From my experience, here are 21 ways to improve your offense:

#1 Spend more time preparing your PRACTICE each day than you do on your GAME.

Have a precise plan for WHAT you want to accomplish, and HOW you want to achieve
it. But remember, the WHY is always the most important thing. Spend off-season
hours with assistant coaches to plan your practices NOW, Start SMALL, add something
every day, and PERFECT one thing each day. Every day you add to your foundation.
Ignoring (or not seeing!) the small things WILL lead to your eventual demise. (There are
NO small things.)

#2 Coordinate game day communications BEFORE game day.

Working with 10 different Head Coaches and 8 additional offensive coordinators in 18

years I've found this area to be one of the TOP 3 PROBLEMS in game day production.
Who's talking and to whom? Why are you talking? What are you saying?
If you DO - better judgment, more accurate intel, clearer messages, better execution of
plan. If you DON'T- chaotic sidelines, unproductive halftime adjustments, misdirected
anger toward kids, and PANIC sets in!

#3 More formations, fewer plays. (And get creative)

More formations require more practice early in the year, but it forces defenses to think
quicker. Prepare more. Make more adjustments. Play a little slower with more base
defenses.... All which increase chances that the defense lines up wrong to their original
plan. The defense can't read tendencies as easy and may miss big play/trick play
coming. NOW ADD it to your arsenal of plays.

#4 Use some form of NO HUDDLE.

There are many ways to do No Huddle. Start with ONE way, and start YOUNG.
(as young as possible). Use a lightning- all-out attack. Freeze/check- all-out attack and
freeze. to check defensive alignment.
Bingo- After a big play, setup a predetermined attack play.
Geronimo- After a big loss, setup a pre-determined attack play to immediately reverse
momentum. (takes courage!)
Whirlwind- call 3 plays called in a row, already pre-determined.

#5 Be as multiple as possible, and keep it simple for your kids.

Make defenses stop the QB run game. If your QB just can't run, install a "Wildcat"
package. (Put your QB at wide receiver and a skill guy at QB- you can do this without
changing personnel).
Use multiple formations, shifts and motions as well as unbalanced look and quick hitting
pass game. Use your FULLBACK/H-back in multiple sets for multiple purposes.

#6 "Share the load" as an Offensive Coordinator

Set up situations for different assistant coaches to call a play. Have an assistant
prepared for a play call for third and short, and another assistant for third and long.
Insist they have a REASON for their play call.
Have all your offensive coaches work on this to better understand the offense and
prepare each week. Also, they can become "experts" at a certain down and distance.
And they need to "buy in" to what you're doing.

#7 Always use defensive leverage and numbers in the box to determine play calls.

Is the defense overplaying one side? (Go the other way). Are there 5, 6, 7, or 8 men in
the box? (5- RUN - 8-THROW, if 6 or 7, you have a decision to make).
In your preparation try to determine when you will see a "loose" or "packed" box based
on formation, down and distance, personnel and tendency. Then plan accordingly.
Be prepared with a run or pass for every play. Teams still ignore this and end up
working against the current.

#8 Make sure you have 5 plays that EVERYONE can run from ANY spot. (3 runs, 2
passes)

There are always times for emergencies, crazy substitutions, injuries, etc. Great to have
plays everyone knows.
This teaches kids the importance of teamwork, each position, execution and how to
learn as well as having fun.

#9 Identify YOUR core values, and build your offense/program with your values as the
FOUNDATION for everything you do.

Values like family, leadership, team first (chemistry), mental toughness, sacrifice,
serving others, having fun, kindness, maximum effort, high energy and tradition.
Don't just preach your values, live them! Hire coaches based on your values. Not based
on X's and O's.

#10 Don't hold on to your "special" plays.

Fire away! Especially in the first half be courageous with your play calling, concepts and
program. Many times, people leave "trick" plays unused.
Sometimes that's ok. (save them for later). But there is tremendous value in using them.
1. They can work.
2. They are exciting and fun for the kids.
3. Fosters the aggressive attitude you want.
4. A reputation for aggressive play calling is as important as being aggressive.

