“More and more coaches are kicking the old ‘K.I.S.S.’ principle to the curb and creating devastating offensive schemes trickled down from the top collegiate minds. The old ‘K.I.S.S.’ principle does not fit well with the rapid evolution of high school football.”  Mike Smith

I’m a strong believer in the rapid evolution of football in America. I truly believe that high school football is at the same preparation level collegiate football was at fifteen years ago, and collegiate football is where pro football was ten years ago.

High school football today is a twelve month proposition that uses preparation tools like never before. Today, top programs use extensive video, scouting software, summer camps, youth programs, seven-on-seven, year-round strength programs, Saturday practices and clinics. More and more coaches are kicking the old ‘K.I.S.S.’ principle to the curb and creating devastating offensive schemes trickled down from the top collegiate minds. The old ‘K.I.S.S.’ principle does not fit well with the rapid evolution of high school football.

The common principle of ‘K.I.S.S.’ stands for Keep It Simple, Stupid. The idea is that the simpler we make things for athletes, the greater their success level will be. Simplicity eliminates confusion amongst the players on gameday. Because of this simplicity, the players don’t necessarily have to think, but can react on autopilot – thus eliminating the mental aspect of the game and highlighting the physical. ‘K.I.S.S.’ also links itself with the necessary condition of a few simple core plays and formations.

It is my belief that by staying status-quo and committing to the ‘K.I.S.S.’ principle, a coaching staff would soon unravel in the modern era. Adhering to this philosophy allows coaches to put less time into evaluating their opponent, staying current on the latest trends, and creating winning schemes on gameday. If a loss occurs under the ‘K.I.S.S.’ principle, it becomes easy for a coach to say the kids just didn’t execute – but did the coach put them into a position to be successful? I believe that a simple offensive scheme designed for little confusion and tremendous success actually only produces confusion.

Today’s defensive coordinators love the simplistic offense. It allows them to create more extensive blitz packages, the offense becomes more predictable, and a comfort level is established.  Staying in a few formations with a few plays only invites more blitzing – and greater defensive preparation will actually cause greater confusion. The ‘K.I.S.S.’ principle establishes a sense of false security for players and coaches.

The modern high school offense must include several ingredients designed to keep the defense on its heels, take advantage of mismatches and put the team into a position of true success. The modern offense has these key aspects:

• It shifts the burden of success from the players to where it should belong – the coaches.

• It must be unpredictable.

• It has multiple formations.

• It includes an option threat.

• It uses motion.

• It has an audible system.

• It stretches the defense both vertically and horizontally.

This puts the offense into the position of dictator and provides the defense with less of a comfort level as well as reducing blitz tendencies. Offensive coordinators love it when a defense is forced to stay in a base set.  One modern offense that encompasses many of the key ingredients discussed above is ……..

Editor’s note: This is an except from an article that was written for Option Central by Coach Mike Smith.  Coach Smith, at the time of its publication was the Offensive Coordinator at Paola H.S., in Paola, Kansas. The article concludes with a discussion of what was, at the time, a  “modern offense”, but its concepts and principles, while they may be controversial, are nonetheless, “timeless”.