Virtual Reality in Football Training is Becoming a Reality

Stanford using VR to train QBs

http://vhil.stanford.edu/mm/2014/vr-football/

Virtual reality provides our players with more learning opportunities than we can provide on the field while keeping them safe from contact and collision. It uses a technology that is used to train surgeons and fighter pilots .  It’s packaged affordably for the high school level.  The possibilities with this are huge.  Players play faster when they understand and recognize, and this training platform works to accomplish just that.  EON Sports Virtual Reality has developed training software that brings a Madden-like atmosphere to life with 3D virtual reality.  Your player can put the headgear on and turn his head viewing the field and the play as if he was right in the game.  Research shows that people remember more by doing as opposed to simply watching something.  You as a coach should watch game film, but ask yourself, “Are my kids learning anything from the hours of gamefilm they watch?” Film is good.  Overdose of film isn’t.  Herman Ebbinghaus studied learning and found a direct correlation to repetition based on active recall (repetition).  unfortunately, we have a limited number of reps in practice, and team periods don’t always allow for us to get our back-ups proper repetition.  Additional repetition can be provided through the virtual reality technology in EON’s software called Sidekiq.

Posted on September 16, 2014

I have this software, and the capabilities and potential for coaching your players now and in the future are tremendous.  This is the safest way to get more repetitions thus allowing your players to become proficient and play fast.  You need to check this out!  EON Sports VR has improved on something that is already great and made it affordable for every program.

Gone are the days of trying to explain something 10 times before they get it right. Gone are the days of kids not watching or learning from game-film. Today your job just got a whole lot better.

SIDEKIQ, the only football training tool that puts your athletes in real live game action at realistic game speeds, is now compatible with HUDL.  Version 2 is now being launched and the biggest upgrade is the HUDL integration.

If you’d like to get started for $195 let us know. Contact Brendan Reilly.  Mention that you heard about it here.

brendan@eonreality.com

I will be sharing more innovations in coaching in my soon to be released book Coaching HD

QB accounts for 580 yards of offense in one game-find out how

Here’s a website you need to check out and a coach you need to follow.  Check out his iBook here. Follow Coach Gonzalez on twitter: @Dan_Gonzalez16

On Dan Gonzalez Football:

QB accounts for 580 yards of offense in one game-find out how

That’s not a typo – he threw for 400 and 5 TDs, and ran for another 180 (1 rushing TD) – all using concepts in this system!  This same player passed for right at 1000 yards all of last season. A.C.T.S.  has truly given definition to the offense, and allowed the coaching staff to be completely accountable to the player (instead of the player only being accountable to the coach)…read more

Win a free smartphone virtual reality simulator to train your QB:

http://eonsportsvr.com/giveaways/win-free-smartphone-simulator/?lucky=14

Quarterback Timing and the Scramble: Get the ball out like Peyton Manning and Scramble like Russell Wilson

Innovative football coaching resources: https://coachesedgetechnologies.com/store/

On USA Football:

Retired coach Bill Mountjoy recently shared these quotes on the quarterback scramble:

Sid Gillman said,  “Passing is timing.  It’s the ability to stand in there and take a chance on a beating by the pass rush until the right time comes to let go of the ball.  Nothing is important except releasing the ball at the right instance.  Therefore, accuracy means less than guts.”

Steve Spurrier on “scrambling” said, ”We don’t have that play!”

Bobby Bowden’s thought on “scrambling”:

The question is, “Do you have a drill for your quarterback as far as scrambling for receivers?”  et me tell you what we do.  That’s a good question right there, and if you throw a lot, it is very worth doing, practicing.  Did you want to know if we have a scramble drill to teach him how to scramble?  No we don’t because we don’t want our quarterbacks scrambling.  Let me tell you this…the guttiest thing in football is a quarterback who will take the ball back here and set and hold it right here and start to release it when a guy is fixing to drill him.

It’s hard to argue with the philosophy of Gillman, Spurrier, or Bowden.  On the other hand, it does happen, and it pays to have a plan when it does happen.  This can be handled in teaching different escapes points in the protection, as well as drilling it within different d[passing concepts after simulating a breakdown in either the routes or the protection.  For more on how to do this and the drills, see Get more out of your 7-on-7 drills.

