Dumb Football Question (1 Viewer)

[Neil Beaufort Zod]

Okay, I might be the only one who doesn't understand this. When people say that teams "script" the first 15 plays (or whatever) does that mean that they run that scripted play no matter the down or distance? So if it's 3rd-and-inches, they might throw a bomb because that's in the script? If it's 3rd-and-13 they would run a draw because that's in the script?

It doesn't make sense to me that they would try to set the play before they even know the game circumstances, so I might have this confused. Can anyone explain?

I really do understand football...but this always confused me, and since it's close to Christmas I might get a better response by asking now.

 

[wannabee]

The scripting of plays is one way coaches try to see how a defense will react to similar plays later in the game. Say, a QB hands off to the RB and carries out a fake as though the play was a play-action-pass. And, in this scenario, the defense does not respect the play action. This helps give the offensive coordinator a way to exploit the defense. Same goes for reverses, or whether the safety bites on the run to set up play action pass for a post play.

One other way that these are useful is to look at alignment and assignments of the defenders given certain formations and man-in-motion plays. Also, sometimes the order of the script and later plays is a key factor.

Think of it as a way the offensive coordinator learns how the defense will react in certain circumstances.

 

[chris1969]

Also scripted plays have gotten more sophisticated and they have special seperated scripted plays for certain down and distances and game situations.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

When people say that teams "script" the first 15 plays (or whatever) does that mean that they run that scripted play no matter the down or distance?

No. There are 1st and 10 plays on the script, 2nd and short plays, 2nd and long plays, etc.

 

[Neil Beaufort Zod]

So it sounds like there are separate scripts for the downs and distances, and they want to see what the defense shows during those situations early in the game-- so they can exploit it later.

Thanks very much-- Happy Holidays everyone.