Scouting and Game Planning an Opponent

Jim Winkler – University of Redlands

Opponent Film breakdown

Get Film 10 days before net game
Break down by FIELD Position not so much by formation of opponent
Film Breakdown 3 complete games
Any other games breakdown sections only – i.e. Goal Line,
Breakdown 2 games of opponent playing a defense similar to ours
Last Game breakdown
Each coach breaks down a game video and gathers data
All coaches watch game film on Wednesday
All coaches watch own game film together on Saturday at 5:00 a.m.
No Sunday film study as a group – Individual may do so if they desire

FILM BREAKDOWN SHEET

Includes this information for each play.
Use information that will be useful to you.

1. Film counter # off of VCR

2. Quarter
3. Series – will enable you to see if they get into series of plays
4. Play Number
5. Hash Location – L, M, R
6. Field Position – Yard line ball is on
7. Down & distance
8. Formation – Use your own terminology
9. Strength – to TE side?
10. Personnel groupings – Number of RB’s & TE’s (21 - 2 RBs, 1 TE)
Will be able to tell you what # of receiver’s you are facing
11. Motion used in play
12. Play Type – Run, pass, Play Action,
13. Play Scripted – What category all run plays will fall into
Inside Zone, Trap, Iso, Play Action, Draw, Option, Outside Zone,
Toss Sweep, Counter, Reverse, Outside Screen, Middle Screen
14. Play Call – However your system numbers running backs holes
15. Play Notes – Anything you note during breakdown
a. BSG – Pulls
b. Blocking Scheme – Fold, Cross Block,
16. Pass Play – Receiver Routes – Use your terminology
17. Pass Zone – Will indicate where they are catching the ball
a. 3 yards inside hash
b. 7 yards outside hash
c. 5 yards inbounds
d. Middle
e. Just outside the hash
 f. The field #’s
g. Depth of routes
18. Pass complete / incomplete
19. Sack?
20. Scramble? Which way does QB like to scramble when pressured
a. Right handed QB’s tend to scramble to his right, def left
21. Direction throwing – Left / Right
a. Useful for 2nd & 3rd Down
b. Do they go away or towards their bench
c. Critical for 3rd & short
22. Result of play
23. Ball Carrier’s #
24. Penalty yards
25. Opponent
26. Drawing of play – Do as DC to get the heartbeat of the opponent
27. Zone the Ball is in
a. Score zone – Your Goal-line to 20
b. Alumni Zone – Your 21 to opponents 30
c. Win Zone – Opponents 29 to goal line
28. Broken Plays Chart as you may have thought the play was going to be –
Make note that it is a broken play.
29. Enter all data into computer database of some sort
30. Create reports from database

Film Breakdown Reports

1. Formation report
2. Down & Distance
3. Field position by hash
4. Breakdown by plays
5. Scores in the win Zone –
a. 1st & 10 yards
b. 3rd & 1-2 yards
c. 3rd & 3-5 yards
d. 3rd & 6 + yards
6. Alumni Zone Report
a. 2nd & 1-7 yards
b. 2nd & 8 + yards

Delegate responsibilities to other coaches. You are not the only expert to determine what
opponent is trying to do to you.

Purpose is to gather as much information on your opponent – Not yet making game plans

1. DB coach – breakdown passing game, routes receivers, play action passes,

screens. Become an expert on their passing game.
a. Anything & everything that has to deal with the passing game.
 b. Do they use different personnel on certain plays, for certain routes or
combos
c. What are their blocking schemes?
d. When do they like to run certain combos of routes?
i. Out & Curl? Etc.
e. What passes do they use to High / Low a cornerback, or Front / Back a
Linebacker?
2. LB coach
a. Formation Hit Chart
b. Blocking schemes – do with DL coach
c. Short yardage offense
d. Goal line offense – do with DC
3. DL Coach
a. Pass protection?
i. Which direction do they like to pass protect?
b. Run block schemes – do with LB coach
c. Draw Schemes

