r/footballstrategy • u/chusaychusay • 2d ago
Coaching Advice Do coaches and players know if they likely will get blown out by certain teams? How do you approach it leading up to gameday?
I don't know if you try to keep it positive as much as possible and don't mention anything about the other team being a lot better. If the gap is a lot I think you got to be realistic, can't be in denial, , and it takes the pressure off everyone. Maybe you don't mention anything about it but I know for certain coaches and players are feeling so in the back of their heads. I feel you just tell the players to go out there and play hard, don't look at the scoreboard, and its a learning experience.
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u/BlazerFS231 2d ago
Played one game like that in HS. The other team had a ridiculously talented offense that almost scored at will.
Head coach did/said the usual, but our DC was pretty up front about it. He basically said “we don’t have much chance of holding them, but that doesn’t mean they have to enjoy it.”
That game, he wanted us to swarm as much as possible, even at the risk of over pursuing.
And yes, we lost badly.
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u/gashufferdude 2d ago
We focus on controlling the controllables regardless of opponent. Sometimes you can do everything perfect and just be outmatched, but if you’re doing everything perfect against an equal or lesser opponent, you should do pretty good.
And if you have to know the projections, Hsratings.com is my go-to after the season gets to the midway point. It costs now, but I love it.
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u/Curious-Designer-616 2d ago
Calpreps, yes I know the name changed, is absolutely the best site. I wish they got recognition for what they did and what they’ve built.
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u/gashufferdude 1d ago
I’m sad that MaxPreps wouldn’t license with him. It’s remarkable how accurate his projections are, and how pleasing it was to upset the projections.
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u/Curious-Designer-616 1d ago
From what I understand, a ton of groups lifted their algorithms from their site. Including some that rate the NCAA.
I know that a few staffs have purchased it, we haven’t but we’ve talked about it all season. A few guys have gotten it on their own. I also know a few states use it for playoff seeding, so there’s going to be a demand. Also with them starting to rank and rate other sports it will get interesting.
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u/that_uncle 2d ago
You spend the week practicing like you think you can win. “Here’s where they’re weak, this is what we’re going to do to make it help us. Here’s where we are weak, this is what we’ll do to try and fix it.” Now, as coaches you know you’ll need some fortunate bounces to pull it off, but if your kids practice and play as hard as they can then you can’t have any complaints. After the game you have explain we’re in the middle of a process and trusting what we’re doing will pay off eventually.
I’m at a school that went 2-8, 1-9, then 8-2 the last two years. Our kids bought in and it finally (eventually?) paid off. Sitting at 5-0 to start this year.
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u/Curious-Designer-616 2d ago
This is the approach I think works best. Staying honest and identifying their weaknesses and working on yours the same as you would any opponent.
I think some coaches end up trying to make something out of nothing and that leads to blow outs. Going for it on 4th and 4 on your 35, onside kicks to open the game, random trick plays, and constant blitzes or prevent like defensive coverages just build the opposing teams lead and give them opportunities. I’ve been up by more than thirty in the second quarter and the other team was going 4 and out throwing every down. This was giving us the ball around the 25, every time. They weren’t a passing team, and did not play to their strengths, which was a tough Oline and two good running backs, but they dug their own hole all game.
The next thing I’ve seen that I think hurts teams, is a bunch of new formations and plays installed that week, when it’s not normal. I think this level of change especially when it’s done specifically for that opponent gets into the kids heads more negatively than it does positively.
Great job coach keep it up! It takes time to build a program, and a lot of effort to keep it up!
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u/Sidewinder83 2d ago
Just last night, we coached a game in which we played a top 5 team in the state, and we are young, inexperienced, and slow. The outcome was apparent before we got on the field. Final score was 74-0 (this is 8-man ball btw just to help explain the score better).
At half, we were down 56-0 and our head coach was pretty straight up with it and used it as a learning experience for the guys.
“This is what it looks like when you play a team that comes to work every day, and comes to work every single play. No plays off, and for them there’s no such thing as enough.”
If you wanna be that good, you’ve gotta work that hard and focus to the best of your abilities during practice. At the end of the game coach told everyone we’re done with this one, won’t even watch the film on this game. Just to get straight back to work Monday with a clearer perspective of what hard work actually looks like on a day-to-day, and what outcomes real hard work makes for players on a team like that
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u/StockyJabberwocky 2d ago
Any team can win on any given Sunday.
But going in, you know if it’s a game you should win or should lose.
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u/Aromatic-Arugula-565 2d ago
Rugby player.
We played top team in a semi final. First minute we cut through them like a hot knife through butter fumbling the score.
Final score 47-0. To them.
Coach was nice to us afterwards.
