Learn how to defend the spread option without rebuilding your defense for one opponent. Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain explain how umbrella run fits naturally account for the dive, quarterback, and pitch, how simple tags can influence option reads, and how to prepare your scout team to give defenders realistic looks without trying to perfectly recreate the opponent's offense.

• 6:41 - Scout Team Building From Base Blocks
• 16:54 - Umbrella Run Fits for Option Defense
• 19:35 - Natural Gap Exchange Without Tags
• 24:16 - Defending Pistol Flexbone Triple Option
• 28:35 - Stopping Spread Option From Base Defense
• 30:49 - Dictating Quarterback Reads With Q Tags
• 35:49 - Blitz Packages Against Spread Option
• 43:25 - Scout Team Preparation for Spread Option
• 49:03 - Practice Drills for Spread Option
• 50:56 - Formation Splits and Film Study Keys

Defending the Spread Option

Step 1: Build Your Defense Around Umbrella Run Fits Start with a run fit system that gives every defender a consistent responsibility against the dive, quarterback and pitch. Spill, force, alley and stay in coverage should remain intact regardless of the option scheme or formation you face. READ: Coach the Umbrella Principle to Get Perfect Run Fits for Your Defense Step 2: Learn to Stop Any Run Scheme Without Changing Your Defense Apply those same run fit rules against different formations and schemes instead of installing a new defense every week. Your players should be able to recognize their keys and execute their base responsibilities whether they see zone read, power read, triple option or a traditional run scheme. LISTEN: We Can't Stop the Run | FBCP S18E05 Step 3: Control the Quarterback Instead of Chasing Him Learn how gap exchanges, fronts, tags and pressure can influence the quarterback's read while keeping the structure of your defense intact. The goal is to dictate where the football goes and put your defenders in position to handle the quarterback without creating new assignments for everyone else. LISTEN: We Cant Stop Dual-Threat QBs | FBCP S19E08 Step 4: Build a Defensive System That Can Adjust Without Starting Over Organize your fronts, coverages, run fits and adjustments into one system so you can handle option offenses with small changes instead of installing a flavor-of-the-week defense. Your answers to unusual offenses should already exist inside the structure your players know. DOWNLOAD: What You Need to Know to Build the Ultimate Defensive Football Coaching System Step 5: Turn the Option Responsibilities Into Individual Drills Take the run fits off the board and teach players to execute them through their normal key reads. Progress the Umbrella Drill to include the opponent's backfield alignment, pitch phase, bubble action and other option looks your force and alley defenders will see that week. READ: The Most Important Football Drill for Coaching Safeties Step 6: Progress Those Skills Into Group Run Periods Combine the individual skills into half-line, inside run, outside run and 9-on-9 periods. Use these periods to let defenders chain their key reads, block reactions and run fits together before asking them to execute everything during full team work. LISTEN: Practice Planning: Group Run Drills for Skill Progression | FBCP S21E05 Step 7: Give Your Scout Team the Right Look Do not ask your scout offense to become a spread option team in three days. Recreate the formations, blocking reactions, quarterback actions and other keys your defense actually needs to see, then script those looks so your players can execute the same rules they have practiced all season. ​LISTEN: Our Players Don't Execute on Game Day | FBCP S18E21

Learn how to build defensive line drills around the reads and reactions your players will actually use on game day. This episode explains how to improve alignment, stance, strike point, leverage, block destruction, gap control, pass rush, and screen recognition while eliminating drills that do not transfer to the field. Coaches will also learn how to progress from simple key read work into group and team periods based on the offensive schemes they expect to face.

• 7:05 - Building Defensive Line Drills on Key Reads
• 8:46 -Why Rope Chute and Sled Drills Waste Practice Time
• 13:55 - Old School Defensive Line Drills Are Outdated
• 15:30 - Why Chutes Don't Fix Playing Too High
• 18:39 - ASCA Principle for Defensive Line Development
• 22:29 - Five Key Reads for Defensive Linemen
• 24:49 - Strike Point and Big Surface Technique
• 40:16 - Defensive Line Drills That Transfer to the Field
• 55:58 - Progressing Drills From Indies to Group to Team
• 1:03:52 - Handling Secondary Blocks and Pulling Linemen

Stop collecting drills just because other coaches use them. Start with the specific one-on-one game your defensive linemen must win, then build drills that solve the problems showing up on game film. This is the foundation for replacing ropes, chutes, sleds and other activities that do not transfer to game day.

READ: Complete Guide to Coaching Football Drills that Win Games

Use Alignment, Stance, Key Read and Assignment to diagnose why your defensive linemen are struggling. Focus your drill work on correcting high pad level, poor eye discipline, getting trapped, staying blocked and losing pass rush contain.

READ: How to Use Defensive Line Drills to Eliminate the 5 Mistakes Killing Your Front

Instead of searching for the next great drill, learn to identify the problem on film, break it down to the smallest skill that needs improvement and create practice reps that directly address it.