Areas to be analyzed by coaching staff in 30 minutes meetings for each area

1. Inside and Perimeter Run Plays – DC, DL, LB coaches meet to analyze
a. What are they?
b. List favorite to least favorite
2. Pass and protection – DB & DL coaches
a. What are they trying to do to us with the passing game?
b. Which direction are they going to set their protection?
3. Personnel – DC & others who may have noticed any tendencies the
opponent might have in this area
4. Play Action – DC, DB, DL Coaches
5. No Huddle Offense?
6. Unbalanced alignments
a. What are the defenses auto checks installed vs. unbalanced?
b. When do they use the unbalanced set?
I. Base Offense
ii. Goal Line Offense?
7. Double Tight Ends? –
a. What are the defenses auto checks for this formation?
8. Wing Formations
a. What are the def. auto checks vs. this formation?
9. Goal Line Offense – All Defense Coaches
10. 4th Down situations
11. 2 point plays
12. Sudden change plays
a. What do they do after a sudden change situation?

VIDEO RESPONSIBILITIES
Create videos regarding each of the following situations for film study by players.
 1. SCORE ZONE PLAYS
a. 1st & 10 plays
b. 3rd & 3-5 yards
c. 3rd & 6 + yards
2. ALUMNI ZONE PLAYS
a. 2nd down plays
3. WIN ZONE PLAYS
a. 1st & 3rd Down plays
4. SHORT YARDAGE AND GOAL LINE PLAYS
5. 5 FAVORITES
a. 5 Favorite runs
b. 5 Favorite pass plays
6. ADDITIONAL VIDEO based on opponent
a. Formation tendencies
b. Personnel video

SCOUTING REPORT
Simple format for players
Post Scouting Report on bulletin board each week for team to study
Test team regarding SR on Thursday
Scouting Report includes . . .
1. 5 Favorite runs – Diagramed
2. 5 Favorite pass plays – Diagrammed
3. 5 Favorite formations – Diagramed
4. Depth Chart
5. Coaches notes
6. Formation Hit chart
a. How much they run, pass out of formation
b. Which holes they like to hit out of each formation
7. Automatic checks defense will use for adjustments to offense formations
8. Personnel or situation checks defense will use
9. Thursday before game produce TIP SHEET
a. Reminders for defense of tip offs from offense

GAME PLANNING
Schedule meetings for each situation – 2 – 2.5 hours spent before practice for the
week.
1. SCORE ZONE
a. 1st situation to be practice in on Monday
b. Everything of that days practice is for score zone for both Offense
and Defense
c. Use all Reports and everything that we know and develop a call
sheet for each situation in he Score Zone
2. Win Zone
a. Practiced on Tuesday
nd
3. 2 down situations
 4. ALUMNI ZONE
5. VICTORY DEFENSE
a. The Last 4 minutes of the game
b. What are we going to do to protect the lead?
c. What does opponents offense like to when 2 scores down or more?
d. 2 Minute offenses?
e. 2-Minute Defense?

PRACTICE & IMPLEMENTING GAME PLAN

Do in player meetings and classes
1. PRE PRACTICE
a. 15 minutes before practice starts
b. Go over ALIGNMENES & ASSIGNMENTS
i. Show scouting report and walk thru alignments and
assignments
2. STRETCH
a. 10 Minutes
b. Talk thru situations and checks
c. 1st & 10 what do they like to do? Etc?
3. FUNDAMENTALS - Period is used to work on Technique by individual
a. 5-10 Minute period
b. Cover Tackling, Take Aways, Pass Rush, Block Destruction vs. Iso,
Zone, Traps
c. If 10 minutes do Circuit with everyone
4. AGILITIES
a. By positions
b. 5 Minutes
c. Work on Feet, Eyes, Hands
5. INDIVIDUAL
a. 20 Minutes
b. Work on fundamentals of each position – DL, LB, DB
6. GROUP TIME
a. 15 Minutes
b. DB’s work on most dangerous patterns – Work the different
combos and pass patterns they will use against us
c. ONE ON ONE
i. DL vs. OL
ii. DB’s vs. RECEIVER’S
d. Run schemes offense will use
i. 5 favorite run plays repetition
ii. Include play action passes too
e. Play action pass plays
f. Run drills by the pieces -
i. 4 Offense players vs. 3 Defensive players
ii. Draw up play cards for each side of formation situation
iii. Each defensive player rotate thru each station
 iv. Do on LEFT side of practice field
1. Run scheme or blocking scheme vs. C gap to TE side

