SCIFCA Summer Manual

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August 5, 2013 Volume 4, Issue 1 Southern California Interscholastic Football Coaches Association SCIFCA Summer Manual The Summer Manual Makes a Comeback Inside this issue: RAMBO 2-3 RAMBO

provided all member coaches with a Summer Manual essentially a publication of articles written by leading coaches in Southern California in preparation for the upcoming fall season.

1 August 5, 2013 Volume 4, Issue 1 Southern California Interscholastic Football Coaches Association SCIFCA Summer Manual The Summer Manual Makes a Comeback Inside this issue: RAMBO 2-3 RAMBO illustrations 4-6 Coaching Continuity 7-8 Dead Period 9 SCIFCA s 44th President 10 Since joining SCIFCA following the 2006 football season, I have heard at least 100 times that our organization once provided all member coaches with a Summer Manual essentially a publication of articles written by leading coaches in Southern California in preparation for the upcoming fall season. Over the last four or five years, the SCIFCA Board of Directors have discussed, formally and informally, the re-emergence of this great tradition. In our April meeting this year, the Board discussed, voted on, passed, and so approved, the comeback of the Summer Manual. This edition (which we are calling Volume 1, Issue 1 only because I could not find an old manual to include the proper volume and issue) includes a brief article on the Dead Period and how the change in school calendars and CIF calendar has affected the choices coaches make on when to give players this allimportant time off. In addition, Coach Big Lou Farrar offers a poignant article on the importance of continuity in high school coaching staffs, while recognizing the obvious challenges of such continuity in the current educational environment. We also have a great Special Teams article on the short yardage offense of San Diego El Camino s legendary coach Herb Meyer (pages 2-7). RAMBO is a must read! We hope you enjoy this edition of the SCIFCA Summer Manual! SCIFICA Membership Benefits: $1M Liability Insurance through Allied Membership in CCA SCIFCA Clinic dates are set SAVE THE DATE!!! 56th Annual Clinic January 24-25, 2014 SCIFCA All-star game currently in negotiations with UA and AzFCA Networking with some of America s greatest HS coaches! The 56th Annual SCIFCA Clinic is set for January 24-25, This year s clinic will be hosted by Roosevelt HS in Corona! Thanks to Coach Barille and his staff for accommodating this awesome event. Check the website for details and speakers.

2 P a ge 2 S CIFCA Summer Manua l V olume 4, I s s u e 1 Short Yardage and Goalline Offense = RAMBO After 18 years of outstanding success, this concept is worth checking out; ESPECIALLY if you are using a Spread Offense with very little short yardage capability. After listening to Grant Taeff s lecture Moving the Chains at the 1986 AFCA convention, we adopted his basic philosophy to develop the short yardage/goalline offense that we would use for the next 18 years. Our players named this part of our offense, RAMBO and to be part of this unit became a special feeling of PRIDE! The players who make up RAMBO on our freshman team, get t -shirts identifying them as members of RAMBO and the Pride begins. The RAMBO offensive unit has one objective to get a first down OR score (TD OR ex. pt.) It is treated as a Special Team - hand picked personnel; regardless of other position It is a THREE YARD offense 3 rd or 4 th and 3 yards or less to go It utilizes ONE formation - 2 tight end, I Power Right (see diag. 1a) Line splits are 6 inches Fullback and Wingback are 4 yards off the ball Tailback is 5 yards off the ball 4 Runs and 2 Play Action Passes ALL use the SAME blocking rules PERSONNEL: Tailback - MUST be hardnosed North-South runner; a dancer CAN- NOT play here! Fullback will NEVER touch the ball; agile, aggressive lead blocker Wingback an athlete; blocker, pass receiver, pitch man on option (left) Quarterback can be starter, but usually the backup (one year the RAMBO TB was our starting QB) Tight End best TE plays LEFT TE Offensive Line the 6 biggest, strongest, best FIRE OUT blockers who can keep their feet; Use OL, DL, LB, FB etc. Right TE position will NEVER touch the ball. BLOCKING RULES: (see diag. 1b, 2a, 2b & 2c) Center blocks the cylinder; NG, MLB, Middle Safety - no one there, backside LB Guards number 1 on the LOS Tackles number 2 on the LOS Ends number 3 on the LOS * Anytime standup player aligns ON the LOS he becomes the number to block Fullback he seeks out (on the run) first standup player outside MLB; vs. gap defense read the OG then the OT then the TE, may block #4 on the LOS Wingback plays to Right, read Corner for BLITZ threat; if he is up to come, block him if NO threat, double team with Fullback Plays to Left, swing and become Pitch man on Option; Safety valve on Pass Left TE - on BOTH Blast Option and Blast Pass, block #3 for 1001, 1002 and then RELEASE; on Option, block the corner on Pass, slip the CB and run corner route Encourage linemen to POINT & COUNT in order to communicate with teammates.plays: To the Right BLAST: Tailback follows the fullback starting at the RG and runs to daylight without making a violent cut find a crack and move the pile. (see diag. 3a & 3b)) WHAM: Tailback follows the fullback and reads block(s) on #3/#4 looking to drive upfield; ONLY take it outside IF wingback has blocked the corner (see diag. 4)

