Across the United States, approximately 1,161 teams are playing 8-man football. Compared to the approximate 16,000 11-man teams and another 700+ college teams, 8-man coaches are at a disadvantage when it comes to adding to their offensive and defensive systems. You can’t turn on the TV on Saturday and watch the local college team tear it up in the 3-2-3 defense. So, they have to be able to take new content from the 11-man teams and adapt it to fit their situation. On this episode, Joe and Daniel are joined by Coach Kenny Ridley as he discusses his path from college player to 11-man DC, and then the foot-first jump into the 8-man world and all the new challenges that brought his way. Coach Ridley discusses the origin of his defensive scheme, how he adapted 11-man fundamentals to the 8-man game, and he breaks down the basics of 8-man football to those of us who not had a reason to dig into it.  

Adapting 11-Man Schemes to 8-Man Football

Helping Football Coaches build your Program and Succeed

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2-Tight formations are all the rage in small school football, especially against odd front defenses. If you’re running one of those (3-4, 3-3) then it would be smart to have a plan for how you’ll align to and attack a 2-tight formation. On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss everything you need to know about aligning to and defending 2-tight formations this year.  

Keys to Defending 2-Tight Formations

Counter (maybe only falling under Power) is one of the most popular run plays in High School football today! Everyone has a version, and they’re all useful. But, why do so many variations exist? On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the foundations of Counter, why they carry multiple variations, and what the advantages of each are.  

Choosing a Variation of the Counter Run Play

In a lot of states, spring time is the second best time of the year, right behind the fall. We get to blow the dust off of the pads and helmets and get back on the practice field for a couple of weeks, and see what our kids (and coaches) remember.  On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss what your Spring Practice should really be used for, how to organize your practice, and how to evaluate what you installed.  

Make the Most of Spring Football

Winning programs have more than “great schemes” in common. The best programs have a sense of accountability built into them. A self-governing team accomplishes more with less, because everyone is bought in. The term we’ve given this trait of accountability is Culture! On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the big buzz word, what it means, why some coaches struggle with it, and how you can ensure your program is on the right path to a great culture.  

Creating a Winning Culture in Football

Developing your Offensive Line is one of the most important tasks you can perform as a coach. Whether you’re the Offensive LIne coach, the Offensive Coordinator, or the Head Coach, you’ll find your success goes as the OL development goes. On this episode Joe and Daniel are joined by Owasso Rams Co-OC and Offensive Line Coach Justin Morsey to discuss what a developed offensive lineman looks like, how to evaluate the guys on your squad, and what your development program should look like throughout the year.  

Adapting 11-Man Schemes to 8-Man Football

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