Bo's playsheet and UM coaches' headset audio recordings
Did y’all see during the Nebraska game the announcers put a screenshot of a Bo Schembechler playsheet? I'm posting it below. Coaches’ playsheets have always fascinated me. Filled with alien scribbles and odd codes, they are indecipherable to my amateur eye. So to all the MGoCoaches out there, can you interpret any of this gobbledygook?
On a related note, I noticed recently the resurfacing of an audio recording from Gary Moeller’s headset during the big Desmond Howard catch. It makes me wonder whether football historians could match up the headset audio with game film for interesting analysis. Are there hours and hours of headset recordings out there? Maybe a carefully tailored FOIA to the university could dislodge some. Would be pretty cool to listen to headset timed to play with old games, and maybe even with old coaches’ playsheets for added reference. It would be enlightening to have old players narrate old games and tell us everything that was really going on. Kind of like listening to a director’s commentary over movies.
.PNG)
September 26th, 2018 at 2:42 PM ^
This may not be completely right because each play calling system is a little different.
The 2 digit plays that you see in the far left column are run plays. Each player in the backfield is numbered so the QB is 1, FB is 2, RB is 3 in a single running back formation or if in the wishbone formation (or other multiple running back formations), the running back on the left is 3 and 4 would be the running back on the right.
The second number is the hole through which the run is supposed to go. Even go right and odd go left. 1 is between the center and LG, 3 is between the LG and LT, 5 is between the LT and TE and 7 would be outside the TE. 2,4,6,8 work the same way on the right side of the line. 0 is right up the centers back side.
So the first play in the column is 22/23. 22 is typically preceded by a formation and left or right call and then followed by the word dive or trap etc. So Wishbone Right 22 Dive is a fullback dive running through the hole made by the center and RG out of the wishbone formation. The "right" signifies where the TE lines up. So Right 22 Dive is run to the strong side. After the handoff, the QB and RBs may carry out an option fake.
Going further down the list to 46/47
Right 46 Lead toss would be the back on the right side of the wishbone formation getting a toss rather than a straight hand off and following the fullback (the lead blocker) through the 6 hole which would be to the strong side of the formation since the TE is on the right. Left 46 lead is run from to the weak side of the formation (side with no TE).
Left 47 Power (2 blockers through the hole) would be the running back on the right following both the FB and other running back through the 7 hole on the left.
A Left 37 Power G would mean that the backside G (in this case the RG) would pull and the running back would follow both the fullback and RG through the 7 hole.
A left 33 Power T (tackle) would mean that the backside Tackle pulls and is a lead blocker through the 3 hole
The 3 digit numbers in the next column are pass plays. The 3 digits signify the play action fake the QB and backs carry out and the protection scheme for the lineman to follow. The X, Y, and Z are for the receivers. X is typically for the outside receiver to the left. Z is typically the outside receiver to the right. Y is for the slot or TE. So on the play I Right 365 Z SMASH, the backs carry out a 36 play action to the right out of the I formation (making it look like 36 lead). The 5 signifies the protection scheme the line is running. My guess is a slide protection to the left in keeping with the odd and even numbers theme. And the Z receiver and TE run a smash route combo on the right side of the field.
Like I said, this may not be completely right but it gives you an idea of what some of this plays on the play sheet mean.
September 26th, 2018 at 5:27 PM ^
Thank you, Jmer! That is great info.
September 27th, 2018 at 12:30 AM ^
Jmer I played in a full house, power I offense and for the runs your description is EXACTLY how we called them. 36 power and blast 22G (left guard pulls thru 2 hole) were bread and butter plays. Our pass calls and protections were very dumbed down though. Every pass play had a unique name (like full house, power pass right or blast pass left) and had set assignments for everyone - routes, protections, and play action or rb blocking assignments were just built into that play/series. Occasionally assignments could be overridden like "no playaction" or "Y stay" to cancel the TE route and keep him in pass pro.
