Coaches from around the country give their tips and tricks to getting the most out of Sideline.
“In order for your athletes to get better, you need to practice. The same adage works for this system as well.”
Any benefits you get from Sideline during a game can be applied to the practice field as well. If your quarterback is routinely misreading the coverage, don’t wait until practice is over to make corrections. Simply pull him aside, show him a few clips and demonstrate how he can improve.
Formulate a Game Plan
Make sure you have your logistics down pat by the time game day rolls around. Figure out who is responsible for the hardware and what cameras should go where. Create the best game plan for your Sideline package.
Determine who will have access to the video during the game. Some coaches like to have an iPad to themselves, while others let their coordinators handle the video duties, reviewing with their respective side of the ball between drives. Another coach had two assistants marking important plays in the press box, then communicating with the coaches on the field.
Find your workflow, then practice it before the thick of the season to make sure all the kinks are ironed out.
Show Your Players
There’s no better way to help your players make adjustments than to show them what happened moments after it occurred. You may be accustomed to gathering your thoughts and discussing at halftime, but most coaches don’t want to wait that long. They have players review as soon as they step off the field.
“Every time they come off the field, we meet on the bench and talk about the defensive front and if there were any changes,” Don Weekly, head coach at Fort Myers High in Florida, said.
As impactful as it is to get immediate video feedback, try not to overwhelm your athletes. Their minds are already swimming with the emotions of the game, and they’ll likely be be unable to remember or process everything you tell them. Hit them with a few of your most important points to effectively get through to them.
“Avoid running a clinic,” Joseph Olivas of Troy High School in Overton, Calif., said. “There’s only so much a young mind can process between each series.”
Get Creative
The beauty of Sideline is the option to customize your workflow. We simply supply you with the hardware—how you use it from there is up to you.
So make it your own! We’ve seen coaches use all kinds of ways to switch things up and communicate effectively.
Defense using .@Hudl sideline during the playoffs.
The eye in the sky never lies. pic.twitter.com/tRQ9Qb1eQP
— Gladiator Football (@CCGladsFootball) November 12, 2016