In youth football, coaches encounter multiple situations that call for quick-thinking. Whether you run the West Coast offense or I-Formation, among the beauties of football is that there's more than one way to win a game. Three USA Football coaching members recently shared their ideas on how they'd attack various in-game scenarios.
Vernon Briggs
City, State: Concord, N.H.
Youth League: New Hampshire Pop Warner
Coaching Experience: 7 years
Base Offense: I-Formation
Base Defense: 6-4-1
Type of USA Football Membership: Coach, Commissioner
Kenneth Swieter
City, State: Midwest, Wyo.
Youth League: Wyoming High School Activities Association
Coaching Experience: 7 years
Base Offense: 2 TE, 2 RB
Base Defense: 5-2-4
Type of USA Football Membership: Coach
Ed Robinson
City: Harrison, Ark.
Youth League: Harrison Consolidated Youth Association
Coaching Experience: 5 years
Base Offense: Wishbone
Base Defense: 4-3
Type of USA Football Membership: Coach
"What If" ... you're trailing 10-7 with 4:00 left in the game. You have the ball at the 50-yard line and it's 4th and 3. You have one timeout left. Do you go for it or punt?
Briggs: I'd go for it. The possibility of getting 3 yards is the higher percentage. I feel that with the I-Formation, I could hand the ball on an inside handoff to the blocking back and fake to the halfback. I could also run the play on either side of the offensive line. And with my defense, I have confidence we can get the ball back if we don't convert on fourth down.
Swieter: Go for it. This is a pretty defensive-style game. Both offenses have been struggling, so I'd go for it to try to jump start my team. If I go for it and get stopped, I'm relying on my defense to get the ball back. I'd run a play-action pass and throw a slant or flare to my outside receivers.
Robinson: Go for it. If that's all the time I have left, I'd go knowing teams can score on each other fairly quickly. I'd run a running back sweep to the outside, having my fullback lead block all the way to the second level, crashing down on the linebackers.
"What If" ... you're playing in a championship game. There are 10 seconds left in regulation and your offense just scored a touchdown, but you are trailing 7-6. Do you kick the extra point or go for the win with a two-point conversion?
Briggs: I'd go for two points. You have to leave it all on the field. With my offense, I believe we can convert a two-point conversion with a quick slant pass or an outside sweep. I pitch it to the running back and have him take it around either edge. Taking the risk shows the team you have confidence in them, and at the end of a championship game, they have to be confident.
Swieter: I would talk to my players and see how they feel about the situation. I would want to get their input. All of them strongly agreeing to go for it would convince me to go for two. I'd run my "34 Triple Option" out of a split back formation. I'd fake it to the right side back and have the quarterback run left, with the option to pitch the ball to the left side running back and have him run a sweep.
Robinson: Go for two. I would definitely go for the win. I'd split the wide receivers way outside, and I'd split the guards to spread everything out. I'd then run a quarterback keeper right up the middle. This gives the quarterback a little more room than usual, because the defensive lineman will line up opposite the offensive linemen.
"What If" ... you're up 14-7 with 1:00 left in the game. The other team has the ball on your 30-yard line with no timeouts. It's 3rd and 15. Do you play prevent defense, or do you aggressively rush the passer?
Briggs: I'd send my defense after the quarterback. In my 6-4 defense, I'd send both of the ends in, blitz two linebackers up the middle and give the middle four defensive linemen the benefit of the doubt, whether they want to play the pass or run. This creates more pressure on their quarterback, who already is facing more pressure than the defense. This also creates the possibility of a turnover or sack. If they run a draw or other run play, you still have the pressure.
Swieter: Rush the passer. Throughout most of the game, I would have been making the passer make quick decisions. More time can backfire. I see it all the time where the other team will go prevent, give the offense a few yards and hope they don't give them anymore after that. I'd have a five-defensive back formation, with five linemen and one linebacker. The defensive backs would play coverage, one side of the defensive line would run a stunt rush and the linebacker has the decision to rush the passer or play in coverage.
Robinson: I'd play prevent defense. In my situation, we've got good speed, and we know they're going to pass it. The outside linebacker can cover the backs, the defensive backs can play man to man, and anyone off the line can play preventative defense. This will prevent the long ball, and you know they're either going to pass it or run a trick play. The linebackers that guard the backs can rush the quarterback when he runs outside of the pocket.
