No Huddle

[Coach Jeff]

We ran a situational no huddle this season for the first time.  It was a preset play package that we cycled through automatically when we saw certain defensive personnel (read MPR players) on the field.  We called this NASCAR.  Kids got back on the ball as soon as it was spotted and snapped on first sound.  Kept the d from putting starters back in, unless they burned a timeout.

It was also helpful in getting plays in quickly for our MPR kids.  We once got three plays in with 34 seconds left in the half.

Great job coach we do the same thing--the other teams runs out of time outs pretty quickly.

Coach Jeff

[Coach Jeff]

I do not go no huddle, but I remember long conversations on these forums about the difficulty in youth FB players picking up hand signals, and that wrist coaches, while cost something, work much much better. 

If you decide to go hand signals (or anybody else for the matter) at the youth level, please give us an idea of how well it works.

We use wrist coach mostly-- but we use a lot of verbal calls......for example, say we call Heavy Right 36 Power (off tackle play)--- and say the defense is lined up to stop it we will say RIP Missile---RIP means Heavy Right (formation) and Missile means rocket sweep..we also use space/nasa/scud all words that are similar to rocket......just use code words -want to call a power play say--muscle--strength-- gym, you get the idea. Last season was the first year I really used more verbal commands (had 11-12 year old) and it worked out pretty well.  Two ways to call the no huddle.....I love to make defense play at our pace and I love watching them burn all their timeouts 

[gn0rt0n]

What brand of wrist coachs would you guys recommend?

I ordered ~25 from ASA Football at the beginning of the year when I placed an order for some pads. They were pretty cheap, but I don't remember the exact price.

http://www.asa-football.com/product.html?id=553

They are all in good condition after a 10 game season, plus use at every practice. We played from 100 degree weather in August and finished with snow in November. I washed them once during the season, and and the end of the season. I don't see any problems with the stitching, or problems with the velcro becoming weak.

I think I remember seeing somewhere that Cisar has had some for seven years or something like that (don't know what brand though). Pretty good return for  ~$5 piece of equipment.

Pick them up after each practice, don't let the kids keep them. We didn't lose any.

BTW, ASA requires a league account (at least the guy I dealt with did). I just piggy-backed off the our existing league account. I didn't even know we had one, but they looked it up in the computer and found our league and president. From that point I could order anything I needed.

There were some threads I read where people complained that they were too big for their kids (even though they are youth size). It wasn't a problem for us. Our kids were 11-12. Don't know how they would do for the younger kids. Might be a bit too big for 8 years olds.

-Gary

[Belebuch]

Thanks

[davecisar]

Everyone with a wrist band- all 25 kids have one
As soon as play is over, kids align in their positions
I verbally call out a 3 digit code that aligns with a play on their wrist coach
Our cadence is always the same- Shift down ready set go
If teams are jumping our cadence we run a "no play" which is a one of the plays on the band
The small bands can get 20 plays on it- 2 rows of 10
The large band can get 30 plays on it
We can verbally add formation and adjustments tags along with dummy calls of course

[jkoester]

I ordered a dozen off ebay for $60 shipped.  Don't even know what brand.  Single pane, youth.  Worked great.  Something like this:

 http://www.ebay.com/itm/12-Dozen-Football-Youth-Wrist-Coach-Store-Plays-Blk-/190414182049?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c5591d6a1#ht_1162wt_1064

I guess they're "Martin" brand.  Looks like for $10 more you can get a dozen 3 pane youth wrist coaches.

Heck, for $8.50 shipped I can get a single Martin 3 pane wrist coach.  Might just do that - I only have one of them right now, would love to have a second for the back up QB...

As for washing them - man, I can't figure out how you can wash them a couple of times a year.  Mine STANK after every game.  Just nasty.  I had to wash them every week.

Not to mention, I think I would have anyway just because of stuff like staph or MRSA.

[gn0rt0n]

As for washing them - man, I can't figure out how you can wash them a couple of times a year.  Mine STANK after every game.  Just nasty.  I had to wash them every week.

The smell is horrible. It needed to be done more frequently than I did.

Not to mention, I think I would have anyway just because of stuff like staph or MRSA.

Hmm. Hadn't thought about this one. Good point.

-Gary

[CoachGugs]

Dave-
Would you have the parents purchase those or would you supply them for the kids?

Thanks,

[davecisar]

We buy them
I have some that are about 9 years old
Weve got them from $3 to $5 each

[Belebuch]

Coach Dave,what brand and where?

[durfee4]

We get ours from USA Football,4 bucks. each ,3 pannel.

[davecisar]

Coach Dave,what brand and where?

All Sports America- the cheap ones $4
The local team store here Hauffs had an entire bin of them next to the cash register on closeout- I think they were Adams- for $3, I bought all the black ones- about 150 white ones were still there last time I was in

[CoachBrown]

I am considering getting wrist coaches for all the kids. Do you guys put all the plays on each wrist coach or do you specify what each kid does based on the play call?

[Belebuch]

Id give all kids the same with the playcall.

[mahonz]

Id give all kids the same with the playcall.

Just sayin'....

...if you go for it and give them all wrist coaches....watch what happens…..

You get home from practice Friday night…ready to relax….big game at 9am the next day….wife has a few honey do’s cuz you’ve put her on ignore and she is tired of it….

And then….Oh crap….you changed Pro Right Switch 25 Z Over Ricochet Omaha to.... Pro Right Switch 25 Z Over Ricochet Vegas and it’s the best play you have for the game and why you changed it.

You start printing and run out of Cyan ink….gotta go to Office Max and they close in ten minutes. Wife is rolling her eyes at you..arms folded and all. Edit the file and get to printing by 10pm and start laminating and forget to change 2 out of 12 wrist coaches from old to new because you are dealing with an upset wife that wont give you a minute...or 45 cuz she knows better. Don’t notice until the team is warming up the next day so you are inking over your mistake with a pen that has been in your coaches bag for a month and it writes like crap.

You also ran out of laminate material so you don’t laminate all of the AC’s revised coaches sheets for this game and its now drizzling…steadily. Then you find out your WR’s coach has actually been working off his revised coaches sheet that is three weeks old. His reads Pro Right Switch 25 Z Over Ricochet Denver....so he tells them...Denver is now Omaha...I mean Vegas....so pay attention. 

You lose the game because the receivers ran Denver…that is three weeks old…9 players ran Vegas and two ran nothing cuz their wrist coach reads like crap cuz your pen writes like crap....and its drizzling... steadily.

Yep….never again. Good luck to all of you no huddle wrist coach-nuts. 

That system can really suck.