What goes into a game plan?

By Jim Donnan Special to ESPN.com Rather than predicting what each team's game plan will be in the Miami- ennessee match!p" this wee# $ will gi%e yo! an idea o& how those game plans are &orm!lated and what the teams may be doing in the days leading !p to the game. 'ame planning act!ally starts in the o&&season" especially &or the non-con&erence opponents teams do not see on a reg!lar basis. he coaching sta&& will watch tapes" brea# down games &rom the pre%io!s season and spend plenty o& time preparing a winter report &or each opponent a&ter the recr!iting season ends in (ebr!ary. hat will be &ollowed by some wor# d!ring spring practice and a s!mmer report that will set !p a lot o& the plans &or the !pcoming season. S!ch early preparation gi%es coaches plenty o& time and ta#es some o& the press!re o&&. Sta&&s can spend a month loo#ing at &ilm in the o&&season rather than cramming e%erything into one wee# d!ring the season" lea%ing game wee# &ree to polish and per&ect the plan already in place. (ew big changes are made d!ring the wee# leading !p to a partic!lar game" b!t a lot o& what happens is dictated by in)!ries. *s &ar as this game is concerned" ennessee li#ely did not watch Miami's last &ew games and come away deciding to ma#e wholesale changes. he +ols ha%e probably not decided they are going to r!n right at the ,!rricanes s!ddenly-wea# r!sh de&ense on e%ery play" b!t an in)!ry to wide recei%er -elley .ashington and the ret!rn to &!ll health by r!nning bac# /edric ,o!ston may res!lt in some minor ad)!stments. .hile preparing his players to &ace the No. 0 team in the nation a coach has to b!ild !p his moti%ational plan thro!gho!t the wee#" stressing what strengths can be !tili1ed. (alse hope is always a poor way to comm!nicate -- the coach needs to be concise and to the point while shooting straight with his players. $t is also good to #eep the team loose b!t not being dead-serio!s all the time. $ once rode a steamroller into practice to emphasi1e to my players that we co!ld either be the pa%ement or the steamroller. Daily short tal#s abo!t pride" teamwor#" !nity and p!tting &orth a great e&&ort are %ital. radition m!st be be stressed" as well as the &act that big games are o&ten lost with t!rno%ers" penalties and special teams mista#es. (inally" $ always maintained that we had to a%oid mista#es and playing loose and constantly !sed the slogan 2.e are the best third-down team in *merica32

The final countdown

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------By Jim Donnan Special to ESPN.com Playing at home ma#es the wee#end o& the game a little less stress&!l" and here's a loo# at a sample itinerary &or the home team starting with (riday's practice. Friday 4506 p.m. - Depart &or stadi!m &or practice 4546 p.m. - Practice 6546 p.m. - Depart &or dinner 7588 p.m. - Dinner B* - Mo%ie 95:8 p.m. - *rri%e Ramada $nn 95:6 p.m. - eam meeting B* - Snac# 00588 p.m. - ;ights o!t and <!iet3 Saturday =588 a.m. - .a#e-!p call =5:8 a.m. - /hapel 9588 a.m. - Pre-game meal 9588 a.m.-00588 a.m. - aping >all an#les and #nees taped at hotel? 00586 a.m. - eam meeting >e%eryone ready to lea%e &or stadi!m? 00508 a.m. - Depart &or stadi!m 005@8 a.m. - *rri%e at stadi!m 0588 p.m. - -$/-A((3 >B!ses will ret!rn &rom stadi!m a&ter game? Sunday

@588 p.m. - reatmentBtraining room @588 p.m.-:5:8 p.m. - Aptional weightli&ting

Plenty to be done
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------By Jim Donnan Special to ESPN.com $n my days as a head coach $ delegated %ario!s aspects o& the o&&ensi%e game plan to each member o& my sta&&. ,ere is a loo# at how wee#ly preparation was organi1ed and the di&&erent aspects handled by the coaches.

