Football Game Plan Checklist

The game of football has often been compared to going to war. It's a game that's full of strategy and tactics. Most teams have playbooks that would rival novels in size and complexity. Therefore, having an adequate game plan is crucial in football. Many teams who have had superior talent have lost because they weren't as prepared as they should have been. That's why good football teams have a checklist for their game plan.

  1. Defensive strategy

    • The best way to control your opponents in football is to keep them off the scoreboard. The only way a team can effectively execute that idea is by having a solid defensive strategy that everyone on the team knows and understands. Sometimes teams can try so many different things in preparing for a game that some of the team's coaches or players may not have a clear idea of what strategy has been chosen. That's why the first thing on any game plan checklist should be to make sure the entire team and staff knows what the defensive strategy is. It's important for everyone to know just in case because of error or injury a player finds himself in a defensive role at the last moment. Also, if the offensive coaches know the defensive plan they will have a better idea how to plan their offensive execution.

    Special Teams

    • The next thing on any game day checklist should be the special teams. Special teams consist of the kick off team, the punting team, and the kick off and punt return teams. The reason the special teams are the second thing on the list is because they make the first play of the game. Whether the team wins or loses, the coin toss will determine which special team is used first. But either way, a special team unit will start the game. The teams should have a clear idea of what they will do when called upon and should also have no doubts about what their keys to the game are. For example, the kick off team should know the number and position of a player that they want to keep the ball away from. And for the punt return team they should know if it's more important for the returner to play it safe or to try and break tackles to make big plays. All of these questions must be answered and finalized before the game begins or the results can be disastrous.

    Injury Report and Depth Chart

    • Football is a game filled with injuries. The full contact nature of the sport leads most teams to have two or three players on the team waiting in reserve for each position on the field. This is why the game plan checklist must include getting a final assessment of the team's injuries and what the depth chart looks like. If the first string running back is still suffering from a sore ankle, the head coach, trainer and offensive staff need to be aware of this before the game begins. This way they know who will come in if the player is injured and know to keep an eye on the first string player's performance to see if the ankle is affecting his play. The depth chart is also crucial to check, simply because in doing so the coach and staff can alert players who are on the second or third team of what they should expect as far as playing time and assignments. The less confusion there is among the team and players on the field during the game, the better, and a great deal can be reduced by giving information before the game begins.