3 S CIFCA Summer Manua l V olume 4, I s s u e 1 P a ge 3 To the Left BLAST: same as to the right, Tailback follows fullback starting at LT. (see diag. 6a & 6b). BLAST OPTION: QB fake the BLAST handoff with good arm ride while TE is blocking #3, then attack #3 and read him for Pitch or Keep. (see diag. 7) BLAST PASS: QB fakes the BLAST handoff with arm ride and drops to read Left TE on corner route; if open NOW, throw IF NOT, look to Wingback swing for safety valve OR run. (see diag. 8) Our offensive line coach continually preached to the players on the line that this was real football one on one and going right after people. Depending on the defensive alignments the #2 man on the LOS still belonged to the OT he could be inside gap, inside shade, head up, outside shade, or outside gap and the OT had to know how to attack him try to knock him off the ball. We wanted to strike a blow and then keep our feet moving taking the defender whichever way he wanted to go, just get movement; naturally people tried to submarine us as well as slanting and looping. Our blockers just had to get on them and stay on them. The key to the success of RAMBO is keeping it simple same formation, same plays, same blocking rules and continual repetition. Over the years we had every team in our league try to run a version of RAMBO back at us, but none of them were willing to stay with it most often they would start adding other plays sweep, reverse etc. or go to right and left formation. Once you lose the simplicity, you lose the execution. Any situation in which we had a chance to make a first down, or to score, we called an opportunity if we converted (whether in one play or two) it was a success. Over the course of 18 years (1986 to 2003) we successfully converted on 698 of 808 opportunities, a success ratio of 86.4%, with 8 years above 90%! In our 1993 C. I. F. championship game we were 8 for 8 in converting -- 6 first downs (3 crucial ones, by inches) and 2 TDs. Our 18 year success was accomplished while running 996 plays for a total of 4609 yards, an average of Obviously, whenever our runner broke in a short yardage situation, it could result in a long run in a C. I. F. semi-final game our quarterback had a 98 yard TD off the option left. We had just stopped a drive on our 1 yard line; first down we ran a Blast Left and the defense attacked the ball with all 11 players, and on the next play - Blast Option - the defensive corner and safety over committed to the Blast fake which allowed our QB to break outside and was gone. Our successes compiled 459 first downs, 218 TDs and 21 two pt. conversions. Once the regular season began, the only time we would go full speed live on offense was to run RAMBO on Wednesday. Like many, we would script the plays to be run in unit and team periods. We usually had 4 live RAMBO plays in the middle of the script and another 4 inside the 10. Keeping it simple included snap count Down, Set, Hut-One; line fires out on Hut, center snaps on One. Obviously, when it was apparent that we were in a short yardage situation the head coach would sound off RAMBO which would be echoed by everyone on the sideline and the RAMBO personnel would run onto the field. Depending on the situation, we might huddle or we would go immediately to the LOS (HC would alert the QB). Plays would be signaled in from the sideline by the head coach. Since RAMBO was a Special Team and not really a part of our normal offense, it had it s own game plan and checklist for the press box spotter to communicate with the head coach. Obviously, we saw a large variety of defensive alignments and our basic approach was to attack 1) the structure and 2) personnel. Any time the alignment was totally balanced, we would attack to the right; if the alignment overshifted to our power side, we would attack to the left. Often, the first time we had a RAMBO play in a game, we would call Blast at the Line and the QB would make the direction call at the LOS based on defensive alignment. It goes without saying, whenever our pressbox spotter found a personnel mismatch we would attack it. A copy of our RAMBO offense can be purchased from Coaches Choice, which sells football books and instructional videos/ CDs at coaching clinics around the country. Anyone who has questions or wants clarification on any part of this article can contact the author Herb Meyer -at hmeyer338@sbcglobal.net Herb Meyer, retired Oceanside H.S El Camino H. S

