Win the Football Field Position Battle and Kick the Crap Out of Your Opponent

I’ve got a confession to make. I like to win the football field position battle and have the opportunity to kick the crap out of the other team...

Yes, I believe in good sportsmanship, but let's tell it like it is. I want to win convincingly, you want to win convincingly and we both know your youth football players want to win convincingly.

Why else does Herm Edwards ask, "Why do we play the game? - To win!"

My favorite pro team is the Pittsburgh Steelers. When watching any other game, I want a close game won at the final whistle. But when watching my Steelers, I want them to employ their usual football offensive strategy: beat 'em up at the line of scrimmage, win the football field position wars, get a good lead, then pound the ball in the second half.

I feel the football field position theory is a great football offensive strategy for young kids such as youth football or high school players. Let's go over the reasons why.

I still remember reading about Knute Rockne's ideas regarding football field position when I was a kid. He felt it was an effective football strategy and divided the field up into five zones.

Whenever his team had the ball between its own goal line and the twenty yard line, he'd punt on first down. Between their own twenty and forty, he'd only run the ball and punt on second or third down. From his forty to the opposite forty yard line, he'd pass occasionally and punt on fourth down.

Between his opponent's forty and twenty, Rockne would try some trick plays and on fourth down, attempt a field goal. Once his team got inside the red zone, he'd employ any play he thought would get it into the endzone.

Knute Rockne's punting ideas may be a bit more timid than you want to be when deciding on your own football coaching strategy in regards to football field position. However, many coaches lean towards this ball control offensive thinking because if you keep the opposition backed up in their own end of the field consistently, mistakes are bound to happen.

Besides the high odds against successful eighty-yard drives for your opponent, if your football defensive strategy is to create pressure and turnovers, you should experience a short field for your offense two, three or more times in each contest.

Even a few good penalties or incompletions in their own end will force your opponent into punting situations that give your offense the ball at the fifty or better. Especially with the lack of strength most youth football punters possess.

If you want to play this kind of football field position game, invest your best players on the defensive side and spend a lot of time perfecting your kick coverage and return teams, field goal and, especially, punting teams. Employ a safe offense which emphasizes the power running game with a good deal of double-team blocks and trap plays.

Football is a game of inches and many times won by teams who can avoid the critical mistake. Play it safe with power offense, stay in the opposition's end while keeping their offense stuck there and more often than not, you'll come out ahead in the football field position battle.

I would be do you a disservice, however, if I didn't mention that there is one large drawback to this football strategy. There will be days when your team makes the mistakes and falls behind. Your ball-control offense is going to have a hard time playing catch-up. My friend, when this happens, you're in for a frustrating day.

I believe you need to have a few big plays and some explosiveness built into your offense for this very reason. I will go into more detail on this in an article in one of our future "Football Tips" Newsletter issues, so be on the look-out for it.

[END FOOTBALL FIELD POSITION ARTICLE]


Matt and Dave run http://www.football-plays-and-drills.com/field-position and have written the free coaching report, "5 Keys to Discovering the Successful Coach Inside You". Pick up your free copy along with one additional free report by sending a blank email to footballtips@aweber.com

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