How to Call Plays as an Offensive Coordinator

Developing a personality

• 1

  The best offensive coordinators will try to build a versatile attack. Teams have to be successful through the air and on the ground, but there are coordinators who have the personnel for running the ball inside, running the ball outside, throwing the deep ball and being successful with the short game. It is okay for an offensive coordinator to excel in any one particular area. That is his "personality." Having one area of the game that he excels at teaching and implementing allows a team to feel confident when a particular play is called in a clutch situation. Most coordinators, particularly at the high-college and professional level, use the downfield passing game as their signature.

• 2

  The coordinator must truly understand the responsibilities of every player on the field. An offensive coordinator may have been a quarterback in his playing days, but he must understand the game from a running back, wide receiver or offensive lineman's perspective. When he brings a new play to the chalkboard, every player may have questions. Very few will get it right off the bat. The offensive coordinatior must be able to diagnose what each player is doing correctly and incorrectly and fix the mistakes on the spot.

• 3

  Don't be predictable. There is nothing worse at the high college and professional level than an offensive coordinator who gets branded with a label. It's one thing to build a team that likes to run the football, but if that's all a team can do, it's usually quite easy for the opponent to stop it. When Bill Parcells was head coach of the Giants, Patriots, Jets and Cowboys, he had a reputation as a conservative coach who liked to run the football. He knew his reputation and tried to play it up in the media. However, Parcells was anything but predictable in his team's playcalling. When it seemed like an obvious run situation, his teams threw the football. When it was an obvious pass, he often ran the ball. He was a counterpuncher and did a good job of defying the image he helped create in the media.

• 4

  An offensive coordinator must be flexible. If your top quarterback goes out with an injury, your passing game may not be what it had been. It is necessary at that point to adjust your thinking to take advantage of your talent. Your backup quarterback may be a bit quicker than your starter even though he does not have the arm strength. At that point it is best to employ some rollout passes that take advantage of his foot speed and ability to throw the short pass. Asking him to sit in the pocket and throw deep when he does not have those skills would not be fruitful.

• 5

  Know your opponent. Study film and videotape. Is a cornerback weak in his back pedal? Does a linebacker have a problem with crossing patterns? The only way to get these answers is to study film and come up with your answer. If you spot a weakness, devise a startategy that will take advantage of it.