Line Calls for Option Football

lOU,

YOU MEAN YOU CALL THESE AUDIBLY AT THE LOS AND THE OPPONENT DOESN'T CATCH ON IN SHORT ORDER? I AM NOT BEING CRITICAL HERE IN ANY WAY, JUST CAN'T IMAGINE ANY DC NOT BEING ABLE TO DECIPHER THAT REAL QUICK WHEN HIS KIDS COME TO THE LINE AND HE ASKS WHAT IS BEING CALLED OUT. I MEAN THEIR ARE NOT TOO MANY COACHES WHO DO NOT KNOW WHAT AN ACE, DEUCE OR TREY BLOCK IS, OR A BASE CALL. IN YOUR OWN MIND, HOW DO YOU ACCOUNT FOR IT NOT BEING PICKED UP ON? THANKS FOR YOUR REPLY IN ADVANCE.

Coach Easton

We've done the same thing with our O line. I agree with Lou, if our line can't block it then we don't deserve to win. The simpler the better.

My two cents for what its worth. Line calls are great for making kids accountable in practice and making them communicate with each other. We've always made our linemen make calls in practice so we as coaches know that they are communicating with each other. All of my good linemen have developed their own communication systems at times for use in the ball games, and they become pretty good at making dummy calls from time to time. Once they really know a blocking scheme they become pretty adept at communicating with each other without tipping off to the defense what they are doing.

Line calls to me are something to use in the very early part of the season to help make them accountable like plowboy said.
I like to make sure that the rules are so simple that no calls are needed. We do use some, but once we get into the year the kids change the names and take ownership, or don't even use them at all, unless there is something really funky. I just don't stress it after a certain point. Generally when I hear them making "chili" "bacon" or "male organ" calls, I know they know what they are doing and I can still see the results in practice and on film. Slants and stemming tend to make me not want to make calls at all in the running game.