The system
Five-day install
Each day adds to the one before it, and by the end of day two the offense can already run its base series.
- Day 1Assign roles from the testing. Harbor Right and Left. The cadence. Wall and Wrap. Nor’easter and Gale, the run and the pass that look like it.
- Day 2Tide motion and Riptide. Undertow. Seawall protection and Boardwalk. The offense now has all four answers from one look.
- Day 3Cape and Pier. Buoy and Jab. Wristbands and Cruise tempo.
- Day 4Jetty and Sound. Keel and Breaker. Four Winds and Slipway.
- Day 5Squall and Freeze tempo. The Storm check. Run a scripted scrimmage by situation, calling every play from a rolled strip.
What to chart every week. Success rate, where a play succeeds if it gains half the distance on first down, 70 percent on second down and all of it on third or fourth. Explosive plays, counted as runs of 10 or more yards and passes of 15 or more. The share of passes thrown off a run fake. The share of snaps with Tide motion. The number of rolls thrown out.
Common questions
Questions coaches ask.
How long does the install take?
Five days, each adding to the one before. By the end of day two the offense can already run its base series: Nor’easter and Gale, Tide motion and Riptide, Undertow, Seawall protection and Boardwalk.
What comes first?
Assigning roles from the testing, Harbor Right and Left, the cadence, Wall and Wrap, and the first run and the pass that looks like it. Day one is about the base look.
When do the short-yardage plays come in?
Day four: Jetty and Sound, Keel and Breaker, plus Four Winds and Slipway for the pass downs. Day three adds Cape and Pier, Buoy and Jab, wristbands and Cruise tempo.
How does the install end?
Day five adds Squall and Freeze tempo and the Storm check, then a scripted scrimmage by situation with every play called from a rolled strip, so the staff practises the call sheet as well as the plays.
What should we chart every week?
Success rate (half the distance on first down, 70 percent on second, all of it on third or fourth), explosive plays (runs of 10 or more, passes of 15 or more), the share of passes thrown off a run fake, the share of snaps with Tide motion, and the number of rolls thrown out.
Can a youth or sub-varsity team run this?
The install was written with that in mind: eleven plays, three words for the line, and nothing that needs live contact to teach. A sub-varsity team is also the lowest-risk place for a program to try the system for a season.