By Sam Nichols
Managing Editor
X&O Labs
Twitter: @SNicholsXOLabs

Introduction:

When we released our no huddle survey, it quickly became one of the most extensive to date. We surveyed over 1,000 coaches nationwide, from all levels of football, and found some incredible results that shed light on what works in no huddle systems and, more importantly, why it works. This special report will provide insight to even the most veteran of no huddle coaches while helping rookies as they look to get their own no huddle system off the ground.

In some ways, a report on the no huddle can be extremely broad. There are a myriad of angles from which we could research. In the end, we decided to follow our instincts and start where the research led us. That is to a very simple, yet layered question… Why run the no huddle?

We start here because it was a consistent thread in every interview that we conducted throughout this process. We heard countless times how important it was for the teams that run no huddle schemes to have an unwavering belief that adding the no huddle to their offensive system would help them reach their offensive and team goals. The coaches that responded to our survey gave us some insight into those goals by rating the importance of different potential reasons for implementing the no huddle.

Below are the results:

Here are a few things that we ascertained from this chart…

“Very Important” was the top response for each of the seven reasons given. This shows just how motivated coaches were to install these systems and how vital they saw them to helping their teams succeed.

The highest number of “Very Important” and “Somewhat Important” responses connects to the strategic advantage gained by a faster pace of play. This implies that while not all no huddle teams are moving at a breakneck speed, many of them at least want the option to do so if needed.

One of the top reasons that coaches choose to use the no huddle was because of its power to bring identity to their football program. Coaches told us how the no huddle and all that comes with it gave their kids and coaches more confidence and allowed them to create more excitement around their program.

Many teams went to the no huddle to simplify their communication and eliminate mistakes. To those who have not used no huddle schemes, this may seem counter intuitive. Hopefully the next section on Communication Systems Analysis will help clarify the simplicity argument.

While the vast majority of those surveyed spoke positively about their no huddle experience for the reasons above, they also cautioned that the transition to the no huddle should not be taken lightly. We were repeatedly told how important it is for the no huddle to become part of the team’s culture and identity for it to really have an impact. Coaches also stressed the need for the entire coaching staff to understand the impact of a no huddle tempos on the different parts of their game be it defense, special teams, or off-season preparation. Once everyone is on the same page, teams can then start to dig in to the different ways that they can install and operate their no huddle concept.

Production:

According to our research, no huddle offenses score more points than traditional huddle teams. One could argue that this would be the case regardless of any strategic advantages that are garnered by the no huddle. There also is a certain amount of scoring that increases because of increased opportunity. In other words, teams that run more offensive plays and have more offensive possessions have more chances to put points on the board. Many of the coaches we talked to in creating this report cited the desire to increase opportunities as a reason for their particular brand of no huddle.

One great example of this focus comes from Chuck Markiewicz the longtime head coach of Arundel High School (MD). When asked about his no huddle scheme Coach Markiewicz explained that…

“Over the years our off season evaluation told us that we averaged a touchdown for every 3 possessions, which averaged 36 points per game. This was roughly our average until 2005 when we made a conscious decision to find some ways add three more possessions per game to try and up our average to 42 points per game. The project became trying to add things that would enable us to find those 3 more possessions.

“We didn’t try to do this all in one year. Our goal was to try to add something every year, test out our theory to see if it held up and add more the next year. We feel like our ideas have some merit because since we started to implement the changes in 2005 we have averaged over 42 points per game. We are still actively engaged in trying to find are still ways to add more possessions.”

By Sam Nichols
Managing Editor
X&O Labs
Twitter: @SNicholsXOLabs

One buzz word that came up repeatedly in the surveys and interviews we conducted for this report was the word “tempo.”  Through that research, we found that this term has different layers of meaning to no huddle coaches depending on what they are trying to do.  Here is the working definition we derived from the research:

Tempo = a methodical approach to creating a strategic advantage for the offense by controlling the pace of play in a football game.

In short, “tempo” is more than just going fast.  It can mean doing slow at times, short spurts of speed, or even creating a rhythm for the defense so their increase comfort can be used against them.  It all comes back to the teams game plan and having the tools in place to take advantage of the defense through the pace of play.

