SUPERVISING FOOTBALL players means more than just being on hand to watch practice, drills, etc. Coaches have been watching kids for a long time. But, coaches and athletic administrators who think supervision means simply being present are incorrect. Being there is just the beginning.

Recently, I watched a football coach stand in the center of a drill. He was doing a good job watching half of his players with the other half at his back. An unobserved player was injured — the coach was sued.

If the coach moved himself to the edge of the drill, all players would have been in his view. And, quite possibly, he could have prevented the injury. However, don’t think that just because you are on hand means you are supervising.
myth of General & specific

supervision
Of course, many times injuries happen and there is nothing a coach can do about it. Some people say that if a coach didn’t witness an accident then the players were being improperly supervised. This simply isn’t true. Coaches are not the insurers of a player’s safety. Proper supervision does not mean constant and continuous sight of all players. That is an impossibility.

Another impossibility is putting supervision in either a “general” or “specific” category.

General supervision typically is considered when a coach is overseeing a game or scrimmage. It is watching players participating in activities they generally know how to perform.

Specific supervision generally is considered a closer and direct relationship with a participant, meaning one-on-one instruction.

Specific supervision normally is used for beginner participants and when players need specific help.

The reality is that coaches always are moving from general to specific supervision and back again during practice sessions. The coach places a player he is instructing in such a position that he also can keep the other players in his sight. So, a different definition is needed for this type of instruction — athletic supervision.

athletic supervision
Athletic supervision is the type of supervision all football coaches must practice. It is when a coach is present and has an overview of the activity. There is a systematic plan of supervision. The coach is immediately accessible and the players know it.

There are 18 ways to implement athletic supervision into your practices. By doing so, you become a better coach, your players are better supervised and the risk of injury is limited.

1. Supervision is first, last and always a matter of being there. Anytime a player is on the field, a coach needs to be there. Leaving a drill to talk with a college recruiter may help someone get into college...it may also get someone hurt.

2. Have a supervision system for the locker room. Does a coach or trainer stay in the locker room until the last person leaves after practice and arrives before practice?

3. The critical element of good supervision is the head coach. 

4. To know if there is enough coverage is difficult. There is no exact ratio. Think about the following: the risk of the activity, the site of the activity, the experience of the participants, the age and skill of the participants, how well you know the participants and the experience of the supervisor.

5. Inspect the equipment and area you are going to use before using it. You may be in the correct position to coach and supervise but if you are doing it on a hole- and glass-covered field, it is still bad supervision.

6. Two major supervision problems are lack of space and sight lines. Too much equipment in too little space creates additional hazards and also blocks the view of the instructor. Stand in several places and see which area has the best sight line.

7. The technique of scanning an entire area is critical to supervision. Scanning is the habit of looking at  your area of supervision in an organized pattern. Observe the practice or drill site from right to left, then left to right. The next time scan the area in circular patterns. 

As you scan ask yourself — is there a hazard? Figure out if it can be removed, if you can move to another area or if you need to stop the drill.

8. Have an emergency plan. Have first aid kits on hand and phone numbers ready.

9. Be ready for indoor practices. Walls, windows and doors come into play.

10. Try your best to have equal competition and drills.

11. Check your players’ equipment.

12. Wear a whistle or use your lungs.

13. Have everyone warm up.

14. Know the activities just completed and when players need a break.

15. Have a buffer zone, which is the additional unobstructed space beyond the playing or practice area.

16. Accept no horseplay.

17. Know the abilities of those you are supervising.

18. Avoid having players supervise players.