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7 P a ge 7 S CIFCA Summer Manua l V olume 4, I s s u e 1 The Importance of Continuity in a High School Coaching Staff Big Lou Farrar The reasons for a high school to have a solid group of coaches on its campus year after year seems obvious to many people outside of the working group itself. But with the way society today is moving at a breakneck internet speed, it is almost impossible for a staff to stay together for very long. The phrases that I often hear are, we are taking our program in another direction, or, the coach is stepping down to spend more quality time with his family. There are many reasons why coaches leave the profession after five years or less. No one - not administrators, parents, student players, or The Blog people are willing to let coaching staffs work through their difficult times. Today each Head Coach is evaluated not only on every Friday night of the season, but for twelve months of the year. High school football has become a year round job and each staff has to understand this from the beginning of being hired. I have been asked, what s the difference with your Staff or your Program? Really it s that tired old phrase, we are a Football Family. To be specific, we are three generations deep in our Football Family, from father to son to grandsons. I have been fortunate to have twenty people willing to make the commitment it takes to be a part of our football effort. Only nine of them are paid. The main contributing factor is, if you stay in the business long enough, you are bound to find enough crazy guys who love the game and the opportunity to work with kids. Ok, so forty-five years of coaching football is a long time for one old guy to stay in the business of coaching. I have stayed not because someone else couldn t do this job, but because of the opportunity we get as a staff of guys to help guide many young men and women in their struggles to just have someone listen to them, to help them figure out the many problems that teenagers face today. We want to prepare them to be able to handle life itself. What factors does it take to develop this continuity? First, it starts with the Head Coach and his group of assistant coaches. They all have to be willing to push together. It s a job today that requires working with the kids on the field and, more importantly, off the field, nearly every day. Heck, you have to recruit your own kids to stay home. With parents seeking extra travel ball coaches and fitness trainers and other enticements, kids are constantly having their heads filled with the idea of going someplace else to play. We know the best coaches are the best teachers, but with the way many school districts are going, the walk on coach who is not a part of a school s teaching staff becomes a very necessary part of any coaching staff. Second, if the staff can put together a plan to build a program on and execute it, then everyone has bought into the effort. Third, the Head Coach has to engage the community. Any sport and its participants need the help of everyone who can help make the workload a little easier. The fund raising activities of Booster Clubs and business sponsorships all build relationships that make the program stronger. You can t see them as problems. They are a part of the game as it today. Try to develop those relationships year round and not just during the season. Fourth, how you align your staff on each level, freshman, sophomores or junior varsity, and varsity probably is the most important factor in continuity. Lower level assignments are the hardest to fill and keep in a stable football program. All sound programs have a great freshman staff. They are usually made up of former players who are attending college or finished with their college careers and working towards their degrees. They are young and enthusiastic and help keep your program fresh. The hardest level to fill is the junior varsity. These coaches are constantly dealing with problems such as the kids who think they should be on the varsity or their parents who think they are better play callers than the coaches. This group of coaches needs to have a very thick skin to survive. Some of the greatest coaching you ll ever see is done with little or no talent on these teams. These guys keep kids happy and enjoying the game of football. The varsity staff should have each coach s responsibilities clearly defined. Today Head Coaches are more CEO than a play caller on offense or defense. Look at how the colleges have broken down their coaching assignments. They ve got more coaches than there are positions on the football team!

8 S CIFCA Summer Manua l V olume 4, I s s u e 1 P a ge 8 Recently I was watching and listening to an internet showing of an Urban Meyer clinic presentation and I heard him mention some of the important qualities in a great coaching staff. Stop. Ok, back in the day the only way a coach could have heard this presentation was to attend the clinic. Not anymore. With the responsibilities a coach has with his family, busy work schedules, and other demands on his time, most coaches can t get away for a weekend clinic without making some serious sacrifices. So some things have to change. It s my job as the Head Coach to read all the magazines, check all the s, go to all the clinics I can, so I can get the best information today about the changes going on in the football world. I print out articles and put them on their desks before practices. I forward them great s about different plays that were discussed in various coaching forums. I buy them DVDs from great college coaching staffs to help them with the development of making better practice plans and better drills to run each week. I try to keep their minds FRESH. We don t get lost in the same old routines day in, day out, week after week each season. The kids would go crazy if I didn t go first! I let coaches coach and have a big part in not only the day to day stuff but the Friday night game. I learned a long time ago, if you don t let them contribute, they don t stay around very long. I know for me and our current staff that has been together for twenty-three years, to keep pushing in the same direction we have to believe in our common goal. Adapt, change, get better, or go home. I have had to do it for more than five decades and it s kept me loving the game and it s kept our football family alive. Finally, maybe the continuity is just simply the staff traditions of coming together as a family. Some of our traditions include a barbecue and pictures before the season starts, pasta dinner for all coaches and family members the first weekend of the playoffs, and Saturday morning team breakfast buffets put on by the Boosters all through the season. Win or lose, we take our families to pizza and argue and laugh after each game before getting back to business on Saturday mornings. I guess it s all of these things put together. Good Luck. Lou Farrar Head Football Coach Charter Oak HS