Before we get into the different strategies that teams use to control the tempo, let’s take a look at the data.  Our research shows that 86% of schools are intentionally running multiple tempos in games with 36% using 3 or more tempos commonly.  In addition, coaches in our survey identified “creating a strategic advantage” and “forcing the defense to simplify” as the top two reasons for adopting the no huddle in the first place.  This shows just how important the concept of “tempo” is to no huddle teams.

One buzzword that came up repeatedly in the surveys and interviews we conducted for this report was the word “tempo.” Through our research, we found that this term has different layers of meaning to no huddle coaches depending on what they are trying to do. Here is the working definition we derived from the research:

Tempo = a methodical approach to creating a strategic advantage for the offense by controlling the pace of play in a football game.

In short, “tempo” is more than just going fast. It can mean going slow at times, short spurts of speed, or even creating a rhythm for the defense so their increase comfort can be used against them. It all comes back to the team’s game plan and having the tools in place to take advantage of the defense through the pace of play.

Before we get into the different strategy that teams use to control the tempo, let’s take a look at the data. Our research shows that 86% of schools are intentionally running multiple tempos in games with 36% using three or more tempos commonly. In addition, coaches in our survey identified “creating a strategic advantage” and “forcing the defense to simplify” as the top two reasons for adopting the no huddle in the first place. This shows just how important the concept of “tempo” is to no huddle teams.

One could argue that without utilizing some sort of “tempo” philosophy, a team might as well still be huddling. One coach we spoke two during the research process explained how his head coach was so slow calling the plays that they went from “no huddle” to “slow huddle” (minus the huddle of course). Unfortunately, that coach is not alone. We received many additional comments from coaches who felt that they were not able to really take advantage of the potential “tempo” advantages of the no huddle.

That is where studies like this are crucial. We have dedicated the next several pages of material to showing coaches how coaches around the country are managing “tempo” for their teams and ways that any coach can refine and implement those concepts today.

The Power of Tempo:

“Tempo” may not mean “fast,” but the coaches that participated in this study suggest that increased offensive speed sets up the team to change the tempo in different ways. In many cases, these coaches argued that the tempo was almost as important as the offensive scheme itself.

They would inevitably go on to list some, if not all, of the following advantages:

• Makes Conditioning a Factor: An increased speed that leads to a longer game rewards the team that is prepared physically for those extra reps. Teams can then use that concept as a motivator for their own players and create a culture of endurance.
• Ability to Read the Defense: Reading a defense isn’t just about x’s and o’s. It is also about their demeanor and their conditioning. Teams that have mastered the art of using tempo in games are always looking to see if the defense is getting tired, changing personnel, or getting too comfortable and then reacting with the appropriate tempo change to take advantage.
• Triple the Reps John Konecki from Crete-Monee High School (IL), said it best in our survey when he responded, “The secret sauce of the no huddle is the number of reps a team can run throughout a practice session.” Some coaches said they were literally getting three to four times the reps since eliminating the huddle. That not only creates better conditioned players, but it allows for a significant more opportunities to get better at what you do.
• Engagement and Excitement: The ability to engage the players in a practice and team philosophy can’t be underestimated. In our research, coaches mentioned repeatedly the positive impact that more reps in practice has had on team moral citing more reps for non-starters, faster pace, and shorter practices as the things that the players liked the most.
• Create Rhythm: Aaron Sauter, Northwest High School (IN): “We use tempos to get our primary playmakers active in the game from the beginning of the game. If we feel that going at a specific tempo will give us a significant advantage we will begin with that tempo to start the game. If we find that our playmakers are not getting in a rhythm during the game or if we do not gain an advantage, we will use the tempo that our team feels most comfortable working at regardless of opponent. A key advantage that we gain is th

By Sam Nichols
Managing Editor
X&O Labs
Twitter: @SNicholsXOLabs

This section of the No Huddle Study will focus on the different changes that can occur as part of implementing a no huddle system. It should be noted that many of the coaches we polled went out of their way to explain that their system of practicing the no huddle has been a journey. Like many things in life, these coaches experienced both pros and cons because of the switch. For most coaches, it has been a long process of discovering exactly how to make this all work best for their team. Fortunately for you, they were willing to share their experiences and resources with us as part of this special report to help coaches avoid some of the trial and error experience that many no huddle pioneers experienced.

