Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-23


on that particular player and his
go, better equipped than the first
his opponent behaves on the field.
In line with this plan I care
fully pre-arrange the seating or
der of the substitutes, so that
those who play one position will be
grouped together and under in
structions to watch their particu-
lar predecessors rather than the
general play. I always keep the
substitute quarterbackS beside me
and discuss with them, as the play
proceeds, the merit or defect OF
strategy and tactics as exhibited
by the first string man.
I have been writing from the point
Of view of coach who has assistants
and need not attend in person to every
part Of the work OF course there are
Instances by the hundred in which one
man has to do all the coaching without
any help at all, and his job becomes
particularly difficult when he faces his
championship game.
Too Much for One Man.
No one man can possibly watch the
individual play of eleven men at the
same time closely enough to know when
any one of them is tired or weakening
or hurt, nor can one man criticize that
individual play intelligently later on.
All good players have or acquire q
sort of pluck which is admirable in it.
self but not always sensible or discreet
remember watching one game in which
q lineman played several minutes with
a broken shoulder, piece of heroiSm I
should hardly have credited If had
not seen it. Fine as the mans courage
was, he would have been far more use
full on the side lines, and he cost his
team so or so yards before his coach
became aware of the truth. That
coach, too, was a competent fellow, and
the incident shows how many things
one man would have to watch If he
should even try to rely on his unaided
powers of observation.
advise getting assistance from old
players, or friends who know the game,
or even substitutes themselves, in keep
ing a close individual watch on every
man on the field. not only to be in
formed of their physical condition but
to judge as far as may be their play and
its possibilities of improvement. Three
or four good men can easily watch the
individual play of the eleven, but no
one man should even attempt it.
During the first half I believe the
coach's job is chiefly to observe, through
his own eyes and others, and not to
NEEDLE with the leadership of the
eleven on the field. If you have not
managed to teach your quarterback and
captain to think for themselves your
team will be very apt to be beaten
before you can wig-wag orders to them
from the side lines, and will deserve it.
Such Intervention as may properly
fall to you concerns rather the relief
OF wearying players and the choice of
men to replace them, especially since
the adoption of the rules allowing a
player to leave the game and later re-
turn, which opens a very considerable
field for side line strategy often wholly
neglected.
A substitute going out on the field
must always be warned about reporting
to the officials and avoiding speech
with the other players until after a
play has been made. Even so there
win be enough instances of forgetful-
ness.
One thing a coach can and should
do Is to hold his own stop watch, or
better still, have one held for him by
somebody close by competent to do 1t,
as not everybody is. Knowing exactly
how the time stands is a heavy part
in side line strategy, especially in these
days OF quarter periods and the poSsi-
alf-Interval Valuable.
The 15-minute interval between halves
is pure gold for the coach who knows
how to use it, and a time of trouble
and defeat for the man who has fall
ed to realize its possibilities.
For five minutes after the whistle my
men have absolute and undisturbed rest
and quiet. No man gets near them
except the trainer, and not even in
trude on that interval. However good
their condition the strain on the nerves
Is enough to make this respite indis-
pensable.
Rightly used in this way five minutes
will At a Eeam to listen intelligently to
criticism and suggestion directed al
play, and to whatever emotional stimuli
lus seems advisable. These five minutes
of rest give the coach his opportunity
to get reports from the men who have
been detailed to watch individual play
so that when he does talk he can know
exactly what he ought to say and waste
no time beating about the bush. 1t
helps a team amazingly to discover
that their coach is fiendishly aware oil
minor happenings on the field, and they
play better after finding it out, every
time.
I know that some men have expert
nented with the alternative of keeping
the team on the field between the
halves, and although this has the one
advantage of making sure that they are
not breathing bad air I think it never
pays. The players will inevitably stiff
en-. They hear and see too much, be.
sides, and there is no doubt that they
miss the rest and relaxation which only
privacy and quiet provide.
copyright, 1929. by North American News