#11 Play some substitutes in the 1st and 2nd quarter when the issue is still undecided.
Continuously build your program by playing your “scout” or JV stars early in the game. It
rewards their weekly effort at practice and reinforces the team first/program first attitude.
It also builds confidence and trust the kids have in you. It creates more teachable
moments, and helps kids build confidence in themselves. Done correctly, you can give a
starter a quick breather, and give a young guy a shot.

#12 Find program “helpers” for technology and information, and USE it!
In 2013 IPads were allowed on the sideline. But less than 20% (approximately) are
using them. The National High School Federation NFHS said (paraphrasing) “there was
no way to police it, so we allowed it.” We will use it at practice, in the booth and on the
sideline. There are non-football teachers and students who may want to be involved.
Get them involved and helping you with technology!

#13 Invent ways to make everything at practice an exercise in competition.

“It’s not the X’s and O’s…Jimmies and Joes…” Jimmies and Joes take you so far, their
desire to compete together takes you farther. Teach your Jimmy’s and Joe’s it’s great to
compete, lead and dominate in practice and in games. This could be in conditioning…
1st and 10…Classroom…fundraising, everything! Create a “competition period.” Have a
special name for it. Raise the level of intensity!

#14 Teach your offense that the receivers are always LIVE.
Uncovered receiver? See it and Zip it! Use shifts and motions to uncover a receiver, or
to gain a favorable matchup, and exploit it. Run a route each time and then transition
into a run block, every time. This teaches receivers to look in at QB, and stay focused
and teaches QBs to check the defense for openings. You can capitalize on any mistake
the defense makes and reinforces an aggressive offense.

#15 Develop and use multiple methods for calling plays.

You can use signs, numbers, calls/words, pictures, or any combination thereof. We will
be using this multiple system this year. Let kids pick ’em!

#16 Make every ROUTE, RB takeoff, MOTION and RB path PERFECT.

Poorly run routes and motions look bad, and tip off what you’re doing. Eliminate them.
Make your WR coach responsible for these things from the very first practice. This takes
time at first, but you need to get the kids to understand the importance of full speed and
perfect routes. Break it down step-by-step if you have to and remember, you don’t have
to be a super athlete to run full speed or run a perfect route.

#17 Never add things in after Tuesday of game week. You’re supposed to get your plan
together on the weekend. You can throw stuff out as you need to. Install it and work on
it on Monday (lots of mistakes- that’s ok- don’t stop, don’t slow down). Make alterations
and work it HARD on Tuesday. On Wednesday execute it in every scenario possible
and decide what works best in certain situations for you. On Thursday work it CRISP
(no contact). Don’t walk through here. Perfect it against AIR. Waste NO TIME at
practice. Not a SINGLE MINUTE.

#18 Practice Red Zone offense MORE than anything else.

How many times have you seen offenses run plays in practice from their 20- or 30-yard
line for 30 minutes, and red zone for 5 minutes only once or twice a week? Ever see a
team do great between the 20’s, but then stall just short of the goal line? Where do most
teams fail? Where is pressure the greatest? Where are you closest to getting points?
Where are most games won or lost? —-INSIDE the RED ZONE! Sub a lot during
practice and compete! Want to see kids work hard? Put them on the goal line.

#19 HC’s and OC’s Check your ego – listen to your assistants.
Let’s face it, HC’s and OC’s worked hard to get where they are. But if you’re not getting
better, you are falling behind. AC’s – Embrace your position, whatever it is. Be selfless.
Give your HC and OC everything you have and OC’s – You need your assistants to
know they have a say. Give it to them. Let them make a choice and own it. OC’s – Be
accountable and be responsible for what happens. Don’t blame the kids for your lack of
preparing them.

#20 Create RPO’s off your best run plays.

The explosion of RPO football is a natural evolution of the game. There are plays we all
run that we rely on, and that are unique to our programs. What are your best runs and
how can you get your receivers involved? RPO’s are great for your “Bingo” plays
mentioned earlier in the article. Ask your kids what they are most comfortable running?
Chances are they have already found a good RPO!

#21 Remember it’s about the “why”.

Why we coach football. Why we play the game. Why over 1,000,000 kids played high
school football last year. Why Fridays and Saturdays in the fall are the biggest days in
our state! Kids are natural BS detectors. They know if you’re sincere. Take care of your
kids’ physical, mental and emotional health. Why you do it will always be more
important than what you do or how you do it. With the challenges the sport faces today,
this may be the most important point to remember.