Game Plan Organization

0. Apponent brea#down @. Emphasis - /!t-!ps *. Sit!ations 0. (rontsBst!ntsBdogsBblit1 @. (ormations :. Red Cone 4. 'oal line 6. Short yardage 7. /o%erages D. Special Plays =. Down and distance a. P and 08 b. *ll 0st downs c. :rd and medi!m >:-7 yds.? d. :rd and long >D or longer? :. ,ando!ts to players 4. Sta&& wee#ly organi1ational chart *. eam sched!le B. Sta&& sched!le /. 'ame plan D. B!lletin board 6. Sel&-sco!ting *. Down and distance B. (ormation hit chart /. (ield position chart 7. 'o-&or-two chartB-ill-cloc# chart D. Pass chec# list =. R!n chec# list 9. Speci&ic sit!ations game plan

*. A%erall game plan organi1ation B. (rontsBgamesBst!nts /. /o%erage D. Red Cone E. 'oal line (. Short yardage '. Screens ,. Base r!ns $. Base pass J. Blit1 pic#-!p -. wo-play h!ddle ;. Play action M. No bac#s N. Aptions A. wo-min!te o&&ense P. wo-point plays E. +ictory o&&ense R. Slow and &ast sa&ety S. (ree1e play . Special plays F. Shi&ts and motions +. M!st-r!ns $n addition to game-planning responsibilities" each coach was in charge o& one or more more o& the &ollowing areas &or practices

Practice Organization
0. Position *. A&&ensi%e line B. ight ends /. R!nning bac#s D. .ide recei%ers E. E!arterbac#s @. Practice sched!le :. Scripts *. $nside B. $nside s#elly /. S#elly D. eam pass E. eam (. Blit1 pic#-!p 4. Distrib!tion o& practice sched!les and scripts 6. E<!ipment 7. Practice areas D. (ilming o& practice =. Meeting rooms 9. Sco!t team 08. /enter-<!arterbac# eGchange

00. eam ta#e-o&& 0@. P* and go-&or-two 0:. 'a!ntlet 04. $nside drill 06. Ane-on-one .RBDB 07. $nside s#elly 0D. S#elly he sta&& d!ties &or game wee# begin on right away on the S!nday &ollowing a game. *s yo! can see" act!al practice time ma#es !p a small &raction o& the game preparation.

Coaches Duties
*. Sunday 0. 'rade &ilm @. R!n game stats :. pass game stats 4. 'ame s!mmary 6. !rn in grades 7. Sta&& meeting D. Re%iew tape as a sta&& =. $n)!ries 9. Sel&-sco!ting 08. Brea#down o& opponents last game 00. (orm!late sco!ting report a. Base &ronts b. /o%erages c. St!ntsBdogsBblit1es d. Down and distance hit chart e. (ield position hit chart &. Personnel g. /o%er page B. onday 0. /omplete sco!ting report @. /opy sco!ting report &or distrib!tion :. /oncerns %s. a. Base r!ns b. base protections 4. (ormations - Shi&ts and motions 6. ;its r!ns by &ormation 7. ;ist passes by &ormations D. 'oal line pac#age =. New ideas 9. $ndi%id!al meeting 08. 'oals meeting 00. Re%iew Sat!rday game tapes >players? 0@. Practice

0:. Sco!ting report distrib!tion 04. -ic#ing game responsibility /. Tuesday 0. Aptions @. wo-play h!ddle :. Red 1one 4. Play action 6. Sprint pac#age 7. No bac#s D. (irst down =. Screens 9. New ideas 08. Re%iew Monday 00. $ndi%id!al meeting 0@. Special teams 0:. Practice D. Wednesday 0. /omplete goal line pac#age @. Short yardage !p&ield :. Special plays 4. No h!ddle 6. hird down 7. M!st-r!ns D. Special motions or shi&ts =. (o!rth down 9. wo-point play 08. Re%iew Monday and !esday 00. $ndi%id!al meetings 0@. Special teams 0:. Practice 04. Begin tape brea#down o& neGt opponent 06. Recr!iting E. Thursday 0. Pre-game plan ready @. .ristbands :. Re%iew a. Short yardageBgoal line b. Red Cone c. hird and long d. wo-min!te o&&ense e. Blit1 pic#-!p &. Down-and-distance tendency g. wo-play chec#s h. wo-point play i. Special plays

4. Begin tests and tips 6. $ndi%id!al meeting 7. Practice (. Friday 0. 'i%e tests and tips @. (inal ad)!stments :. (inal game plan 4. 'ame ob)ecti%es 6. Emphasis a. 'ame plan b. Special sit!ations c. Special teams d. A&&ensi%e s!bstit!tions e. Re%iew anything new &. A%ertime g. +ictory o&&ense