Coaching Football Technical and Tactical Skills - ASEP

Coaching Football Technical and Tactical Skills

by ASEP

NEW, 376 pages

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About Coaching Football Technical and Tactical Skills

As a coach, it is often cause for concern to see your athletes performing skills well in practice but struggling in the game. Coaching Football Technical and Tactical Skills focuses on the situational decisions players and coaches make that often determine the outcome of games. Written by the American Sport Education Program (ASEP) in conjunction with Rob Ash, the head football coach at Montana State University, this book allows players to gain valuable gamelike playing experience in practice by putting them in key tactical situations like the scramble, man-to-man and zone pass coverage, and onside kick.

Each skill is clearly described, and nearly 150 photos are used to further help you understand and implement the techniques in specific situations. Included are quick tips on how to detect and correct errors, cues athletes need to be aware of in various tactical situations, and key information your athletes need to know to make the appropriate decisions on the field. Skills are cross-referenced to show how they relate to each other and to enable you to plan practice situations quickly. Eight detailed practice plans incorporating gamelike situations and a season plan are included to help you get the most out of each practice.

Endorsed by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Coaching Football Technical and Tactical Skills serves as a companion resource for ASEP’s Coaching Football Technical and Tactical Skills online course, which, along with Coaching Principles and Sport First Aid courses and CPR certification, makes up the curriculum for ASEP’s Bronze Level coaching certification program. Numerous state high school associations, colleges and universities, national sport organizations, and national governing bodies of Olympic sports use the Bronze Level in whole or in part to qualify coaches. The Bronze Level prepares coaches for all aspects of coaching and is a recognized and respected credential for all who earn it.

About ASEP

Coaching Football Technical and Tactical Skills was written by the American Sport Education Program (ASEP) with the assistance of Rob Ash, head football coach at Drake University.

ASEP has been developing and delivering coaching education courses since 1981. As the nation's leading coaching education program, ASEP works with national, state, and local youth sport organizations to develop educational programs for coaches, officials, administrators, and parents. These programs incorporate ASEP's philosophy of “athletes first, winning second.”

Reviews of this book

"Coaches from all levels of football will benefit from reading Coaching Football Technical and Tactical Skills. The organization and the clarity of the book make it easy to read and practical in its use for football coaches. Rob Ash is a perfectionist and this book from ASEP is a true reflection of him and his approach to coaching football. As a college football coach I would highly recommend this book to my colleagues as well as to all football coaches who want to improve their expertise and their coaching skills."

Mel Tjeerdsma
Head Football Coach
Northwest Missouri State University
President of the American Football Coaches Association

"Coaching Football Technical and Tactical Skills is a must for all serious football coaches. Coach Rob Ash's expertise and experience shine through not only in the technical skills presented, but also in his detailed explanations of the tactics of football. Coaches will also receive invaluable lessons in practice planning. The photos and illustrations are outstanding and truly bring the concepts presented to life. This is an excellent resource for new and seasoned football coaches. As a former football coach who understands the need for football expertise, I am happy to endorse the work of Coach Ash and ASEP."

Grant Teaff
Executive Director
American Football Coaches Association

About American Football

American football, known in the United States as football, is a sport played between two teams of eleven. The objective of the game is to score points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. The ball can be advanced by running with it or throwing it to a teammate. Points can be scored by carrying the ball over the opponent's goal line, catching a pass thrown over that goal line, kicking the ball through the opponent's goal posts or tackling an opposing ball carrier in his own end zone.

In the United States, high school football, college football and professional football are played under slightly different rules. High school football is governed by the National Federation of State High School Associations, college football by the National Collegiate Athletic Association and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, while the major professional league is the NFL.

The sport is also played in Europe, Japan and Mexico. The International Federation of American Football acts as an international governing body for the sport. American football is closely related to Canadian football but with some differences in rules and the field.

Because the game stops after every down, giving teams a chance to call a new play, strategy plays a major role in football. Each team has a playbook of dozens to hundreds of plays. Ideally, each play is a scripted, strategically sound team-coordinated endeavor. Some plays are very safe; they are likely to get only a few yards. Other plays have the potential for long gains but at a greater risk of a loss of yardage or a turnover.

Generally speaking, rushing plays are less risky than passing plays. However, there are relatively safe passing plays and risky running plays. To deceive the other team, some passing plays are designed to resemble running plays and vice versa. These are referred to as play-action passes and draws, respectively. There are many trick or gadget plays, such as when a team lines up as if it intends to punt and then tries to run or pass for a first down. Such high-risk plays are a great thrill to the fans when they work. However, they can spell disaster if the opposing team realizes the deception and acts accordingly.

The defense also plans plays in response to expectations of what the offense will do. For example, a "blitz" (using linebackers or defensive backs to charge the quarterback) is often attempted when the team on defense expects a pass. A blitz makes downfield passing more difficult but exposes the defense to big gains if the offensive line stems the rush.

Many hours of preparation and strategizing, including film review by both players and coaches, go into the days between football games. This, along with the demanding physicality of football (see below), is why teams typically play at most one game per week.

Coaching Football Technical and Tactical Skills