Defensive line technique cannot exist in isolation. Understand how your front, run fits, key reads and assignments work together so every drill reinforces the job your defensive linemen actually have on game day.

DOWNLOAD: What You Need To Know To Build The Ultimate Defensive Football Coaching System

Structure individual periods around focused, high-repetition work where every player is involved. Use the defensive line key read drill to reinforce alignment, stance and reactions while eliminating unnecessary standing around and wasted practice time.

LISTEN: Individual Drill Periods for Skill Development | FBCP S21E01

Take the reactions developed during individual periods and progress them into pods, half-line and group work. Keep the same one-on-one focus while gradually adding the movement and distractions your defensive linemen will see against actual offensive schemes.

Carry the same weekly focus from individual drills into group periods and team sessions. Build practices so defensive linemen repeatedly see the blocks and situations they need to defeat that week, then evaluate whether those skills actually transfer to Friday night.

LISTEN: Our Players Don't Execute on Game Day | FBCP S18E21

Building an effective run game takes more than calling plays—it requires a practice plan that develops players step by step. In this episode, Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain explain how to structure group run periods that bridge the gap between individual drills and full team sessions, helping coaches reinforce key techniques without overwhelming players.

You'll learn how to organize half-line, 9-on-9, inside run, and outside run periods, keep every drill aligned with your weekly practice focus, and script meaningful reps that translate directly to Friday night performance. Whether you're refining your practice schedule or looking to get more from every run period, this episode provides practical coaching strategies you can implement immediately.

• 5:31 — Progressing from one-on-one drills to live group run reps

• 9:47 — Chaining one-on-one games into a linebacker's full run fit

• 14:27 — Using half line periods to organize run drills

• 17:12 — Bird Walk drill for teaching run blocking landmarks

• 22:20 — Half line limitations and the eight-man football comparison

• 29:22 — Scripting group run periods with a play list

• 32:51 — Organizing nine v nine run periods

• 35:19 — Nine v nine practice plan progression and seven play scripting

• 47:35 — Coordinating weekly practice focus across position groups

• 50:49 — Aligning gap and zone scheme focus days with opponent tendencies

Understand how every successful group period begins with individual skills. Learn how to build drills that teach specific football problems before combining them into larger practice periods.

LISTEN: Individual Drill Periods for Skill Development https://www.joedanielfootball.com/blog/indy

Learn how to create drills that solve real game problems, progress naturally into group work, and reinforce the habits your players need during live football.

READ: Complete Guide to Coaching Football Drills that Win Games https://www.joedanielfootball.com/blog/coaching-football-drills

Learn how to structure every practice period around one coaching objective so your individual drills, group periods, and team sessions all reinforce the same skill.

DOWNLOAD: Perfect Practice Plan Template https://www.joedanielfootball.com/practice

Learn how to organize 9 on 9, half line, inside run, and outside run periods around the specific run concepts your team needs to improve, instead of running random plays.

LISTEN: 90 Minutes Means 90 Minutes: How to Make the Practice Plan Work https://www.joedanielfootball.com/blog/90-minute-football-practice-plan-tips

5. Build Your Run Game Through Repetition

Learn how to organize your core run concepts so players repeatedly see the same blocking schemes, timing, and reads throughout practice.

LISTEN: How to Design Run Plays That Get Big Yards https://www.joedanielfootball.com/blog/design-run-plays-big-yards

Learn how to carry individual techniques like key reads, block destruction, and run fits into group periods so defenders execute confidently during team sessions.

LISTEN: Build Your System Around Your Defensive Run Fits https://www.joedanielfootball.com/blog/defensive-run-fits-system

7. Build a Practice System That Gets Better Every Week

Learn how to evaluate each practice by whether your players improved at the day's focus, then adjust future practice plans based on those results instead of simply running more drills.

DOWNLOAD: Turnaround Guide https://www.joedanielfootball.com/turnaround-guide

Picking your starters for a football team is generally pretty easy. Whether you're a best-11 guy, have specialized positions for certain players, or fully two-platooned… those guys stand out and make decisions easily. However, once one guy goes down, the carousel begins. In this episode, Joe and Daniel go through talent evaluation, how to pick the best (and next best) player for each position, and how you can convince players to play a position that's new to them.

