How To Install Option On Me

Nicholas 

This is a tough and truly fair question to ask. How much freedom and reigns does a coach give their QB on the field to change the call or play. I believe you earn the trust and build the relationship to allow that kind of leadership on the field. I also feel that football IQ has to be a factor in allowing a QB to change the play call. A great athlete does not always mean a smart athlete and vice versa. I like the idea of allowing the QB to make a check call on the line of scrimmage because they see things that us coaches may not see on the field. The QB has to be able to justify their play call when they come back to the sideline. Discussing the numbers game helps a QB tremendously to see what they need to do from there. Once they make a change, they need to make sure that all, especially on the line, know the call. If the line does not know, it makes for a long game. As soon as the ball is snapped, the QB needs to make their read, which is typically the outside vert; they will then be able to make the wisest choice and increases the probability of a better outcome. Coming from an RPO offense the past two years, we gave much freedom to the QB to make the simpler choices for the QB. As they progress through the levels, they got more freedom to make check calls.





There are several pros and cons to allowing a QB to make check calls at the line. As stated earlier, the level of play has a factor in how much freedom is allowed. If we have a great Junior QB that can make the reads and follow through with their actions, they deserve and have earned the opportunity to make check calls. In my current program, we have a Sophomore that is more than capable and has confidence in the coaches to make the correct decision. Another factor that comes into play is the level of football IQ. I will not be as willing to allow a QB to make the calls on the line f they are showing trouble in their reads, coverages, and playbook. I have seen both ends of the spectrum for football IQ in QB's. Some are trained and put forth the effort to know the game on both sides and understand what is going on. Others are just gifted athletes who can throw the ball but can not make the reads. Another pro is that it shows the QB that you have faith and trust to make the correct call. This is essential in building leaders and critical thinking skills outside of football. I also like to have athlete leadership on the field. Players respond more to hearing it from their peers than they will from a coach, which is another avenue for my athletes to build that trait. Another pro is that they might see something that coaches do not. This is important because they can now change the call into a better scenario with a higher outcome than what was called from the coaches. Some cons that come to mind would be the fact that we are allowing a young adult to make calls for the entire side of the ball. They may not fully understand what is being asked of them, which may lead to bigger issues down the road. Great coaches know how to disguise their coverages and how to exploit an offense. Putting the pressure on a high schooler is tough and can be very daunting to their confidence. I instill much trust in my lineman to make the correct calls and to speak up when things are not correct. The QB could also lose confidence in the rest of the offense if they make several wrong check calls in a game. Overall, I like the idea of options for the QB to make because it gives them opportunities to make smart and easy decisions that can lead to more down the road.