Learn me some football

coolerifyoudid

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Feb 8, 2013
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Play calling is like writing effectively. Technically, you can throw everything in one giant clump (every play is designed to work). But it works better to break up your thoughts into paragraphs that are easier to read (calling plays unpredictably so the other team can't increase their odds of success).
The subtleness of not quoting the OP with this post is top-notch
 
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MeowingCows

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While we are on the subject… What does being “multiple” mean in regards to the defense?

Thanks. I’ll hang up and listen.
I've generally associated that with alignment (same for offense). Multiple defenses can go line up in many different formations/personnel. I wouldn't put ISU in that category since we run variations of 3-3 and Nickel almost exclusively. We don't throw 4-2-5, 3-4, 4-3, etc. out there at times (just as examples).
 
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troutslayer

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If it's 3rd and ten and you hike the ball to the quarterback and he just runs up the middle. That is poor play calling.
Perfect example of the question of assumed bad play calling. You're talking about the TTU game? Coach called a QB run on I think 3rd and 10 late in the game. I was guilty of assuming that it was a bad play call, of course only after the play gained zero yards. Turns out, CMC said after the game that they knew TTU was going to drop 8 into coverage, and they did, so that left only 3 D linemen. It was actually the right call, but it was poorly executed. Our 5 linemen couldn't/didn't block 3 of theirs.
 
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SouthJerseyCy

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This is huge. A good play caller will recognize when he is being predictable and change things up.

"I have called a running play three first downs in a row. I'm not only going to call a passing play this first down, but I also know their DC knows I have, so I am going to use that to my advantage and call a play action passing play so they bite on my tendency and I can make them pay."

"They have been eating us up on passing down and distance with their pass rush so I am going to call a screen play here and there to make them think twice about pinning their ears back."

"My QB has been keying on our two best wideouts so I am going to use personnel and play call here to feature a reserve WR and my TE to help my QB break his predictability."

"We have only been using our RBs to their strengths so I am going to run a play here or there that they each are able to run but aren't necessarily their strongest suit so the DC can't guess the type of play based on personnel."

"That play I just called may or may not have worked but we did learn a tendency from their DC there. I will later call a different play from the same personell/formation that is designed to exploit that tendency."

"That play we just ran was wildly successful and the D appeared unable to defend it. I will call a similar play from a different formation soon - not necessarily the next play - to give them a different look but a similar defensive dilemma."

"The defense subbed into a heavy run defense package to stop us on a short 3rd down. I am happy with the balance of my personnel so after getting the first down we are going to go tempo to make them defend more wide open plays with a package of players who are less comfortable doing that."

Just a few examples.
 
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syclonefan

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I just would love to see a pass or play action play when 9 & 13 go out and 0 comes in or play action out of I-formation.
 
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TXCyclones

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I've been watching this game for 50+ years and still don't know it. I see the phrase "poor play calling" being tossed around quite often but don't understand what it means. If you punt on first down, I understand the meaning, but how many coaches approach the game with the attitude of "it probably won't work, but lets try it anyway"?--another incident I could deem as poor play calling. It isn't as simple as if the play worked, it was good, and if it didn't it was bad. We only judge a play call's merits after the fact. Was it a bad play being called, or poor execution of a good play? Theoretically, if a play worked on first down for 5 yards, you should be able to run the same play every down and be successful, but we know the defense will adjust or the execution will fail and what was a good play no longer works. The fake punt in the last game was a good play--because it worked. Would it have been bad play calling if it hadn't? We've seen running backs run up the gut for three consecutive plays and fail. Is the coach thinking "It's a good play and I'm giving you three chances to execute it properly", or is it a bad play being called? After a win, I don't remember seeing posts about poor play calling but after a loss it seems frequent. A coach will say after a loss "I shoulda called better plays" Is he covering for his teams failure to execute the ones he called or did he actually not believe they would have worked when he called them? To me, poor play calling is trying to execute plays when you know you don't have the pieces it takes to execute it properly. Is it as simple as that? After reading the posts from prior games I'm sure someone can answer what poor play calling means

"Tell me that you don't play Chess without telling me that you don't play Chess."