How to Create a Play-Call Sheet

The QB School
22 Aug 202219:25
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRIn this engaging video, JT O'Sullivan, a former quarterback, dives into the intricacies of creating a personalized play calling sheet for football coaches. He shares his insights on structuring a playbook that is adaptable, simple, and user-friendly, emphasizing the importance of tailoring it to one's coaching style and team's needs. O'Sullivan discusses his own experience, highlighting the evolution of his play calling sheet over the years and the necessity of being able to quickly reference and adjust plays during games. He also touches on the use of technology, such as Excel and Just Play software, to streamline the process of creating and managing a playbook. The video concludes with a detailed look at a sample play calling sheet, offering viewers a glimpse into the strategic planning involved in football coaching.

Takeaways
  • πŸŽ“ **Patreon Community**: JT O'Sullivan has revamped the Quarterback School Patreon community, which is designed for individuals looking to take their football skills to the next level, offering an environment similar to an NFL quarterback room with in-depth analysis and discussions.
  • πŸ“š **Playbook Creation**: JT emphasizes the importance of creating a playbook that is simple and adaptable, tailored to the coach's system and level of play, rather than following a rigid template.
  • πŸ’‘ **Excel for Play Calling**: He personally prefers using Excel for creating a play calling sheet due to its flexibility, ease of use, and the ability to share and update the document in real-time.
  • πŸš€ **Adaptability is Key**: The play calling sheet should be adaptable and evolve with the team's needs, changing from practice to game day and being ready to adjust based on the opponent and game situation.
  • πŸ“ˆ **Use of Technology**: JT used software like Just Play to create visual aids for his playbook, which helped his players learn and understand plays more effectively.
  • πŸ“ **Personalization**: The play calling sheet should be personalized to the point where it acts as a cheat sheet for the coach, making it as useful and user-friendly as possible.
  • πŸ” **Detail Orientation**: Details such as color-coding, emojis, and specific indicators are used to quickly identify plays and concepts during a game.
  • πŸ“‹ **Simplicity in Design**: Despite the detailed content, the design of the play calling sheet should remain simple and clean to avoid overwhelming the coach or players.
  • 🀝 **Teamwork Offline**: Before the pandemic, JT avoided using a playbook, opting instead for in-person teaching to ensure simplicity and clarity in communication.
  • πŸ“± **Sideline Communication**: Effective sideline communication is crucial, with roles such as a personnel director assisting in coordinating and signaling plays.
  • 🏈 **Volume of Plays**: JT's playbook carries a high volume of plays suitable for the high school level, which requires careful curation and organization to be manageable during a game.
Q & A
  • What is the main topic of discussion in the video?

    -The main topic of discussion is creating your own play calling sheet for football, specifically for a high school level, and how to structure and adapt it to fit the needs of the team and the coach.

  • What is the QB School Patreon community?

    -The QB School Patreon community is a group of people aiming to take their football skills to the next level, offering an environment similar to an NFL quarterback room with deep dives into details and nuances about the quarterback position and high-level offense.

  • What is the JTO course mentioned in the script?

    -The JTO course is a framework for how the speaker, JT O'Sullivan, thinks offense can be run at the highest level. It is applicable to any level of football and is available for those interested in learning his approach to creating an offense.

  • Why did the speaker initially avoid using a playbook at the high school level?

    -The speaker initially avoided using a playbook because he wanted the system to be simple enough that it wouldn't be necessary. He preferred in-person teaching on the field and believed that a playbook could complicate things.

  • What software did the speaker use to create his playbook?

    -The speaker used JustPlay as the software to create his playbook, finding it to be a simple and clean way to create images that allowed his players to learn well and quickly.

  • What is the importance of the play calling sheet according to the speaker?

    -The play calling sheet is important as it needs to be adaptable, user-friendly, and able to evolve constantly. It should allow the coach to operate quickly and efficiently during games and practices, and it should be personalized to the coach's preferences and system.

  • How does the speaker organize his play calling sheet?

