Football calls for many different strategies in a game. The
offense decides on a way to play and the defense does too. What
plays are chosen and what defensive formations to use are all
part of the coaching strategy.
The Head Coach decides
what type of offensive and defensive strategy to use. He looks at
the talent and type of players he has. If they have a good
quarterback they will probably pass more than run. If they have a
good runningback they will probably run more than pass. The
defense is determined by the size, speed and skill of the
defenders.
Once the style of play is determined the head coach works with the offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator on the plays they will run.
Offensive styles vary from team to team. Some teams, like the Green Bay Packers, have a very elaborate offense. Other teams, like the Minnesota Vikings, have a deliberate style.
Defensive styles range from very aggressive teams, like the Pittsburgh Steelers, to teams who play it straight, like the Dallas Cowboys.
Select one of the strategies and see how they differ.
There are other factors in the game of football. Whether to go for it on fourth and one or kick, which play to run in certain situations and how to change to the flow of the game are all part of coaching strategy.
Many coaches are conservative and do not like to take many
chances during the game. Many feel that field position is very
important. If you can keep the opponent on their side of the
field and not move the ball much, coaches feel that the offense
will move the ball. Starting with the ball your own twenty yard
line (meaning you have 80 yards to go) make sit hard to score
consistently. On the other hand, when you get the ball on the 50
yard line, you can score without having to gain many yards. This
is known as a short field. These games with field position a big
struggle can become boring on the offensive side. Teams do not
want to make a mistake and run the ball more. They hope the
defense will stop the other team and get the ball back with good
field position. This is where special
teams comes into play.