• 9:26 Using ASCA to evaluate positional talent
• 10:59 Identifying what skills a position really needs
• 14:49 Building a position rating rubric with five traits
• 17:20 Ranking players and filling the depth chart like a draft
• 29:51 Finding the best player for each position based on scheme
• 34:53 Managing two way players and fatigue on the depth chart
• 37:30 How depth chart substitutions actually work
• 57:47 Cross training positions for depth and flexibility
• 1:02:51 Convincing players to switch to a new position
• 1:05:37 How to sit a player down and explain a position change

Step 1: Start With Your Best 11 Build your depth chart around getting your best football players on the field, then determine where each player can contribute most within your system. Do not get locked into traditional position labels or ideal body types. READ: 4-2-5 Defense Positions: Fitting Your Personnel to Your Step 2: Define What Each Position Actually Requires Identify the three to five traits that matter most at each position based on the Alignment, Stance, Key Read and Assignment required in your system. Evaluate players based on their ability to execute those jobs instead of simply using size, speed or their previous position. LISTEN: From Confusion to Confidence: Getting Linebackers to Play Fast Step 3: Fit the System to the Players You Have Keep the foundation of your system intact while adjusting how individual players are used. Simplify assignments, change alignments and use personnel strategically rather than changing schemes because your roster does not match the ideal. LISTEN: Keep the Playbook, Fit the Defense to Your Players Step 4: Build the Real Game Day Depth Chart Your depth chart should reflect what will actually happen when a starter leaves the field. Identify universal backups, cross train players at related positions and know which players will move before simply inserting the listed second string player. LISTEN: We're Not Getting the Most Out of Our Talent Step 5: Give Players Transferable Responsibilities Teach principles that players can carry from one position to another. On defense, concepts such as spill, force, alley and stay in coverage give players a common framework that makes cross training and emergency substitutions easier. READ: Coach the Umbrella Principle to Get Perfect Run Fits for Your Defense Step 6: Build a System That Survives Personnel Changes Organize your defense around consistent principles, terminology and responsibilities so injuries, substitutions and changing personnel do not force you to rebuild what you do. DOWNLOAD: What You Need to Know to Build the Ultimate Defensive Football Coaching System Step 7: Get Players to Buy Into Their Best Role Explain how the new position gives the player an opportunity to contribute and why his abilities fit what the team needs. Players are more likely to accept a position change when they understand the job, see a path to playing time and know how their role contributes to the team. LISTEN: We Aren't Tough Enough to Win

The Wing T offense is designed to make defenders hesitate, overreact, and abandon their fundamentals—but the best defenses do exactly the opposite. In this episode, Joe Daniel explains how to build a defensive game plan that handles the Wing T without installing an entirely new defense, including key coaching points, film study strategies, and practical in-game adjustments that help your players play fast and stay disciplined.

Whether you face a traditional Wing T, Gun T, or modern pistol variation, you'll learn how to identify what the offense really wants to accomplish and defend it with sound principles instead of chasing every motion and formation.

Quarterback development goes far beyond throwing more passes. It starts with mastering mechanics, building consistent fundamentals, and creating practice habits that translate to game day. In this episode, Joe Daniel shares legendary coach Bill Mountjoy's quarterback teaching system, covering throwing mechanics, warm up routines, essential quarterback drills, and practical coaching points that help improve accuracy, consistency, and decision making without overcomplicating the position.

Quarterback development goes far beyond throwing more passes. It starts with mastering mechanics, building consistent fundamentals, and creating practice habits that translate to game day. In this episode, Joe Daniel shares legendary coach Bill Mountjoy's quarterback teaching system, covering throwing mechanics, warm up routines, essential quarterback drills, and practical coaching points that help improve accuracy, consistency, and decision making without overcomplicating the position.

Indy period is the one place where you as a non-head coach or coordinator get the most say. You can develop drills to best service the players in your own group. But, many of us forget how simple this should be and start looking to be internet all-star indy coaches.

In this episode Joe and Daniel discuss how to get the most out of practice planning your indy periods by planning your drills to have answers, organizing your periods to get the most out of your time, and building out your practices to progress skills.

Joe Daniel records a rare solo "episode zero" of the Football Coaching Podcast (nearly 15 years running) while co-host Daniel Chamberlain is away after the birth of his daughter. Joe previews the new Coaches Edge membership and monthly workshops (install plan in June, practice plans in July, in-season adjustments later) and then shares "21 things coaches disagree with," centered on "keep it simple" and that scheme is rarely the solution. Key points include: defenses boil down to even/odd and 7- vs 8-man fronts; numbers don't matter as much as run fits; defensive ends shouldn't be force players; a wide 5x5 force alignment; inside zone can work with smaller linemen; QB alignment doesn't define an offense; take Saturdays off and finish film by Sunday; 90-minute practices and five-day installs; the free safety is most important; avoid 4-3 for youth/small staffs; don't change systems yearly; avoid most training aids; don't print playbooks; average athletes can play press man; prioritize self-scout; wristband scout team; emphasize OL footwork; and minimize contact in individual drills.

You don't need more practice time. In fact, you're probably using too much right now if you're honest with yourself. Practice shouldn't be a thing that your coaches and players despise.

In this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain discuss the benefits of moving towards a 90-minute practice schedule. They talk through how to plan the practice with the new constraint, how you can get more in with efficiency, and the benefits of engaged players and coaches.