film breakdown

Question
I would like to know how you procede to break down film (off/def)?

Answer
Mark -

Thanks for writing.  Well, I would love to be able to take you through all of the ins and outs of breaking down film, but unfortunately, it would take hours and hundreds of pages to properly describe in an e mail.  There are so many different factors to consider before we even would begin.  What are we looking for?  Offense or defense?  What offense / defense do we run?  What are the basic schemes on our team / our opponents team?  The basic questions are numerous.. But unless I had some real specifics, I cant really do too much in this area.

I can get you started however.  So consider the following when attempting to break down a football film.

1-  Decide beforehand, and stick with ONE area of concentration for that particular film session.  Coaches / players who try to figure everything out at once usually confuse themselves, and in turn dont concentrate as much on the reason they were watching in the first place.  

2-  Know the schemes and plays on YOUR team well enough to recognize what you are seeing on film.  If you dont know exactly what it is supposed to look like, how can you know if it is correct or incorrect? Its always a good idea to have a play book with you while watching, no matter if you are looking at your offense or defense.

3-  Take your time, and watch each play several times a piece.  Before each play, I write the down and distance, what the play call is, what the opponent is doing, etc. I then watch the play one time at full speed.  I take note of the result in general (+ 3 yards, TB lead iso left, etc).  I then rewind it and watch it several times more, keeping a close eye on a particular player or area (goes back to what I said earler.  Have an exact idea of what you are looking for / who you are studying on the film).  Do that as many times as needed until you have all the info you need to move on.  I would estimate that I watch each play 13-15 times before moving on.  And that is just for that one film session to get answers for the specific reason I am watching for.

4-  KEEP GOOD NOTES!  After a while, you will have seen so much film you wont be able to remember every detail off hand.  So keep your notes clean, clear, and detailed.  They will come in handy for other games, practices, or even when / if you play that same team again later / next year.  

Well, like I said, it is a huge answer.  And we havent even gotten into ANY specifics.. But I think if you know football, keep what I mentioned here in mind, and keep researching, you will get the hang of it after a while.  Dont get frusterated.. This takes A LOT OF WORK!  But it is by far the most important aspect of having a successful football team.

Best wishes

Coach Perl