[Tease T Tickle]

Part of philosophy is making people think. So, here's an offensive "Golden Rules" set for football that I stole from Coach Hutchison on eTeamz. What I want if for you guys to dissect these and turn them into Martial Arts "Golden Rules." It's fairly easy, I think, but should still cause the gears to turn. Enjoy.

1. Force the defense to defend the entire field. NEVER allow a defense to crowd the line of scrimmage, stacking eight or ten men "in the box" because you are predictable in calling the run. NEVER allow the defense to flood the zones with extra defenders because you pass eight downs out of ten. The offense should attack ALL areas of the field and force the defenders to "stay at home" thus allowing the offensive coaches to create the basic two-on-one mismatches that lead to success for the offense.

2. Establish the Running Game: Force the defense to respect the running game, taking the teeth out of the pass rush, and you open up the passing attack.

3. Create a Mismatch at the point of attack: Design and run plays to outnumber the defense at the point of attack. Traps, Power Plays, Isolations, Leads, Options, Pick Passes, and a host of other plays can be used to create a situation where numerical or size mismatches can be exploited.

4. Minimize Mistakes: Turnovers and penalties are avoidable through sound practices and preparation. Few things in the game of football are as demoralizing as giving up a score while your offense is on the field. This momentum shift often changes the course of a game.

5. Physically Dominate the Defense: Being strong and physical on offense is not as important as it is on defense - it is MORE important. A dominant offense can break the other team down physically and mentally and control the ball AND the game.

6. Script the opening plays. The number of plays predetermined is not important, only that there is a set offensive game plan in place. These plays are usually a combination of the plays a particular offense has had success with and ones that are expected to produce results against a specific opponent. Using a script can also keep a team from getting "rattled" if the opening moments do not go as planned.

7. Improve the Offensive Line: The Offensive line is the heart of a good offense. Without a sound offensive line all other aspects of the offense collapse. An offensive lineman needs a combination of size, speed, strength, and, most importantly, intelligence. Regardless of how good the line play is, there is always room for improvement, and strengthening the offensive line play during the course of the season is key for post season success.

8. Take Chances: No guts, no glory! All teams find themselves behind at times, and in need of a quick score. It is necessary to practice the quick strike if a team wants to be capable of scoring quickly when the need is present. Throwing the Play Action Pass on first down 30-40% of the time is a good start (at least during the running of the script).

9. Be Disciplined. Know what it takes to be successful and prepare beforehand. Know specific responsibilities and duties and be sure to carry them out--especially when things are not going well, as this is when it is most important. Very rarely does an undisciplined, unconfident team have what it takes to overcome adverse conditions in an hostile environment. Players learn the necessary traits to overcome adversity in practice. Disciple can be rehearsed through substitution drills and special teams drills. Confidence can be gained through rigorous scrimmages and positive reinforcement.

10. Be Prepared. Staff and players should prepare for a specific opponent with a specific game plan. The coaching staff needs to scout the next opponent via proxy, video tape, or in person. Preparation for the next game begins at the final whistle of the previous one. There is no such animal as "game preparation." Game preparation is merely a reflection of the week's practice preparation.