    -The speaker organizes his play calling sheet using Excel, with different columns for personnel, formations, concepts, and hashes. He uses color coding and emojis to indicate plays he likes or specific signals for different plays.

  • What is the significance of series openers in the speaker's offensive strategy?

    -Series openers are significant in the speaker's offensive strategy as they set the tone for the series and can influence the defense's preparation. He spends a lot of time planning and organizing these plays.

  • How does the speaker handle situational football in his play calling sheet?

    -The speaker has a dedicated section for situational football, such as red zone plays and fourth down plays. He structures these plays based on the field position and the specific situation to maximize effectiveness.

  • What advice does the speaker give for creating a play calling sheet?

    -The speaker advises making the play calling sheet your own, ensuring it is adaptable, and forgiving any mistakes. He emphasizes that it should be as easy to use as possible and that it should allow for quick operation during games.

  • What is included in the JTO course for those who enroll?

    -Enrolling in the JTO course provides access to every offensive game plan the speaker created at the high school level, including all notes and film cut-ups, to help learners understand how to call plays, structure offenses, and game plan effectively.

Outlines
00:00
πŸŽ“ Introduction to Play Calling and QB School Patreon

The video begins with an introduction by JT O'Sullivan, the host of the QB School, welcoming viewers and outlining the topic of creating a play calling sheet. He also mentions the revamped QB School Patreon community, which is a platform for individuals looking to enhance their football skills with in-depth analysis and discussions about the quarterback position. A question from Twitter by Bryce Bonner, a first-year coach in Georgia, prompts the discussion on creating a playbook or a call sheet for game days. JT shares his experience and offers advice on how to approach playbook creation, emphasizing the importance of simplicity and adaptability.

05:01
πŸ“š Playbook Creation and Adaptability

JT discusses the process of creating a playbook, particularly for high school level. He explains his preference for simplicity, aiming to avoid the need for a playbook by conducting in-person teaching. However, due to circumstances like the COVID-19 pandemic, he had to create a playbook using Just Play software. The video highlights the importance of creating a play calling sheet that is adaptable and user-friendly, tailored to the coach's system and needs. JT shares his personal experience using Excel to create a play sheet that evolves with the team's offense each year.

10:01
πŸ“‹ Play Calling Sheet Structure and Personalization

The video provides an in-depth look at the structure of a play calling sheet used by JT, including how he organized plays by personnel, formation, and concept. He emphasizes the need for the sheet to be personalized, with visual cues and indicators that make sense only to the coach. The video also covers the importance of sideline communication and procedure, especially when calling plays from the sideline. JT shares his approach to series openers and situational football, breaking down his thought process and how he prioritizes plays for different game situations.

15:02
🏈 Final Thoughts on Play Calling and JT's Offensive Framework Course

JT concludes with final thoughts on play calling, encouraging coaches to make their play calling sheets as adaptive as possible and to be forgiving of any mistakes. He stresses the importance of making the sheet a useful tool that can be changed as needed. The video ends with a promotion of JT's JTO course, which offers an offensive framework and includes every game plan he created at the high school level, providing a comprehensive resource for those interested in his approach to coaching football.

