Building an effective run game takes more than calling plays—it requires a practice plan that develops players step by step. In this episode, Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain explain how to structure group run periods that bridge the gap between individual drills and full team sessions, helping coaches reinforce key techniques without overwhelming players.

You'll learn how to organize half-line, 9-on-9, inside run, and outside run periods, keep every drill aligned with your weekly practice focus, and script meaningful reps that translate directly to Friday night performance. Whether you're refining your practice schedule or looking to get more from every run period, this episode provides practical coaching strategies you can implement immediately.

• 5:31 — Progressing from one-on-one drills to live group run reps

• 9:47 — Chaining one-on-one games into a linebacker's full run fit

• 14:27 — Using half line periods to organize run drills

• 17:12 — Bird Walk drill for teaching run blocking landmarks

• 22:20 — Half line limitations and the eight-man football comparison

• 29:22 — Scripting group run periods with a play list

• 32:51 — Organizing nine v nine run periods

• 35:19 — Nine v nine practice plan progression and seven play scripting

• 47:35 — Coordinating weekly practice focus across position groups

• 50:49 — Aligning gap and zone scheme focus days with opponent tendencies

Understand how every successful group period begins with individual skills. Learn how to build drills that teach specific football problems before combining them into larger practice periods.

LISTEN: Individual Drill Periods for Skill Development https://www.joedanielfootball.com/blog/indy

Learn how to create drills that solve real game problems, progress naturally into group work, and reinforce the habits your players need during live football.

READ: Complete Guide to Coaching Football Drills that Win Games https://www.joedanielfootball.com/blog/coaching-football-drills

Learn how to structure every practice period around one coaching objective so your individual drills, group periods, and team sessions all reinforce the same skill.

DOWNLOAD: Perfect Practice Plan Template https://www.joedanielfootball.com/practice

Learn how to organize 9 on 9, half line, inside run, and outside run periods around the specific run concepts your team needs to improve, instead of running random plays.

LISTEN: 90 Minutes Means 90 Minutes: How to Make the Practice Plan Work https://www.joedanielfootball.com/blog/90-minute-football-practice-plan-tips

5. Build Your Run Game Through Repetition

Learn how to organize your core run concepts so players repeatedly see the same blocking schemes, timing, and reads throughout practice.

LISTEN: How to Design Run Plays That Get Big Yards https://www.joedanielfootball.com/blog/design-run-plays-big-yards

Learn how to carry individual techniques like key reads, block destruction, and run fits into group periods so defenders execute confidently during team sessions.

LISTEN: Build Your System Around Your Defensive Run Fits https://www.joedanielfootball.com/blog/defensive-run-fits-system

7. Build a Practice System That Gets Better Every Week

Learn how to evaluate each practice by whether your players improved at the day's focus, then adjust future practice plans based on those results instead of simply running more drills.

DOWNLOAD: Turnaround Guide https://www.joedanielfootball.com/turnaround-guide

Picking your starters for a football team is generally pretty easy. Whether you're a best-11 guy, have specialized positions for certain players, or fully two-platooned… those guys stand out and make decisions easily. However, once one guy goes down, the carousel begins. In this episode, Joe and Daniel go through talent evaluation, how to pick the best (and next best) player for each position, and how you can convince players to play a position that's new to them.

• 9:26 Using ASCA to evaluate positional talent
• 10:59 Identifying what skills a position really needs
• 14:49 Building a position rating rubric with five traits
• 17:20 Ranking players and filling the depth chart like a draft
• 29:51 Finding the best player for each position based on scheme
• 34:53 Managing two way players and fatigue on the depth chart
• 37:30 How depth chart substitutions actually work
• 57:47 Cross training positions for depth and flexibility
• 1:02:51 Convincing players to switch to a new position
• 1:05:37 How to sit a player down and explain a position change

Step 1: Start With Your Best 11 Build your depth chart around getting your best football players on the field, then determine where each player can contribute most within your system. Do not get locked into traditional position labels or ideal body types. READ: 4-2-5 Defense Positions: Fitting Your Personnel to Your Step 2: Define What Each Position Actually Requires Identify the three to five traits that matter most at each position based on the Alignment, Stance, Key Read and Assignment required in your system. Evaluate players based on their ability to execute those jobs instead of simply using size, speed or their previous position. LISTEN: From Confusion to Confidence: Getting Linebackers to Play Fast Step 3: Fit the System to the Players You Have Keep the foundation of your system intact while adjusting how individual players are used. Simplify assignments, change alignments and use personnel strategically rather than changing schemes because your roster does not match the ideal. LISTEN: Keep the Playbook, Fit the Defense to Your Players Step 4: Build the Real Game Day Depth Chart Your depth chart should reflect what will actually happen when a starter leaves the field. Identify universal backups, cross train players at related positions and know which players will move before simply inserting the listed second string player. LISTEN: We're Not Getting the Most Out of Our Talent Step 5: Give Players Transferable Responsibilities Teach principles that players can carry from one position to another. On defense, concepts such as spill, force, alley and stay in coverage give players a common framework that makes cross training and emergency substitutions easier. READ: Coach the Umbrella Principle to Get Perfect Run Fits for Your Defense Step 6: Build a System That Survives Personnel Changes Organize your defense around consistent principles, terminology and responsibilities so injuries, substitutions and changing personnel do not force you to rebuild what you do. DOWNLOAD: What You Need to Know to Build the Ultimate Defensive Football Coaching System Step 7: Get Players to Buy Into Their Best Role Explain how the new position gives the player an opportunity to contribute and why his abilities fit what the team needs. Players are more likely to accept a position change when they understand the job, see a path to playing time and know how their role contributes to the team. LISTEN: We Aren't Tough Enough to Win