Coaches that responded to our survey made one point exceedingly clear: Running the no huddle will change the way your practice forever. At the very least, the simple act of NOT huddling saves a significant amount of time that coaches can use in other ways to benefit their teams. That is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the impact of the no huddle on the way coaches run their practices.

So, we segmented our research into providing what we found where several differences in coaching in the no-huddle system.

Difference #1: New Definition of Coaching

Football, more than any other sport, requires all of the coaches on the field to be on the same page. That concept is even more true on no huddle teams that look to maximize the opportunity to change the way they practice. Unfortunately, many no huddle teams run into issues early in the installation process because they don’t properly prepare their coaches for the new way of practicing. The comments we received in our research suggest that coaches will be more successful in preparing their coaches if they focus on initial buy-in and stress “coaching on the run” from the start.

We repeatedly heard from coaches that if one coach isn’t on board with a fast practice, it will not work. That means it is even more important that the head coach and offensive coordinator make the expectations very clear early in the process that they expect everyone to coach in a very specific way. Of course, that is easier said than done, but coaches told us that they have been able to make even the most skeptical coaches fall in line.
Here are some ideas coaches suggested to help get the staff on the same page:

• Involve ALL Coaches In the Process: By bringing everyone into the conversation, the coaches will feel they are choosing to be part of the change as opposed to feeling forced.
• Start With the End In Mind: Instead of starting with the scheme (no huddle), start the conversations with the goals (ex: What are we trying to do? Score more points? Create more possessions?). From there you can set the goals and then work back to how that affects the way each individual coach practices.
• Hold Them Accountable: We all want accountability. Early in the process, coaches are likely to revert back to old practices, and this will happen quickly if not addressed. Maintain early, honest communication with your coaches to help them do what you are asking.

Coaching on the Run:

Perhaps the most important element in creating continuous reps and tempo in practice are the coaches’ willingness to “coach on the run.” No huddle “gurus” will tell you that if you ever stop practice for any reason you are costing your team reps. These experts suggest that coaching on the run is essential for a no huddle team to be successful.

The problem is that this idea is very difficult for some coaches to implement because it is very different than what they are used to. One coach shared that, “some of our older coaches had to get used to coaching on the fly because they were used to an hour of team time and running a play and talking about it for 5 minutes.”

Now this may be an exaggeration, but we all know what he is talking about. The issue is that a team can only practice as fast as its slowest coach so teams must have a clear plan if they are going to try to coach on the run.

Having said that, many coaches do feel it is necessary to stop practice to instruct players if necessary. According to our polling, 60% of coaches said that they do stop team periods to coach their players, a thought that makes other no huddle coaches cringe.

Team Periods:

By Sam Nichols

Managing Editor

X&O Labs

At its core, the no huddle is about streamlining communication. Each of the coaches that responded to our survey has their own twist on what works best to communicate with their entire team from the sideline. Sure there are some who are part of no huddle systems, but even within those teams you will find slight variations. Each was created as simply and effectively as possible to communicate the next play’s formation, direction, type, motion, and responsibilities to the players on the field.

From the outside these communication systems appear to be quite complicated and even random, but our research has shown the truth to be quite the contrary. The research shows that teams’ communication methods are often directly linked to the goals they have for their offense. For example, if a team is looking to maximize the impact of increasing tempo it would be focused on using the fastest method of communication. These teams are willing to give up complexity for speed. Another team might focus on communication methods that are more flexible so that they can attack the defense by checking the play at the line of scrimmage. Either way, they have made their system fit their needs.

As part of our survey, coaches were asked to categorize their communication system as one of four distinct types; hand signals, verbal relay, written, and visual.

Here are the raw results:

The results show that the overwhelming majority of coaches are using hand signals are their primary method communication. While these systems vary greatly, they have many concepts in common. These systems are discussed in much more detail in the following sections.

Primary Communication Methods:

As you can see from the above data, hand signals are the preferred choice by the vast majority of those surveyed. Further analysis shows that within this broad category, there are two distinct camps. One group of coaches uses hand or body signals for the players that tell them all of the information that they need for that play. The second group uses similar signals to point the players to information that they have on their wrist cards.

