.0 getoff

FG

1.27-1.35 FG get off

Defensive Philosophy

Ø  Simple/Comprehensive/Appear Complex

Ø  Pressure and Affect the QB

Ø  Stop the Run

Ø  Red Zone Defense/Get used to adversity

Ø  Turnovers (MSU has won 95% of games they were +2 in)

Ø  Tackling (Aim for 90% made tackles as a unit)

Ø  Limit Explosive Gains

Ø  Limit Errors (Physical/Mental/Structural)

Defensive Line Fundys

·         Steps

·         Attack

·         Flat Back

·         Finish

Linebackers

·         Know the defense

·         Attack the LOS

·         Play Square

·         Leverage the Football

·         Anticipate and Target Blockers

·         Be a Great Physical Tackler

Defensive Backs

·         Change of Direction

·         Tackle in Space

·         Deep Ball Judgment

Defensive Back Play

Change of Direction

Work on Plant-Point-Accelerate

Operate in a 3 foot circle of yourself

On deep balls, work to get your hands on top of the football

Combo Plays/ Neal Brown- Air Raid Offense Clinic Notes

Air Raid Offense/Combo Plays


The following article is a combination of notes on Neal Brown's (OC- University of Kentucky) Louisville Nike Clinic + Additional Combo Plays

University of Kentucky Offense

- Fast/Hard/Physical
- Fast Paced No Huddle (Aim for 10 Secs. between plays)
- Throw to set up Run
- Get Playmakers ball in space
- Attack the entire field
________________________________________________________________________
University of Kentucky Plays



Play 67



Rules for 67:

A- Check Protection/ Checkdown/ Find Window
X- 6 yd Read Route (Soft=Hitch, Tight=In)
Y- 10 yd Dig
Z- 6 yd Read
H- 4 yd Read
QB- 1 Step Drop

Progression:
Pre Snap= Backside (Take a 1on1 matchup)
Post Snap= Nickel Defender


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Play 98

Rules for 98:
A- Check/Swing
X- Skinny, Post at 7 Steps
Y- Seam
H- Pivot Route
Z- Banana Route
QB- 3 Step Drop

Progression:
Pre Snap= FS Backside- If he comes down read 1 to 2 backside
Post Snap= FS Backside- If he drops middle (Cvr 3) read 1 to 2 backside
                                        If he gets width (Cvr 2) or comes down (Invert 2) Read the Frontside

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Combo Draw/68

Rules:
Y- Stick
H- 4 Step Out Route
Z- Go Route
X- Stalk Block (or tagged route)
A- Take steps to get over top of ball on possible handoff
QB- Eyes to Stick Route, Throw it or Hand it
C- Down Block
BSG- Slow Fold
All Other OL- Pass set, drive out

Progression:
Presnap- Z 1on1= Throw it
Post Snap- Read Hook/Curl Backer OR Just look at Stick Route
                  Stick Is Open=Throw it
                  Stick Covered= Hand the ball
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Combo Zone Left/63 Right

Rules:
X- Stalk
H- Crack or Dig out
OL- Zone Rules Left
A- Zone Steps- Get body over ball
Y- 3 Step out route
Z- Go Route
QB- Read out, throw without laces, get the ball out, read flat defender
        If you dont have out, give the zone, carry out fake

Progression:

Pre Snap: If Z is 1on1 take it

Post Snap: Read Flat Defender OR Is out open?

                 If covered give zone

*************PLAY CAN ALSO BE RUN AS ZONE READ*******

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 Additional Combo Plays

After seeing Coach Brown's clinic, and seeing the concept of combo plays, I did more research to find additional combo plays. We as a team, and me as a DC, worked hard this past offseason to install what we called Cover 6, basically a pattern read 2 or 4 coverage.  We felt that this put us in the best position to defend concept routes that were consistently beating us and becoming the basis for many offenses in New Jersey. I felt that as a defense, this gave us the upperhand once again, as there wasnt anything they were running against us that we could not defend with the right reads. I feel like combo plays such as these now give the offense back the advantage in the offense/defense chess match.

The following plays I got from several different places during research. I am not sure what came from where, so in order to give the proper credit, I am listing the sites with links here:  Coachhuey.com, Smart football, and Spread Football. 

Same reads as  UK's Combo Zone/Out

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Same Reads as Combo Stick/Draw

_____________________________________________________________________

Rules:
OL- 2 count, Block Screen
Y- Run Stick
H- 4 Step Out
Z- Go
X- Fake Post, Block Safety
A- Pass Pro Fake, Set Up for Screen
QB- 3 Step=Stick/5 Step=Screen

Progression:
Pre Snap- Z 1on1 Take it
Post Snap- Stick Open, Throw It,
                  Covered take two more steps and throw screen
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Stick/Bubble

 Rules:
OL- Pass Block
BSOT- Seal Block for Bubble
Z- Go
Y- Stick
A- Flat
H- Block Bubble
X- Bubble Route

Progression:
Pre Snap- Z is 1on1 take it
Post Snap- Look Y, if open throw it, if not throw bubble
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Outside Zone-Stretch/Snag

 Rules:
Y- Flag
Z- Snag
H- Flat
A- OZ
X- Block OZ
OL- Block OZ

Progression:
Read the Curl/Flat Linebacker for the snag route. Covered give the outside zone.
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Those are the combo plays that I have so far. I know the next evolution are plays that combine 3 concepts at a time. Ole Miss ran one such play all the way down the field during their bowl game. I believe it was bubble/zone/quick screen but I am not sure as I am trying to find film on it.

I would love to see what other combo plays are out there. Feel free to comment if you have any, or if you have film on the Ole Miss bowl game that we can exchange.