IT’S A SAFE bet that no football player wants to be seen as a loafer. Greg Mattison, defensive coordinator and defensive line coach for the University of Notre Dame, has developed a “loaf board” that has improved defensive pursuit, hustle and production among Fighting Irish defensive linemen.
Mattison told coaches at a recent regional clinic that as part of game film grading, coaches at Notre Dame review game films looking for players guilty of a “loaf.”
Defining A “Loaf”
Mattison defines loafs as:
1. Changing speeds going to the football.
2. Being passed by a teammate in pursuit.
3. Being caught lying on the ground.
4. Stopping by the pile before the whistle blows.
“We’re not saying a player can never get knocked down,” says Mattison. “But he’d better get back up and get after it.”
A board was hung in the locker room which featured the players names and numbers and included the number of loafs by each player each week.
“No one wanted to see their name up on the loaf board,” Mattison says. “As the season progressed, loafs went down significantly.”
The loaf board can be a great way to let your players know that they’ll be held accountable for their effort.