Before we get into the differences and advantages of these two approaches, it should be noted that both coaches on both sides of this argument provided strong and justifiable responses. On one side, countless comments stated how helpful the wrist cards are in making their team function and win. Still others argued that the cards slowed them down and caused more problems than they are worth. These differing opinions show just how important the individual team circumstances in determining the best communication approach. For that reason, we have set up the reviews of the individual signal systems to clearly lay out the pros and cons that coaches shared with us.

The Symbol System:

In contrast to the wrist card hand signal, the symbol system can be as complex as you want. Coaches are not restrained by a limited number of digits or colors in the spectrum, but only by his imagination in developing new signals. The signals that the team uses are unique to their team and, in most cases, have developed over time to fit the needs of the team. This approach is used by roughly 30% of teams including most collegiate programs we surveyed.

Since this system often carries many more signals than wrist card systems, coaches take great care to ensure that all of the players know the entire signal catalog.
Here are a few of the tactics that coaches suggested:

Symbol System “Musts”

1. Involving the players in the initial creation of the signals.
2. Teach the signals at lower levels (middle school and even youth levels).
3. Using signals exclusively during practice with no verbal reminders to reinforce the importance of comprehension.
4. Test players on the sidelines (in practice) on the signals.
5. Removing players from the field that do not know the signals. Reward those who do.

The detail associated with these signal systems makes them much more difficult to share in their entirety. With that said, a few coaches were willing share some of their rationale for their individual systems.

By Sam Nichols
Managing Editor
X&O Labs
Twitter: @SNicholsXOLabs

Throughout this research process, we were fortunate enough to talk to some great coaches from all over the country. Some of those coaches were willing to give us an even closer look at how they run the no huddle. In this case, you will find the following interviews:

• Pac 12 Offensive Coach: This no huddle veteran explains how his team’s culture is built around their no huddle philosophy.
• Phil Longo: Championship college coach explains the no huddle concepts that have made his teams successful at multiple stops.
• Joe Osovet: Veteran no huddle coach explains how his system helped increase their plays per game by 15 over the course of the 2012 season.
• Jason Thomas: This former Chip Kelly assistant outlines how he has taken his brand of no huddle to the high school ranks.
• Brian Tabatabai: Southern California coach outlines how the no huddle changed the culture of his football team and helped them break countless records in the process.

Each coach in this section has a unique perspective that I felt would help readers better understand how the no huddle can change the way a team operates.

Using Pre-Snap Tempo to Manipulate Defenses:

An Interview With Joe Osovet, Offensive Coordinator, Nassau Community College (NY)

Editor’s Note: Coach Osovet is serving his second stint as offensive coordinator at Nassau Community College in New York. Prior to coming back to Nassau, he served as the wide receiver coach at LIU-Post from 2010-11. This past season, Coach Osovet’s offense ranked 11th nationally averaging 40.8 points per game. His team also boasted two 1,000 yard rushers and a rushing offense that ranked 6th in the nation. X&O Labs’ Managing Editor Sam Nichols had the opportunity to talk with Coach Osovet about his no huddle system.

Sam Nichols (SN): Coach, thank you for taking the time to talk with us today. I know you have been successful with the no huddle for years now and we look forward to hearing some of the keys that you have found to make that happen year-to-year. So let’s start with this question…why do you stick with the no huddle?

Joe Osovet (JO): I think the biggest thing as I have been at different levels, be it D2, Junior College, whatever, is that the no huddle forces the defense so show their hand. Very rarely in a game are you going to be stuck in a bad play because you have so much time at the line to make the changes. The quarterback has more time to scan the field and get you in the right play and over time those seven and eight-yard runs add up and you bust those into 50 yard explosive plays in the second half. I think those factors combined are dangerous for an offense.

SN: I agree coach. The no huddle can be hard to stop if you aren’t prepared. Tempo is an important part of making that happen. Tell us how you use tempo to control the game offensively?

JO: First of all, just so you understand where we are coming from, you need to know that we are all hand signals. That said, anything that is a lot of verbiage we put it on the wrist card. We will take the card with those 10 to 12 plays and use it to keep us moving fast even if we want to run a more complicated play.

