More Votes for “Wrist Coaches”
We have dedicated a number of posts on this blog about all the great reasons to go no-huddle and use “wrist-coaches” to call in your plays. But I overlooked one very important benefit that was pointed out to me by a youth football coach using my system that attended my coaches clinic in Cincinnati a couple of weeks ago. I guess when you’ve been running the no-huddle for 11 seasons like we have, you take a few things for granted.
The main benefit for this Ohio coach wasn’t the usual: allows you to run more plays in a game/get more plays for your kids, allows you to call “audibles” every play, no more garbled play “mishaps” when relaying in plays, allows you to control tempo, no need to practice a 2-minute offense, when all coaches have wrist coaches and know the play called ahead of time they can be looking for keys or coaching points for the positions/players they are coaching etc in other words “coach” the game instead of “watch” the game.
But one of the biggest advantages is what many of us long time no-huddle guys take for granted. We don’t have to waste precious practice time teaching a huddle, managing a huddle or coming out of a huddle. Just think about the amount of time your youth football team wastes and the energy they waste getting into and coming out of a huddle. It adds a bare minimum of 20 seconds to every single offensive rep you do on air in practice, probably much more.
One of the main benefits of our entire practice methodology is we squeeze every last drop of productivity from every minute of practice. The average number of plays we get off on air on offense is 5 per minute and that includes subbing on every play. Compare that to a team that gets off 1 play per minute. How much more productive is a team that gets 5 times as many reps as their competition? Of course we do a few other things detailed in the book that allow us to rep a play effectively and efficiently every 12 seconds, but always lining up on the line of scrimmage certainly is one huge helping step.
Here is a place where you can buy the wrist coaches for less than $4 each. http://www.allsportsamerica.com/catalog/details.php?itemgroup=N4651
Make sure you research the rest of the blog for the other posts on wrist coaches, very important tips if you plan on going that route.
Remember over 80% of youth football games are determined well before you ever hit the field and have little to do with your play calling or adjustments. A huge part of it is about using your valuable and limited practice time wisely and efficiently.
Copyright 2009 Cisar Management, all rights reserved. Republishing allowed if links are kept intact. For 400 Free Youth Football Coaching Tips or to Subscribe to Dave’s free Youth Football Coaching Tips Newsletter go to : http://winningyouthfootball.com
I really want to do it this year, I’m so up in the air about it. I think I just need to be “educated a little more”
1. Where do the players go after the play is over? I don’t want them all lost looking roaming aroun. The ref needs to set the ball so where do they go? 1 yard off the ball and then just move up once the ball is set? Is everyone in their base aglinement?
2. Do you buy all 30 wrist coaches out of pocket? That a lot for me. If I have the parens each give me 4 bucks, do I still collect and hold them after practices and games?
3. The link you gave, does not have a shopping cart feature, I’ve emailed the west coat sales rep with no reply.
Thanks Dave, I’ve had your book for a few months now, pages are falling out I’ve used it so much. Going to get it spiral bound today. Think about that as an option.
Just ordered 2 DVD’s also can’t wait to get them!
How do you call plays in the no huddle with 9 yr olds? Do they all have wrist coaches?
What is the average number of plays in a Youth Football game? (Ages 11-12).
Thanks!
Coaches:
Every Player has a wrist band. You keep them and only hand them out at games, otherwise the kids lose them. We budget for them out of our fees. The bands last a long time, I have some that are 8 years old.
After each play, the players jog back into the base formation and look to the sidelines for me to call in a play.
The average number of plays in a youth football game with 10 minute quarters without mercy rule and assuming both teams are in traditional huddles is about 64-70 total plays.
Using our system, one game against a very well coached Plattsmouth team in 2006, at age 8-10 we got off 71 offensive snaps of our own in just 1 game.
How do you relay the snap count??? Or are all plays on 1?
Per the book we use a very simple 3 digit code that corresponds to plays on the wrist bands
We either go on “go” or if teams are jumping our snap count, we run a “no play” which is one of the plays on the wrist band
I am a new high school football coach. I have a been a defensive minded person by design my whole lfe. I would like to go to a more up beat tempo on offense. The wrist bands would help out a lot. Is there any infomation that you can help me with.