Post Game Evaluation & Next Week
Continuing the conversation on my trip to Phoenix… We’ve been discussing the programs I recorded for USA Football at the Arizona Cardinal’s Training Center.
The third course produced is entitled Post Game Evaluation & Next Week. We begin with a Sun Tzu quote, “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” What Sun Tzu did not consider over 2,000 years ago was knowing the enemy but not yourself.
The first step covered in video analysis is grading players. We discuss grading players under four criteria on each play: Alignment, Assignment, Effort and Execution. Each criteria is valued at a quarter of a point to determine a grade. 
During the grading process, we recognize the importance of providing positive reinforcement for desired outcomes through awards and recognition for individuals and position groups.
Then we focused on self-scouting…understanding yourself. We discuss breaking down offensive Run, Pass and Screen tendencies by Formation, Down & Distance, Field Position, Field/Boundary, Right/Left and Personnel. We then shares ways to set up and break those tendencies in the next week’s game plan.
The conversation continues with determining mean, median and mode 
averages and efficiency percentages for run plays to determine when, where and if they should be included in next week’s game plan. We do the same for pass plays based on efficiency percentage, completion percentage, yards per completion and yards per attempt.
Next up we discuss analyzing game data to determine how much practice time should be dedicated to each play and situation. You need to spend more practice time on the play you call 12 times per game than the one called only twice. 
We then analyzed game data to determine how much practice time should be committed to the following situations: Redzone, Goalline, Coming Out, 2-Minute, 4-Minute, On Schedule, 3rd Downs, 2nd & Short, 2nd and Long and 4th Down.
We conclude the conversation with suggestions for adjustments needed due to injury and depth issues and the progression of offense during the season. Advice is given on keeping your installation simple during training camp then building on as you get into the season. Focus on technical before tactical.
Given all the technical specifics, don’t overlook the importance of confidence, focus, and understanding derived from such an effort. Help your players understand the “why” behind all this work, and it will reinforce confidence in their teammates, coaches, and most importantly themselves. Napoleon is quoted as saying “The moral is to the physical, as three is to one…” Do the work, underpin success, and build belief in your program!
Coach Rich Alercio is available to discuss summer OTAs, coaching philosophy, X’s & O’s, or teach his O-Line “techniques in the trenches.” Contact Coach at richalercio@gmail.com and share http://www.olineskills.com with your colleagues and friends. Thanks for your time!
O Line Skills 