RB

TE T G

E T

SLB

v. Do in MIDDLE of Practice field

1. Run scheme up the middle of the formation

RB

G C G

DT NG

MLB

vi. RIGHT side of practice field

1. Run scheme away from TE

RB

G T

NG DE

WLB
7. COMBO PERIOD Vs offense
a. 15 – 20 minutes
i. Pass Rush vs. Offense
ii. 7 on 7 with DB’s & Rec.
1. Change each day depending on what the emphasis of
the day is>
2. Score Zone? Alumni Zone? Win Zone?
 3. Work on passes the offense will use in each of the
Zones vs. Defense, and vs. Zone area
4. Half side of offense – Get defense used to hearing
various calls used for various situations

b. Plays scripted
c. Schemes reviewed
8. TEAM DEFENSE
a. Situations
i. 1st & 3rd down situations
ii. Score Zone
iii. Win Zone
b. Script out what the offense likes to do in each situation in each
zone

Script:

PLAY YARD LINE SITUATION HASH PLAY OFF. RUNS

1. 1 YD LINE 1ST & 10 LF LF TITE, 42 ISO

c. Match up defense calls vs. various offensive situations

i. Will be able to see if defense call has weaknesses and be able
to make auto checks
9. GOAL LINE DEFENSE
a. 10 plays live vs. offense
10. WIN ZONE SCRIPT

GAME PLAN SHEET BACK SIDE

1. Goal Line Defense
2. 2 Point conversion calls
3. Punt pressure calls
4. Safe calls
5. Sudden change calls
6. No huddle defense calls
a. Memorize calls for no huddle defense
7. Auto defense vs. No running backs
a. Pressure checks
b. Unbalanced vs. Wide Receiver over
c. Unbalanced vs. Offensive lineman over
d. Wing Back
e. Double Tight Ends
8. Victory Defense
a. Run plays in situations that offense may be
b. Offense down by 16 points with 4 minutes left
9. Possession Pass – What does the offense try to do to
keep he possession of the b
 a. What defense and coverage are best for each
situation?
10. Notes:
a. Fronts, movement calls for Defense Line

In your practices try to create a game like situation as much as possible.

GRADING FILM
Watch 30 plays with players of past game, making sure you show good plays. Be
positive. Each defense coach chooses good plays by their position. During film point the
drills we use to teach techniques to be used during the game.

GAME DAY RESPONSIBLITIES

I. DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR & ASST IN BOX
a. Watch for Personnel in offense (21, 12, 10)
b. Substitutions
c. Scout tendencies from previous games and adjust, make calls during
game to these sets (21, 12)
d. Down & distance and Defense calls
e. Play Charts
f. Watch for Point of Attack by offense
II. DB Coach
a. Signals Called coverage 1st to Free Safety
b. Subs for DB’s
c. Watching coverage’s
d. During run plays watching backside rotation by DB’s
III. LB coach
a. Signals front 7 alignment call
b. Also in charge for Subbing LB’s
c. Needs to know before game what situations we are playing which
LB’s
d. Watches inside defense to see what’s happening
IV. DL Coach
a. Subs for DL
i. Use 15 players per game
ii. Have role players
1. Find what each player is good at and get him in the
game during that situation.
b. Watches blocking schemes
V. After an offensive series
a. Staff meets together – sharing ideas with DC on headset
b. Players get water
c. Defense sits on bench together grouped by positions
i. DL, LB’s, DB’s
 d. Subs are standing behind starters
e. Try to coach aggressive defense
f. When talking with defense be positive first
g. Coach relays any information on from DC about adjustments
h. Position coaches talk with position players after whole group
addressed
i. Adjustment
j. Get player’s feed back regarding what are they seeing on the field
k. Players input of ideas about things needed to be done
l. Team regroups for final thoughts on adjustments and a word of
encouragement from coaches
m. Regroup as staff
VI. Taking the field after a sudden change of possession
a. Quick huddle and remind defense what offense likes to do in this
situation and give defense call
VII. As Defensive Coordinator want to know this info during the game
a. What’s happening to MILB/
b. From DB’s Coach
i. Are there any matchups we need to take advantage of?
c. From DL Coach
i. How is offense pass protecting us?
ii. Are they doing what we thought they would do?
iii. Vs Run scheme – Are they blocking it the way we expected
them to?
iv.