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OK, so yesterday I went to the NY Giants v LA Chargers game at Metlife stadium. It got me thinking about all these study tours coaches/players do over here in the off season and whether there is really anything that can be learned. Let me say this is my second game at Metlife and I have enjoyed every second of both games. Live they are so much better than on TV.
It is clear that NFL is a stats driven game (sound familiar) and given how the game is played that's not really surprising as they can analyse each play in real time and make big adjustments as they go. Of course having offensive and defensive teams means they can work on tactics on the sideline with different teams so seeing things unfold makes it easier. These are things you just can't do in league. The game is constantly moving and there isn't time to reset tactics. Still though our coaches get bound up in stats (which have a place, just not an overpowering one) and talk about possession, errors, completions and the like as though that is what the game is about. In NFL possession is everything. The more you have it the further you go upfield. In league it is about position, not possession.
It seems clear to me that there isn't a lot to be learned from NFL by our coaches in terms of these sorts of things. Yes their sports science and marketing are magnificent but our game is so different that we really need our coaches to move away from the whole NFL thing and stay focused on developing the tactics and strategies that relate to league.
It is clear that NFL is a stats driven game (sound familiar) and given how the game is played that's not really surprising as they can analyse each play in real time and make big adjustments as they go. Of course having offensive and defensive teams means they can work on tactics on the sideline with different teams so seeing things unfold makes it easier. These are things you just can't do in league. The game is constantly moving and there isn't time to reset tactics. Still though our coaches get bound up in stats (which have a place, just not an overpowering one) and talk about possession, errors, completions and the like as though that is what the game is about. In NFL possession is everything. The more you have it the further you go upfield. In league it is about position, not possession.
It seems clear to me that there isn't a lot to be learned from NFL by our coaches in terms of these sorts of things. Yes their sports science and marketing are magnificent but our game is so different that we really need our coaches to move away from the whole NFL thing and stay focused on developing the tactics and strategies that relate to league.