Gillman, Spurrier, and Bowden stress the point of showing poise and composure, having eyes down field and working through the progression, and delivering the ball on time. It’s better to have a quarterback who can do this than the quarterback who can scramble and create.  The quarterback delivering the ball on time has benefits…read more

Read Bowden’s entire comment on scrambling:

Get Your #2 Quarterback Ready

The Ohio State Buckeyes are a prime example of why we must prepare all of the players on our depth chart.  The Buckeyes won a Big Ten Championship game, the semis-final play off game, and the National Championship with their third team quarterback.  They obviously did a great job coaching and preparing all of their players.

Most likely though, only a small percentage of high school teams went through this past season having given their second quarterback meaningful work. Part of our problem is in our mentality as coaches. We grow to trust and rely on our starter to the point that our second team quarterback becomes a clip board holder or play signaler. Those are important roles, but it is prudent to have that player prepared for live game situations. Even though it is mid-season, there are steps that can be taken now to prepare the second team quarterback for the future…read more.

My company, Coaches Edge Technologies is dedicated to providing in-depth coaching materials so that we can help build a better coach, a better, player, and a better team. Check out our website for cutting edge materials that can help you right now. https://coachesedgetechnologies.com

On AFM: Stress the Defense with Quarterback Power

Over the past four years, we have used some form of our power scheme with the quarterback as a runner. This has served as a play for us both with our starter in the game as well as part of a wildcat package.

Our initial use of it started as part of wildcat package when our starter’s style and skill set was more of a pro style drop back quarterback. While he was a capable as a runner, we saw his primary function as that of a distributer. His job was to get the ball out quickly, and when it was a run to be selling and setting up play action.

Our second team quarterback had the skill set of a runner, so we utilized wildcat packages to highlight and emphasize his abilities. We built his package around two different thought processes. First, we knew that because he was also a quarterback, we probably would not see cover zero. If we did, he was more than capable of hurting the defense with his passing ability. The video below emphasizes his ability as a passer. In this particularly game we used this exact set to run the ball the majority of the time, but in this play we protect and let him hurt the defense as a passer. The safeties filled tentatively after he showed what he could do as a passer, and opened up the run…more

Learn more about our offense in my iBook for the iPad & Mac 101+ Pro Style Pistol Offense Plays available here on the iBookstore.  It contains over 229 pieces of dynamic content including diagrams and over 30 minutes of game film.  The ideas shared can apply to any offense.

 

Power Read for a non-running quarterback

My former quarterback who is leaving to play his 5th season in Europe contacted me about the power read and asked if it would be possible to do it without running the quarterback by pitching to a receiver coming underneath the backside pulling guard.

He will serve as the quarterback and offensive coordinator for a team in Switzerland.  When he played for us we ran a little of the shovel option with power blocking, as well as a ton of zone read.  Because he is recovering from achilles surgery, he is trying to do less running this season.

If you are not familiar with the shovel option, it can be viewed below.

 

We actually toyed with this idea during the season, but actually never put it into the game plan.  The play is blocked exactly like power read, and the defensive end is stretched and the decision is made off of his reaction the same way.  However, instead of planting and getting up field on the keep, the quarterback pitches to the man underneath.  The diagram is below:

Looking at the play and seeing what we did in the few practice reps we gave it, the quarterback could really stretch the mesh on the defensive end, because he doesn’t have to run up inside.  It is somewhat safe as well because if there is any danger, he can shovel it into the ground.

The theory seems sound on this on play, but I have never run it in a game.  If you have tried this and have video, let me know.

Get my iBook 101+ Pro Style Pistol Offense Plays.  It provides concepts that can be utilized in any offense, not just the pistol. I have received some great feedback from coaches who adapted all or some of those ideas in 2013. Get 101+ PRO STYLE PISTOL OFFENSE PLAYS for your iPad or Mac from the iBookstore. 

