How to Study Game Film Like an NFL Player

Studying videotape of an upcoming opponent is a major part of an NFL player's job. The players who study best are often the players who last the longest in the league.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tape
• Tape
• Tape
• VCR
• Televisions

1. Grab a tape from your team's extensive video department. Typically, you'll have to ask the video director to make a tape for you or loan you one of the tapes designated for your position (for example, the running backs tape).

2. Load the tape into the machine and pick up the remote control.

3. Use the remote to improve your study. It has six buttons: play, slow forward, fast-forward, slow reverse, fast reverse and pause. Coaches use the pause button to get a close look at the precise moment of impact between two players, to determine whether a foot was out of bounds and to determine whether a player was offside. The camera doesn't lie.

4. Don't follow the ball. When you study game tape, you should watch the players you'll be competing against.

5. Learn to differentiate between distinct defensive fronts. Your blocking responsibilities will be determined by the alignment of the defense.

6. Learn to recognize a blitz when it's coming. Wide receivers may have to run "hot" routes (short routes designed to give the quarterback a quick outlet if he's in trouble) if a blitz occurs, and running backs may have to stay in the backfield and pick up the blitzing player. (See "How to Anticipate a Blitz Like an NFL Player.")

7. Watch the players who play opposite your position. If you're a lineman or a running back, watch the defensive linemen and linebackers. If you're a wide receiver, watch the defensive backs and the linebackers. If you're a quarterback, watch everybody.

8. Use film to learn a defensive lineman's favorite moves.

9. Develop your ability to read coverages. Quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers must all be able to tell the difference between different defensive backfield formations. These formations will determine what route each player should run and who will be the "hot" read versus a blitz.

Tips & Warnings

• Linemen have various moves you can watch for. They might like to swat your hands down, or grab both of your shoulder pads and push and pull, driving you like a steering wheel. They may employ the "dip and rip" - driving their left shoulder under your left arm, and then ripping upward, getting on your side and keeping you from getting both your hands solidly on them. Or they may prefer the "swat and swim" - grabbing your right shoulder with their left hand, and then pulling your shoulder down hard as they pinwheel their right arm up and over that same shoulder.
• Your position coach will teach you the alignments of different defensive fronts. Most NFL defenses run 4-3 fronts (four linemen and three linebackers), although there are many variations.
• Reading defensive and offensive fronts isn't a simple task. Imagine you're a fullback and your assignment on a particular running play is to block the strong side, or Sam, linebacker. He could be lined up anywhere: outside your tight end; head up on your tight end; splitting the difference between the tight end and the wide receiver; over a slot receiver; five yards deep across from the offensive tackle; or even standing on the sideline drinking Gatorade because the defense is running a nickel or dime package.

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[kirk81]

on 3/2/2009 I am a youth football coach and I want to get my hands on some defensive footage so I can work with my quarterbacks on reading the different defenses. Can anyone tell me where I can get this overhead or behind footage of defenses?Thanks

on 11/22/2005 With pencil and paper in hand, rate yourself on every play you're in, 5 being the best and 0 the worst. Once you're out or the game is over, count those numbers up and divide by the number of plays. If you're in the 4-5 range, you're great. If your total is anything below that, you'd better pick it up even more that week in practice to get the momentum you need.