Letter From the Editor: Offense vs. Defense: Keeping it Competitive

by: Rex Lardner
Editor American Football Monthly
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How about a spring game in which the defense gets points for turnovers, fourth down stops, and third and outs while the offense receives points for first downs and plays over 30 yards? Well Oklahoma did just that in their annual spring game.

“Having a scoring system that rewards the defense as well as the offense makes the game more competitive for all the players,” said Oklahoma’s Director of Football Operations, Matt McMillen. “Normally, teams play 1’s vs. 2’s and 2’s vs. 1’s and there are a million ways to make the game lopsided. But with a scoring system the defense has more incentive and each series is important.

“We’ve tweaked the scoring system over the last few years in order to make it more competitive. Our fans are now buying into it as well. We pass out a brochure which explains the spring game scoring system and our scoreboard updates the different ways to score. The game itself is one of the 15 spring practices you’re allowed so we want to make the most out of it.” Here’s OU’s complete scoring system:

As you go forward with summer practices and the start of fall camp, there are many applications of this scoring system for scrimmages. And the OU Offense beat the OU Defense, 53-30.

This issue of AFM focuses on speed and how you can improve it. Football Speed Specialist Dale Baskett answers questions about improving team speed. Two outstanding line coaches also talk about both O-Line and D-Line drills: Paul Alexander, O-Line Coach of the Cincinnati Bengals and Earl Lane, D-Line Coach for LSU – the top-ranked rushing defense in 2006. Mike Sewak, one of the gurus of the option offense, offers play action pass techniques from this unique offense. And J.T. Curtis, the second winningest active high school coach in the country, answers your questions in this month’s ‘AFM Subscribers Ask.’

We hope you enjoy this issue of AFM.

Respectfully,

Rex Lardner
Managing Editor
American Football Monthly
rlardner@lcclark.com
561-355-5068 (x 329)

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