9 S CIFCA Summer Manua l V olume 4, I s s u e 1 P a ge 9 Dead Period: When and Why? Until the late 1980s and early 1990s, Football Season in the CIF Southern Section began for all schools on the same day. It became a tradition for players and coaches to arrive on campus, in team shorts and half-shirts (remember those?) to run through a variety of agility drills jumping benches, running bleachers, push-ups and sit-ups in the stadium, etc. After three days of this, actual football practice began in full gear and with full contact usually with several 2-a-day (and sometimes 3-a-day) practices leading up to game week about three weeks later. The Dead Period was the same for everyone three weeks before this summer tradition, all schools were dead. Then came ZERO week. Coupled with the movement of first day of school to some time before Labor Day, 0 Week games created what many coaches felt was an unfair advantage for schools who could seemingly get more practice before competition. The result was the 25 practice opportunities rule, which has certainly leveled the playing field in Southern California. However, this also created a challenge with the traditional dead period, which suddenly did not work for those schools playing in 0 Week and/or who began school earlier than others. So the Dead Period Rule changed a school must take 21 consecutive days of Dead Period at some point beginning with the last day of school and ending with the three conditioning days which kick-off the fall season. So what is the BEST way to handle the Dead Period? This challenge is one faced by head coaches throughout the CIF Southern Section. With schools ending (and starting again) at such a variety of different dates, and football season beginning on different weekends for maybe half of our schools; the traditional dead period has become more of a burden than a benefit. It seems that the idea of a dead period is noble give players 21 days OFF of football. Let them rest, get away from football, and (hopefully) come back rejuvenated and ready for the long grind that is football season. However, is this really occurring for our players anymore? Since schools are not required to go dead for all sports at the same time, many multiple-sport athletes are in dead period all summer but unfortunately they are also NEVER in dead period. Furthermore, what are coaches to do? If we go dead early, our players miss the opportunity to be prepared for the competition of summer passing and linemen competitions. If we go dead late, coaches have the challenge of getting the players back into shape while also working to install schemes and team/program expectations. Take it in the middle and we have to start (and stop) our summer progress TWICE. In the end, I guess we all need to figure out what works best for our own individual programs and circumstances, but hopefully we always do this with the intent of Dead Period intact giving players a break from football for 21 consecutive days!

Southern California Interscholastic Football Coaches Association Find us on the web: www.scifca.weebly.com SCIFCA Board elects 44th President Be sure to Like us on Facebook!

10 Southern California Interscholastic Football Coaches Association Find us on the web: SCIFCA Board elects 44th President Be sure to Like us on Facebook! In our February meeting, the SCIFCA Board of directors voted to approve Bert Esposito (Paloma Valley) as the 44th President of our organization. Bert s vision for bringing SCIFCA into the 21st century is optimistic and aggressive. We look forward to the growth of SCIFCA throughout Bert s tenure!!! Among the many goals that Bert has for SCIFCA is a continued commitment to providing a great clinic and that is already underway. This year s SCIFCA Clinic will be held on January be sure to save the date!!!! Additionally, Bert is working to continue our involvement in the UnderArmour All-star game involving players from all of Southern California. Last year s game was played in January against Arizona at Riverside Community College and was aired on Fox Sports West. Negotiations for this year s game are currently underway. Finally, Bert knows that the strength of any organization is in its membership and he has already begun an aggressive campaign to spread the word about our great organization. Membership information can be found on our website ( Congratulations Bert, and we look forward to SCIFCA s growth under your leadership!!!

Football 101. Basic Functions of a Football Team

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