Mindmap
Keywords
πŸ’‘Play Calling Sheet
A play calling sheet is a strategic document used by coaches in American football to organize and communicate the plays that will be executed during a game. In the video, JT O'Sullivan discusses how he created his own play calling sheet, emphasizing its importance for game planning and in-game decision-making. He shares that the sheet needs to be adaptable and user-friendly, allowing for quick reference during fast-paced game situations.
πŸ’‘QB School Patreon Community
The QB School Patreon Community is a platform where individuals interested in advancing their knowledge of American football can join to gain access to in-depth content, similar to what would be discussed in an NFL quarterback room. In the script, JT O'Sullivan promotes this community as a resource for those looking to deeply understand the quarterback position and offensive strategies.
πŸ’‘Personnel
In American football, 'personnel' refers to the number and type of players on the field for a given play, particularly in terms of their positions (e.g., 11 personnel refers to one running back and four wide receivers). The script mentions that the play calling sheet was organized by personnel, which is crucial for structuring plays and adjusting strategies based on the composition of players on the field.
πŸ’‘Formation
A formation in football is the specific arrangement of players at the start of a play. Different formations can influence the type of play that will be run and how the defense will respond. The video script discusses how formations were categorized on the play calling sheet, which helped in planning and executing offensive plays during games.
πŸ’‘Concept
In football coaching, a 'concept' refers to a fundamental idea or strategy that underlies a group of plays. For example, a 'run concept' might involve different types of running plays designed to exploit specific defensive weaknesses. The script highlights that the play calling sheet was organized by concepts, which helped in streamlining the selection of plays during a game.
πŸ’‘Up-Tempo Offense
An up-tempo offense is a style of play in football where the offense attempts to snap the ball quickly, limiting the amount of time the defense has to substitute and reorganize. In the video, JT O'Sullivan mentions the capacity to be up-tempo as part of his offensive strategy, which is facilitated by the structure and clarity of the play calling sheet.
πŸ’‘Sideline Communication
Sideline communication is the exchange of information between coaches and players during the game, which is essential for executing plays effectively. The script emphasizes the importance of having a clear and practiced sideline procedure, which includes the role of an assistant coach as a 'personnel director' to communicate changes in strategy and personnel.
πŸ’‘Adaptability
Adaptability in the context of the video refers to the coach's ability to modify and adjust the play calling sheet and game plan in response to the evolving game situation. JT O'Sullivan stresses the importance of creating a play calling sheet that is adaptable, allowing for quick changes and adjustments to better suit the game's dynamics.
πŸ’‘Excel
Excel, a reference to the Microsoft Office spreadsheet program, is mentioned in the script as the tool JT O'Sullivan prefers for creating and managing his play calling sheet. He highlights its utility for organizing data, using pivot tables, and sharing the document with other coaches, making it a practical choice for this purpose.
πŸ’‘Situational Football
Situational football involves making strategic decisions based on the specific circumstances during a game, such as the score, time remaining, and field position. The script describes how the play calling sheet included sections for different game situations, like red zone plays and fourth down decisions, which are critical for a coach's strategic planning.
πŸ’‘JTO Course
The JTO Course, as mentioned in the video, is a football coaching course developed by JT O'Sullivan that provides an offensive framework for coaches at any level. It includes every offensive game plan he created at the high school level, along with notes and film cut-ups, offering deep insights into his play calling and game planning processes.
Highlights

JT O'Sullivan discusses creating a personalized play calling sheet for quarterbacks, emphasizing the importance of adaptability and simplicity.

He shares his experience of developing a playbook over time, influenced by his lifelong thinking about different structural approaches.

O'Sullivan mentions his course, the JTO, which is a framework for running offense at the highest level, applicable to any level of football.

He explains his preference for not using a playbook at the high school level to keep things simple, resorting to in-person teaching.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, O'Sullivan had to create a playbook using software, which he found to be a valuable tool for players to learn quickly.

The speaker details his process of creating a play calling sheet in Excel, highlighting its adaptability and ease of use for game planning.

O'Sullivan emphasizes the need for a clear sideline procedure and communication plan, especially when calling plays from the sideline.

He shares insights on how he categorized plays by color and used emojis as indicators to quickly find plays during a game.

The importance of series openers is discussed, as they are a critical part of the game plan and require significant attention from the play caller.

O'Sullivan provides a detailed look at his game plan template, including how he organized plays by personnel, formation, and concept.

He talks about the significance of situational football and how he structured his red zone and fourth down plays.

The speaker encourages making the play calling sheet your own, as it should be a useful tool that fits your personal style and system.

O'Sullivan stresses the importance of being forgiving with oneself and not striving for perfection in the playbook, as minor errors won't significantly impact the game.

He offers the JTO course, which includes every offensive game plan he created at the high school level, providing a comprehensive look at his play calling process.

The course aims to help coaches operate within a system that allows for a fast tempo, adaptability, and multiplicity, which are hallmarks of effective offenses.

O'Sullivan appreciates the question from Bryce Bonner and encourages continued engagement and learning from the community.

Transcripts
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