On AFM: Key to Successful Power Read-QB/Sweeper Mesh

Having a week one bye has allowed me some extra time to watch both high school and college football for the last few weeks. A play that I’ve seen numerous times is the inverted veer or “power read.” It’s a play that puts major stress on the defense as it is an option play that can attack inside or outside. For teams that have an athlete at quarterback and some speed from either a receiver or tailback, this is a play that with practice and repetition can put some explosiveness in an offense.
In studying some game film of this play, the different scenarios of what can happen can be minimized. In setting up drills or practice reps, defenders can be controlled to give the offense a look at the possibilities that need to be taken into account. Film study also revealed some key coaching points to make this an effective play.

Read more here.

Interview on CoachXO.com

On this episode of The CoachXO Show I interview Keith Grabowski, Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach at Baldwin Wallace University.

Keith Grabowski

Coach Grabowski has been coaching football for over twenty seasons and has some amazing insight into many areas of the game. In today’s interview Coach Grabowski goes over:

Quarterback Development – an in depth look into what Quarterbacks should be learning at each level of the game from Youth Football, through Middle School to High School and beyond! This is a holistic view of the Quarterback position from the kids first snap, to senior night!
The Pistol Offense (For High School and College Football)
Using technology to teach football with an emphasis on the iBook multimedia format (video, text, audio and more!).

This interview is packed full of information that any coach can use, especially the discussion on developing Quarterbacks. Coach Grabowski really knows the Quarterback position inside and out…you don’t want to miss this!

Click here for the podcast.

On AFM: Coaching the big skills: QB, RB, TE

In my column in August 2012, I discussed the evolution of the modern tight end, gave examples of how a tight end or h-back could be utilized in a spread offense, and gave suggestions of how to begin integrating this position into your offense.
Read that article here.
We are constantly looking for ways to become more efficient in our practice and getting as much as we can out of our individual and group periods. We use different variations of periods and try to add components and skills as we see fit. One area in which we were able to do this was by incorporating our tight end and h-backs into our period which we normally worked quarterbacks and running backs together.
One drill we do each day is called “run timing.” Typically, the period we work this in is during a 5 minute block during extra point and field goal practice. We take our running backs and quarterbacks to midfield and work all of our footwork, mesh points, and aim points. The quarterbacks work on the specifics of carrying out their fakes…read more

Learn more about our pro style pistol offense in my iBook which can be purchased from your iPad here:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/101+-pro-style-pistol-offense/id611588645?mt=11

New on AFM – Maximizing Practice Time – Receivers/QB

Getting more from less – creating drills to maximize practice time – receivers/quarterbacks
We constantly look to find efficiency in how we drill and practice. After initial teaching and installation, our drills move from working single skills to working multiple skills in order to get the most from the time we have available. Even in situations where we are trying to fix a recurring problem we saw on film, we will work other skills within the remedy drill, though the emphasis will be on fixing the problem.
I’ve been filming practice since my first high school head coaching job in 2000. At the time we did not have an editing system, but we were able to pull film clips and show our players when needed. For the most part, that film was for the coaches to evaluate how well we were teaching and getting the execution we needed from our players. We were able to see where we still needed to improve and design our practices accordingly. Today’s technology allows us to do much more in terms of not only using that film and information with our coaching staff, but also allows our players to view video of practice even immediately after a play. Here is an example of what can be done on the field to give immediate feedback to players. I am positive that this type of use of technology that can be seen in the video below from the University of Nebraska will be something that continues to grow within coaching.

If you have an iPad available, filming some of your individuals drills and showing a player right there on the field can give him both the feedback and the instruction he needs to execute a skill properly. An injured player, student manager, or even you as the coach can target a player or two, or you can film a drill and show exactly what you are looking for during a water break. There are many possibilities of what can be done to improve performance with immediate feedback. This is something we will be incorporating in camp and throughout the 2003 season. I will be sure to report back on what we found to be valuable teaching methods.
One tool that each coach has is a basic drill record. This is a list of skills and accompanying drills that each position is required to perform in our offense. The skill list record gives our coaches a visual of what their individual position is required to perform, and the frequency with which they have practiced it. It allows them to see the last time the skill was worked. As the coach modifies or combines drills to work more of these skills, he can check off more boxes on the drill record….more on AFM

If you own an iPad, please check out my iBook, the first coaching resource of its kind,101+ Pro Style Pistol Offense Plays. This is a resource that has principles that can apply to any offense. You can get it from the iBookstore:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/101+-pro-style-pistol-offense/id611588645?mt=11