What do you do for conditining

Could you please go into more detail on your gassers. Is it just across the field and back as one? Or, is it to the hash, back, other hash, back, sideline back?
My last name is Clarke, and the kids have named our conditioning "Clarke sprints" because I am in charge of them. What we do is start them on the goalline, I blow the whistle and they sprint past me. As soon as they pass me they jog back to the goalline. I can start at any distance I decide, and I change it. I try to make it as game like as possible. Example: start on the five yardline, then back up to the 20, then to the 15, then break a long run to the 40, etc. If i feel that they are not going all out then I blow the whistle and start to run towards the other goalline. Remember they cannot stop until they pass me so if they don't go all out, then they have to run further. The sprint is a play in the game, it can be any distance. After the play they jog back to the huddle (goalline) and get ready for the next play. It simulates the type of activity of in game, and has worked real well for us, and it usually only takes 5-10 minutes.

There should be a variety of different types of conditioning. The most important aspect is getting players into shape to play a game. I was the conditioning coach as well as the defensive back coach on the high school team I coached and I used varying types of sprints. I'll list the drills I used and what they entail.

Varied length sprints:
Have the team line up on the goal line while the coach lines up a certain distance away, let's say 20 yards to start. On a whistle have the team sprint to the coach. then time out a 20 sec break and have them turn around and sprint back. change the distances to longer and shorter distance ranging from 10-60 yards, until you cover a total of about 500 yards. The total yardage distance can change depending on your preference.

DragonSlayers:
Team starts on one sideline and sprints to near hash, then back, then far hash, then back, then far sideline, then back. Have the linemen run separately from the skill position players. Have a set time for the players to finish in and time the length of rest between the the reps. The skill position players should have a faster time in which to run thier sprints in. Even if all of the linemen have not finished thier rep, if it is time to start the skill positions, start them. The linemen who are still running simply get less rest time. I haven't done this in two years so I don't quite remember the times I used. I think it was 45 sec for the skills and 60 for the linemen with a minute and a half of rest between each rep. To make sure you are getting the maximum effort out of your players, give them goals to reach. For example, tell them they have to run 5 of these, but if every player makes every sprint in time on the first 4, they're done. There are other ways to do it too.

Gassers:
Very similar to DragonSlayers, but it's just using the opposite sideline. I never did these and DragonSlayers in the same week. Too repetitive. Again, I don't remember the times I used, but they can be figured out fairly easily.

4 Corners:
Divide the team up by offensive positions, WR, RB, OL, QB/TE. Have each position start in a corner of the field. On a whistle, they all start running around the perimeter of the field. Like in the DragonSlayers and Gassers, there is a set time for them to get done and a set time or rest. The quicker they get done, the more time they have to rest. This is usually done in 4 reps, however, if the team is not working hard, add a fifth.

30 sec field run:
Line the team up on one goal line. On a whistle, they have 30 secs to get across to the opposite goal line. Immeadiately at the end of that 30 secs., they have another 30 secs to get back to the other goal line. Just keep this up for about 20-30 reps. This is for a light conditioning day. Just something to get the kinks out of the legs and get moving. Not real stressful and easy.

Up and Down Field:
Have the team start on one goal line. Start by standing 10 yards away. Have the team sprint to you. 30 secs. rest. The have them turn around and sprint back to the goal line. Back up 10 yards and repeat. Then back up 10 yards and repeat. Continue this process until you get 2 100 yard sprints in. Here it can be varied to either go back in the same 10 yard increments, increase to 20 yard increments, or you can be finished. That all depends on coaches choice.

The big thing in all of these is the rest timing. Be sure to keep very strict on that. It simulates the type of rest gotten in a game. While much of the running is longer than most game situations, it isn't like running a mile. It's still sprint work that conditions the legs and lungs to opporate in shorter bursts. They are longer than game situations b/c if you train for longer bursts, the shorter ones are easier. We were operating on a schedule of light conditioning mondays (mostly film review and scouting days), heavy conditioning on tuesday and wednesday (heavy hitting and full pads days), a light conditining on thursdays if the game was on saturday (light non contact practice days), and an easy jog for walkthrough days on either friday for saturday games or thursday for friday games.

Our team was never outconditioned and had fresh legs for the games using this type of rotation. Keep the conditioning varied so the body doesn't get used to it, too. Don't always use the same thing on the same days. I hope this helps some.

We do not have a true conditioning period. We will condition using other methods. We often use a defensive pursuit drill as conditioning. Some day we will use punt/kick-off coverage. On the offensive side fo the ball we will use perfect plays or two-minute drill. On Mondays(a non-pad day) we have everyone run posts, flags and fades. During the pre-season will will run a station agility drill which contains a great deal of running.

Some fun thinsg we do besides your traditional gassers and other running drills are:

Rabbit: Line the whole team up on the goal line in 6 lines then a coach blows whistle front 4 start running at 10 yards you yell a name and he has to tag 2 guys by the time they cross the next goal line or he has push ups. if your tagged you get 10 push ups. the 6 when they finish jog back and get in line. Watching the Lineman chase each other is hilarious.

Air Raid: Start on goaline in 10 lines Whistle starts as they run you blow the whistle they hit the deck get up and run as fast as they can. First one is done and he gets to go in. do it till whole team off field. takes 10 mins with 90 guys.

Spoke of Death: have them make 8 wheel spokes on their knees. Guy in the middle in each line on the whistle jumps up leep frogs back over his line runs around the circle in a any direction. As they pass each guy they deliver a shot. So you get some nice collisions (becareful to match up JV vs JV Varsity vs Varsity) when they get all they way around they leep frog back down their line and their are 7 footballs in the middle and they have to recover one. The guy with out a ball does push ups.

well what we do is very similar to what you all do but we emphasis doing it during the middle of practice for about 10 min. , this is called (M.P.C) middle of practice conditioning. just 2-3 days a week depending on how we feel in prepping for the week. what it consist's of one of these on mon. Tues. or wed. :

4 corners:
split the groups up into DB,WR,QB - RB,LB,TE - OLine - DLine, this is a timed drill usually we run about 4 to 5 around the perimeter of the field.

Simon says:
This drill is basically like Dragonslayer but there will be the same group pairings as 4 corners and then there is a coach stand in the middle of the field while everyone is on the sideline and the coach will yell out a combo of things like ; "far hash, back, far sideline, back" . usually 10-15 of these.

Build-up's:
these are basic striders starting from the 5 yard line to the 25 yards strides at 75% then build-up speed 100% from 35 to the 35 then stride from 35 to the 5 yard line. usually 5-10 of these.

Coach Cella -

Could you elaborate on the 24-period format? Sounds interesting.