The Wing T offense is designed to make defenders hesitate, overreact, and abandon their fundamentals—but the best defenses do exactly the opposite. In this episode, Joe Daniel explains how to build a defensive game plan that handles the Wing T without installing an entirely new defense, including key coaching points, film study strategies, and practical in-game adjustments that help your players play fast and stay disciplined.

Whether you face a traditional Wing T, Gun T, or modern pistol variation, you'll learn how to identify what the offense really wants to accomplish and defend it with sound principles instead of chasing every motion and formation.

Quarterback development goes far beyond throwing more passes. It starts with mastering mechanics, building consistent fundamentals, and creating practice habits that translate to game day. In this episode, Joe Daniel shares legendary coach Bill Mountjoy's quarterback teaching system, covering throwing mechanics, warm up routines, essential quarterback drills, and practical coaching points that help improve accuracy, consistency, and decision making without overcomplicating the position.

Quarterback development goes far beyond throwing more passes. It starts with mastering mechanics, building consistent fundamentals, and creating practice habits that translate to game day. In this episode, Joe Daniel shares legendary coach Bill Mountjoy's quarterback teaching system, covering throwing mechanics, warm up routines, essential quarterback drills, and practical coaching points that help improve accuracy, consistency, and decision making without overcomplicating the position.

Indy period is the one place where you as a non-head coach or coordinator get the most say. You can develop drills to best service the players in your own group. But, many of us forget how simple this should be and start looking to be internet all-star indy coaches.

In this episode Joe and Daniel discuss how to get the most out of practice planning your indy periods by planning your drills to have answers, organizing your periods to get the most out of your time, and building out your practices to progress skills.

Joe Daniel records a rare solo "episode zero" of the Football Coaching Podcast (nearly 15 years running) while co-host Daniel Chamberlain is away after the birth of his daughter. Joe previews the new Coaches Edge membership and monthly workshops (install plan in June, practice plans in July, in-season adjustments later) and then shares "21 things coaches disagree with," centered on "keep it simple" and that scheme is rarely the solution. Key points include: defenses boil down to even/odd and 7- vs 8-man fronts; numbers don't matter as much as run fits; defensive ends shouldn't be force players; a wide 5x5 force alignment; inside zone can work with smaller linemen; QB alignment doesn't define an offense; take Saturdays off and finish film by Sunday; 90-minute practices and five-day installs; the free safety is most important; avoid 4-3 for youth/small staffs; don't change systems yearly; avoid most training aids; don't print playbooks; average athletes can play press man; prioritize self-scout; wristband scout team; emphasize OL footwork; and minimize contact in individual drills.

You don't need more practice time. In fact, you're probably using too much right now if you're honest with yourself. Practice shouldn't be a thing that your coaches and players despise.

In this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain discuss the benefits of moving towards a 90-minute practice schedule. They talk through how to plan the practice with the new constraint, how you can get more in with efficiency, and the benefits of engaged players and coaches.

Your run fits are everything. Your run fits are everything. Your run fits are everything. Okay, you get the point. Your defense has to be built around your run fits. If you can't stop the run game, nothing else will matter.

On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss the Umbrella Run Fits System, how to teach it to your entire defense in 10 minutes, and how to fit any run play without changing your defense.

Your team's culture, your team's character, doing what's right, making great decisions… it all starts somewhere. It takes time to build, and to build it you need the right tools. The priorities pyramid is that tool.

On this episode Joe and Daniel talk through what it means to build character, how the Priorities Pyramid helps, and how to teach your players to make decisions on the fly without outside help.

Your Week 1 Opponent may be a week away, or 12 weeks away, but it's never too early to start planning for them. As your working through your summer schedule, the 7-on-7s, Team Camps, Fall Install… It all should be guiding you to the same place, your Week 1 Game Plan.

On this episode Coaches Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain discuss preparing for your Week 1 Opponent by Beginning with the end in mind, building out your game plan for week 1, and practicing so your players can execute flawlessly in week 1.