We keep it really simple with tempo. We use a snap variance cadence so predominantly have one snap count. From there, we will use a freeze cadence that gives us a chance to get out of something that we have called. That is sent in with the play as a code word. If we just want to get the defense on their heels, the center will signal to the QB he is ready by flashing his hand between his legs, the QB then says “Hut, Hut,” throw his hands up, and then look back at me.
What a lot of teams have started doing is they look back to their sideline and change the play as well during that time. To counter this, we have another code word that tells our guys to fake the look to the sideline and catch them looking over for a new play. We aren’t necessarily snapping the ball on one, two, or three. It is all based on the center and quarterback. The other thing we can do is use a few words to speed things up. The first word, “copy,” tells the players to get lined up in the same personnel and run the exact same play. If the defense adjust to that we have code words, like “Oregon” that mean flip it too the other side. The opposite play can be made in the prior to the previous play as well. When we do this, we can get it snapped in about seven seconds, as long as refs cooperate.
In the end, we think the combination of the same play quickly, the false cadence, and the freeze or “look” cadence is all we really need to adjust the tempo. We don’t have an “indy” or “nascar” call like some teams.

In creating this special report, we set out to make the most complete review of the no huddle to date. As part of that plan, we reached out to coaches across the country (and the world) and had them write about areas of the no huddle where they have a particular expertise.
Each of these reports is included in this case and they cover the following topics:

• Utilizing a Comprehensive “Check with Me” System: Jay Wilkinson, Offensive Coordinator, Broken Arrow High School (OK)
• Play-to-Play Mechanics of an Efficient No Huddle Offense: Matt Kerstetter, Offensive Coordinator, Trinity High School (FL)
• No Huddle Philosophy and How to Go Fast: Chuck Markiewicz, Head Coach, Arundel High School (MD)
• How to Coach On the Run: Dan Ellis, Head Coach, W.C. East High School (PA)
• Implementing a Communication System: Zach Harrod, Offensive Coordinator, Prague Lions (Czech Republic)

Utilizing a Comprehensive “Check With Me” System

By Jay Wilkinson, Offensive Coordinator, Broken Arrow High School (OK)

How many times have you reviewed film the day after the game and said that a play you called was dead before it started  because of the defensive look you got? The freeze and check with me methods are a way to eliminate dead play calls. We use the freeze and check with me methods to take a quick picture of how the defense is lining up and making the best play call we have versus that look. Some of our biggest plays have come from these methods.

On its most basic level, the “check with me” concept allows an offense to make the play call or change the play at the line of scrimmage. We have two different ways that we have this built into our offense.

Here is a more in-depth look at each concept:

Freeze Concept:

When using the freeze concept, we will signal in the formation and no play. The QB will go through the pre snap process and signal for the snap. If we don’t draw the defense off sides, then we will call a play from the sidelines. This allows us to look over the defense and call a play based on the look we are getting.

Check Concept:

The check starts with us calling a formation and a play and tag a check to it. The QB will dummy signal for the snap and look to the sidelines. If we like the play called, we will leave it on and the QB will call for the snap and run the play. If we don’t like the play we have called, we will tell the QB to erase it. He will then tell the team to look to the sidelines to get the new play and we will signal the new play and run it.
We prefer this method as opposed to the ‘fast as you can’ model because it helps us from running a play into a look we can’t be successful against. We do have some plays that we feel like we can run vs. any look. We include these plays in our fastest tempo mode.

Benefits:
We have found that checking at the line of scrimmage gives us many advantages. It allows us to look at the defense and call a play based on the look we are getting. For example, if it is 3rd and 7 and we don’t know if we are going to get base defense or coverage. We can freeze it, see how the defense is going to play us, then call a play that give us a chance to be successful. Similarly, if we want to run the zone at the 3-technique, we can call zone right and tag check. If the 3-technique is on the left, we can just flip the play.

Implementation:

Building either or both of these check concepts into your system is really just a matter of mechanics. We use our normal play calling as the base and build from here. Here is what our kids expect to see on a normal play:

1. Set personnel (if changing)
2. Signal formation
3. Signal play
4. QB will make sure everyone is set and then signal for the ball
5. Center will call snap count and snap the ball when he is ready