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COACHING NOTES |
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Clock management |
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Managing the clock effectively can be the difference between winning and losing games. Good teams can control the clock and use it to their advantage - knowing when and how to use it up and when to slow it down. |
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First some clock basics. The clock keeps ticking in American Football as long as the ball is 'live' and in play. If the ball goes dead or out of play the clock stops. An example of a dead ball is an incomplete pass. As soon as the ball hits the ground it is dead and the clock stops. A ball goes out of play when it is carried (or kicked) over the sideline or goal line. |
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So - if a receiver catches a pass inbounds and runs out of bounds the clock stops. Likewise if a running back runs out of bounds, the clock stops. But if the receiver or runner is tackled in the field of play - the clock keeps ticking. |
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An opposing team is far less likely to score if their offense is not on the field. So a good offense should try to run as much time off the clock as it can. This keeps the opposing defense on the field and tired (as defense is far more tiring than offense) and allows your defense to remain fresh. |
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An offense can eat up the clock in a few ways: |
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Run the ball as much as possible. |
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Running the ball eats up the clock quickly as the ball normally remains in play. There is also no risk of an incomplete pass stopping the clock. |
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Short passes |
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The clock keeps ticking for passes completed inbounds. Short, complete passes are therefore a good way to keep the clock running. |
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Use the play clock |
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The offensive team has 25 seconds (although this figure varies) after each play in which they must start the next one. If not they incur a 5 yard penalty. This time is spent in the huddle calling the play and lining up. To maximise use of the clock the quarterback should use as much of this time up as possible. |
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The main thing is to keep the ball in play and live. This means running backs and receivers should stay inbounds as much as possible. |
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An offense can slow the clock in a few ways: |
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Passing |
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Incomplete passes stop the clock. Passing is therefore a more time effective way of moving the ball (as opposed to a run up the middle for 1 yard). You either gain yardage or save time. When passes are completed the receiver should try his best to get out of bounds - even if that means sacrificing a few yards. This is why running is not generally effective in a hurry up situation as it is more difficult to get out of bounds. |
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Switch to a hurry up |
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A hurry up offense (or no huddle offense) cuts down on time between plays when the clock is ticking. Each play is run as soon as possible after the previous one. Normally audibles are used (where the play is called at the line of scrimmage). A hurry up also keeps a defense unbalanced and makes it hard for them to adjust. |
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Call time outs |
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A time out stops the clock and can be called at any time. Each team has 3 time outs per half so they must be used wisely. Time outs are normally called towards the end of the half/game where time is of the essence. Let the captains/coaches call the time outs as they are too valuable to waste!! |
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There are other ways in which the clock can be stopped. An injury to a player stops the clock. This led to players faking injuries towards the end of the game so now you are charged a time out if a player goes down inside the 2-minute warning. |
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Penalties stop the clock. This is a useful thing to remember. It may be worth your while giving up the penalty yards but stopping the clock. (But a game cannot end on a defensive penalty) |
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A game of American Football ends when the clock hits zero and the last play is finished - whichever happens last. So - if you get a play off with 1 second left on the clock, the game ends when the play ends. So - if it's the last play of the game and you're losing by a touchdown - keep that play alive as long as you can!! |
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