“Football is like a big chess game. We’re trying to outsmart the other guy all the time. But the plays are only as good as the players. And, if you have decided, with the help of the computer what your players are good at, it is going to help you use them the best way”.

Tom Landry Nov 1982 Electronic Learning

It may come as a surprise to some that computers have been helping high school and college coaches build game plans for over 20 years. Starting with the early Apple II and IBM PC computers, what had previously been available only to larger colleges and professional teams began working its way into the high school and small college ranks. 

Innovative coaches, facing many obstacles, began to integrate the computer into their game planning processes during the mid 1980’s. Computers at that time were expensive, hard to use and often tucked away in computing labs. Software in general, and coaching software specifically, was often difficult to use, overpriced and prone to errors. Yet, as is frequently the case with “early adopters” of new technologies, many coaches found it well worth the effort and aggravation. These “pioneers” had found a new competitive edge, and with each passing season found new and better ways to use computers in their programs.

From Competitive Edge to Necessity

It did not take long, however for that which had been a competitive advantage to became a necessity. Coaches, competitive by nature, were quick to jump on the computer bandwagon. Improvements in computer hardware, software and usability along with declining prices resulted in the rapid adoption of computer scouting – giving coaches more data about their opponents in far less time than ever before. Defenses evolved from “read and react” to attack – as coordinators could “game plan” their defenders alignments and movements based on previous tendencies with a high probability of success. The availability of information made it possible for part of the “big chess game” to be played before the players even took the field – in the coaches offices and practice fields as game plans were being developed, practiced and refined for Game Day. 

Consider the following comment from a recent conversation with a college level Defensive Coordinator:

“Our players know what the opponent is going to do before they do, because we tell our guys that they are going to be playing the game (each day in practice), before they play it – and because of the information we have and the way we build our practices, they really do!”

The result of the rapid adoption of computer scouting of opponents, at all levels makes it highly likely that an Offensive or Defensive Coordinator knows his opponent “inside and out”. That being the case, it becomes very important a coach to “know himself” at least as well, and preferably better than his opponent “knows him”. 

This is an excerpt from an article published in American Football Monthly’s May 2001 Technology Edition.  This related article, written a short time later and entitled Know Thyself, appeared in NFL Insider magazine.