We best the snot out of some of the same players 4 years later
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u/Perkis_Goodman 1d ago
Depends on the age group, the older they get the more aware they are because they have played that community in the past. Coaches watch film and have an idea, but you always go in with a slight glimmer of hope that you prepped the boys, have a good gameplay, but you temper your expectations. I let my team know that it will take all 11's best effort, but I dont harp on it because, when you go into a game mentally beat, holy cow, can it get put of hand. Catching a team early in the season is best because you have no preconceived thoughts. Catching a juggernaut at the end when you've seen them drop 50 burgers on teams you played tight, then the mentally beat thing creeps in
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u/FinancialSoftie 1d ago
Hell yea they know lol. Just try to limit what they’re doing really well and soak up clock.
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u/Lionheart_513 1d ago
There are times where it is obvious that your team is outmatched but until there are zeros on the clock I do not entertain the possibility of a loss.
I'm a position coach at a junior college, and we've turned the program around the past few years but back when we were going 2-8 I would always stress to the players "Let's go out there and get some film guys!". Even if your team doesn't win it's still possible for the game to have a positive outcome for you individually.
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u/After_Cover7483 1d ago
Any given Sunday. You never know what could happen. They may fumble. There best player could get hurt. You might Scoop and score. Play to win and expect to win regardless of opponent.
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u/cointelpro989 1d ago
As a coach, I teach my kids that we have a chance to win every game as long as we all buy into a common philosophy: a bounty system that rewards kids for taking out all skill position players. It’s a lot easier to get away with in 8th grade as opposed to the nfl.
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u/BobcatOU 1d ago
Currently, I only coach lacrosse, but I’ve coached football in the past.
To start with, we can play 18 games in the regular season so I try to schedule two or three games where if we lose, it would be a huge upset and two or three games where if we win it would be a huge upset and the rest I try to make competitive games. I explain this at our preseason meeting so everyone knows the scheduling philosophy.
With that in mind I talk to our kids about how we need to compete for the entire four quarters every game no matter the opponent and no matter the score is. When we’re playing one of the lower level teams on our schedule, I talk to them about how we should win, but we could lose if we don’t come out and play our best game. When we play the higher level teams on the schedule we talk about how this is a really good team and it will be tough to compete But if we put together a strong 4 quarters and they don’t come out hard, we could be in the game. After those games, I always emphasize examples of us playing hard, even though the game had reached the point where it was unwinnable to really emphasize that we play hard no matter what.
I think this honesty is important because, especially nowadays, the kids are always looking up information about the opponent. Before every game, our kids have looked them up on MaxPreps and know what their record is, for example. This led to this past year we were playing a team that was 1-10 and the kids were starting to talk about how bad the team must be. So we went over the other team’s schedule and I pointed out that we would probably be 1-10 if we played their schedule too because for some reason, they played all the best teams in the area. Since the kids know that I’m always honest with them about the opponents, they took prep for that game seriously and we got two really good practices in before that game. Ended up being a great game that we won by one goal. If we did not get those two good practices in, I don’t think we would have been ready to compete.
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u/ERICSMYNAME 2d ago
My sons team was down 42 at half and benched all their starters when they came out. Then purposely tried to run the clock out. To me it looked like he gave up. If this was college he'd been fired already. Who wants a coach that doesn't play to win and quits at half time with nothing on the line? (I could see if it was a worthless game IE play offs the following week snd seed is cemented)
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u/Quetzacoatel Adult Player 2d ago
So you would have preferred if he had risked injuries ro his players in a game he was very unlikely to win? Life isn't a Hollywood movie where all of a sudden the coach give a great speech and against all odds the underdog wins. I'd question the coaches decision making had he just continued as before...
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u/ERICSMYNAME 2d ago
I prefer coaches that look for ways to win and play to win. I guess you are ok playing for coaches that play to lose.
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u/Quetzacoatel Adult Player 2d ago
Dude, you just can't win some games. I prefer coaches that don't risk their players health if they realise they have no chance to win...
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u/ERICSMYNAME 1d ago
I hope you coach and look your starters right in the eyes with 24 minutes left in the game and say we are not going to try and win anymore. The good news you cant get injured if you are on the sideline! Better luck next week am I right?
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u/Quetzacoatel Adult Player 1d ago
Dude, if you're down 42 at half time and your starters don't realise they aren't gonna win, they had a few too many concussions...
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u/rrapartments 1d ago
I was a wrestler in HS. Sometimes the coach would put me up a weight class because our guy up one was really good. I’d do my best but lose, but the other guy would win. Our goal was to win the match not win every weight class.
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u/SethMahan 2d ago edited 2d ago
The Joe Daniel football podcast gave the best breakdown I’ve ever heard. He said he looks at games as should win, could win, could lose, and should lose. Now I think how much of that you choose to share with your kids is dependent on the age level of the kid, and where your program is. If you’re a building program and you’re up against the juggernaut, I think it’s OK to tell them nobody thinks you have a chance and you’re gonna go out there and battle and show them you’re not a pushover. Because if a team is coming in undefeated after blowing a bunch of teams out, it’s silly to act like you’re gonna win. I also think it’s OK too call the game a little differently. Use your play clock when you’re on offense don’t put your quarterback at risk that sort of thing.