signaling plays for the no huddle

I'm not sure what you'd define as easy, but we just use different hand signals for the different plays. We only have 6 or seven plays, and most are check with me's, so we make a hand or arm gesture that corresponds to a particular play and the QB goes from there. We will use a dummy signaler and each coach will also use dummy signals. It's worked well for us.

Last season, we had a really good opposing LB that we had to face a second time. He looked over and watched us signal every play and never was able to pick up on what we were doing, even though we only used about 6 different plays.

I'll give you a very simple system that is virtually steal proof. Have the players wear a wristband with the plays listed and numbered. hold up 3 cards with numbers from the sideline. Two of the numbers are live and one is a decoy. Let's say you have your 10 plays listed on the wristband. You want to run the smash, for example, which you have listed number 7 on the wristband. You might designate the first and third numbers to be live. You could hold up the numbers 0-3-7. The first and third numbers being live, the players would know to run play #7- the smash. You can change the live numbers from time to time if you think by some miracle the defense is signalling your signals. Trust me, they can't steal your signals using this method. The only way it might be possible is if the other team had a copy of your wristband. I got this method from Coach Fred Yancey at Briarwood Christian School in Birmingham, AL. They play alot of affluent, well-coached "Over the Mountain" schools from the Birmingham area, and he says they never have any trouble with anyone stealing their signs.

Coaches,

We use the wrist coach and it is the easiest thing. We've got 38 plays and 4 formations squeezed on it. Play is color and number coded. The code is not fool proof but is easy to understand by our guys (Color is formation, number is play - numbers called out have nothing to do with hole, back number, side, etc...). This was easier than trying to use hand and arm signals. Whether you use signals or wrist coaches, you have to rep it in practice w/ gamelike situations, or it is useless. We faced two teams that ran no-huddle, and they burned all of their timeouts trying to get the signal right. Why bother???

Coach G

PDOW,

How is your no huddle coming. We use it and the regular huddle intermittantley (spelling?). We usually go to the no huddle as we get rolling. Just like a boxer that strings combinations together. Sometimes, when we're really firing on all cylinders, we'll huddle 2 yards off of the ball, still use the wrist coaches to call a play away from their bench (usually a sweep reverse) and just when the defense trys to get a sub in, we break - get on the ball and run the play while the defense is in disarray. Guys trying to get on the field see the sweep and stop to pursue, then the reverse happens catching most of the defense either flat footed or going completely in the wrong direction. Seems to be working so far.

Just seeing how others are doing so far. Our program is Varsity 1-2; JV 3-0; Frosh 1-2. Have a real test this week; will keep you all posted.

Coach G

We use a wrestling flip score keeper. Has 4 numbers 0-9 with two colors. Use 1 as an indicator and change as needed. Our kids had 17 plays and we memorized them i.e. 2 is Off-Tackle, 3 Sweep etc. For two digit plays we used double digits i.e. 22. Use these for plays called less often. Teams all season thought they new our called plays, but never figured it out.

Our kids where 9-10. You can get more complicated with age.

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Originally posted by: gawntrail
Coaches,

We use the wrist coach and it is the easiest thing. We've got 38 plays and 4 formations squeezed on it. Play is color and number coded. The code is not fool proof but is easy to understand by our guys (Color is formation, number is play - numbers called out have nothing to do with hole, back number, side, etc...). This was easier than trying to use hand and arm signals. Whether you use signals or wrist coaches, you have to rep it in practice w/ gamelike situations, or it is useless. We faced two teams that ran no-huddle, and they burned all of their timeouts trying to get the signal right. Why bother???

Coach G

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Coach,

we also use a "color" system for our formations. Words like "doubles" or "trips" or "slot" or "pro" are NOT in our football language. So when we put our plays in the Wrist Band, the formation is communicated by the background of the excel entry. We have plays like Red 90 Mesh (which is trips right 90 mesh to us) and all that is on the wristband is 90 mesh with a red background.

Black = double slot
Grey = doubles
White = doubles invert (inside guys on the LOS)
Red = Trips Rt
Blue = Trips left
Orange = Overbalanced Right

We tag formations with the usual motions and shifts but the colors leave us plenty of room on the wristband to communicate the play ONLY. you can email me and show you an example of our wristband along with my coaching call sheet.

Thanks Coach.

I like the idea of passing the plays to a wide player, however we do have a formation where all receivers could be on the far side of the pitch and this may cause us a problem - but I think I will give it a go in practice this week.