September 26th, 2018 at 2:42 PM ^
Speaking of heatsets, does anyone know why Harbaugh still uses wired instead of wireless? My best guess is that he's paranoid of the other team intercepting the wireless signal, even though they could presumably be scrambled.
September 26th, 2018 at 2:43 PM ^
A lot less can go wrong with wired.
September 26th, 2018 at 2:49 PM ^
If I remember correctly, a couple of years ago during a game his headset went out due to some issue. Ever since then he has used the wired one to make sure he can always communicate. My memory could be wrong.
September 26th, 2018 at 5:20 PM ^
I think it was his first game, at Utah, where there were enough issues that he since demanded a wired headset. I'm not fact-checking myself but it was definitely sometime in 2015
September 26th, 2018 at 2:51 PM ^
What Bando said. And sound quality is still better with a physical connection.
September 26th, 2018 at 2:50 PM ^
The article Jmer posted noted that coaches and universities would be reluctant to make this chatter public for several reasons. It may be very harsh on players, filled with curses, etc. That said, it seems to me that, assuming they exist, very old headset recordings would not involve current staff or players, and would not divulge football strategies. It would be cool if universities could occasionally release snippets of interesting plays or interesting chatter. Maybe my inner historian just thinks that this sort of stuff should be preserved.
September 26th, 2018 at 2:52 PM ^
Maybe release stuff after 40 years? Or after the coach is dead?
September 26th, 2018 at 4:05 PM ^
Not that hard to decipher..run, run, pass
September 26th, 2018 at 5:32 PM ^
I'm super interested in this, particularly the headsets. Reading the ESPN article posted above, and it's faaaaascinating. I would love to be plugged in and on the sideline just to observe the controlled chaos. The logistics seem interesting - after each play, the HC needs to communicate with his coordinators, talk to players, discuss injury/player status, and make calls all within 40 seconds. I would love to know who is on the "switchboard" and how it all works. When the offense is on the field, is the Defensive staff all shut off from the HC, and vice versa on defense? Who is listening vs able to speak up? Sounds stressful just writing it all down.
September 28th, 2018 at 1:17 AM ^
I believe the numbers on the far left are run plays and their compliments. For example, a 26 would be a run by the 2 back (HB or TB generally), through the 6 hole, which is the third gap to the right of center (basically an off tackle w/a pulling G and if there is a TE, he kicks out on the EMLOS aka end man on line of scrimmage).
Conversely, a 27 would be the same play to the other side, except in this case, the TE would probably block down on the DE as the 2 back goes through the 8 hole and the FB leads, giving the same play a different look and to the other side. If you look just below that run you see the 28 and 29 which is probably a sweep of some sort.
To the right of the run plays are the route combinations. For example, 366/376. The numbers are most likely based on a route tree that goes from 0 to 9 or 1 to 9. If I call a 366, one guy runs a 3 route, one runs a 6, etc.
The specific instructions next to the route combos refer to certain receivers on what could be an audible or just a wrinkle he wants to remember for the 2nd half or when the defense thinks they know what's coming, who knows? Bo knows. The X,Y,Z being the Main WR, 2nd WR, and slot or TE respectively.
I dont know what the hell that is to the right, but I believe the bottom part just lists situationals (3rd and short, GL), although Im not sure why he has replicas of the same plays down there. Maybe he wanted to sequence those situations a certain way beforehand so he's setting the defense up properly.
When you're calling plays, it's somewhat easy to lose sight of what your own tendencies are, or how obvious something may look from another's perspective, which is the whole point, to trick the opponent. Its not hard to call your favorite play when they think you're about to call your favorite play. So you write 4 3rd down sequences, and change some plays ever so slightly, and just be the better man on others, as they probably know what's coming.
I used to have to tally certain plays or times players touched the ball, simply because in the heat of battle, it's easy to overlook these small things, and they matter. Especially at the HS level or in Bo's day, before there were 1,000 GAs in the booth looking for the tiniest shit you can imagine.
Could be wrong about all of this, but I doubt it haha!