12 Key Principles For Scouting An Opponent Live

THE FOLLOWING are 12 principles for scouting a future opponent, which will prove to be very effective for game preparation.

Come Prepared. Before you leave for the game, make sure you have your scouting materials (clipboard, folders, scouting sheets, pencils and pens, notepad and stopwatch) organized.

Arrive Early. If possible, arrive early so you can watch pregame warmups and routines.

Buy A Program.

This will allow you to get the names and numbers of your opponent.
Bird’s-Eye View. Get a seat as high up in the bleachers as possible.
Watch Warmups. As your opponents warm up, look for the following:

O  Quarterback’s arms strength.
O  Leg strength of the kickers.
O  The size and speed of the team as a whole.
O  Chart all plays run in warmups.

Chart All Plays. When the game begins, chart every offensive play run by your opponent. This will help you in determining the offensive tendencies of your opponent. Record the following information on each series:
O  The defense the play was run against.
O  Down and distance before each play.
O  The score before each offensive series. This will help you in determining the offensive tendencies of your opponent.

Study Defense Closely. When your opponent is on defense, look for the following:
O  The alignment (4-3, 4-4, 5-2, etc).
O  Blitz tendencies.
O  Pass coverages.
O  Pursuit angles.
O  Defensive strengths and weaknesses.
O  What was and wasn’t effective against their defenses.

Kickoffs, Cover Teams. When your opponent kicks off, look for the following:
O  Depth of the kick on kickoffs.
O  Lane discipline on coverage teams.
O  Tackling ability.

Punts, Punt Coverage. When your opponent punts, record the following:
O  Time it takes for your opponent to get off a punt.
O  Depth of each punt.
O  Lane discipline.
O  Tackling ability.

Kickoff Returns. When your opponent receives a kickoff, look for the following:
O  Return team alignment.
O  Speed of the returners.
O  Return tendencies.

Punt Returns. When your opponent forces the other team to punt, look for the following:
O  Alignment.
O  Blocking or returning the punt?
O  Speed of the returners.
O  Catching ability of the returners.
O  Return tendencies.

Write Report, Devise Initial Game Plan. Determine the strengths and weaknesses of your opponent. Look for offensive and defensive tendencies. Calculate what plays would be effective and non-effective against their defense. This will help in formulating your offensive playlist for the week’s practices and the game.

The last thing to do with the report is to make a copy of the opponent’s plays, duplicate them and hand them out to the players to study. This gives your players the confidence that their coaches are prepared and focused.