Stop Calling Bad Plays in College Football 27
Every play you call is a choice. You're saying yes to that play. And no to every other play in your book. So when you burn a first down on a Halfback Toss with no pulling guards, that's on you. The game didn't beat you. Your play call did.
The fix is simple: cut low-percentage plays out of your rotation entirely. Not "use them less." Cut them. Gone.
A low-percentage play is one that rarely gets positive yards. Even when you execute it well. It's not about user error. The blocking is bad. The timing is off. The design leaves defenders unblocked. You could run it perfect and still get stuffed.
Stop calling those plays.
---What Counts as a Low-Percentage Play?
Here are specific plays that flag as low-percentage, the kind you should be cutting right now:
- Halfback Toss Split Zone (no pulling guards), anytime you see a HB Toss with no pulling guards, it's a bad play. The edge has no support. Don't call it.
- Halfback Zone Toss - same problem. Bad play. Cut it.
- Pitch Wide Receiver Reverse - looks fun. Best case you get one yard. That's not a play, that's a waste of a down.
- Fullback Fake Halfback Flip. Been in the game for years. Looks different on paper. But look at the blocking. You're leaving defenders unblocked by design. It doesn't work at a high rate. Ever.
- Any Halfback Counter - slow handoff. Really slow. You're handing your back the ball late while defenders are already in the backfield. If you want a run, call a better run.
- Tight End Screens, by the time you can even throw it, the window is gone. Low play action, bad timing, unplayable in most situations. Never call it again.
Why Does This Actually Matter?
You cannot afford to waste downs. First down. Second down. Third down. Every single one of those matters. And a bad play call burns one for nothing.
Most players aren't losing because of one big play. They're losing a down here, a down there. Going 3-and-out on a drive that should've moved the chains. That's where games get away from you. Not all at once, but play by play.
When you cut bad plays, you force yourself to call better plays. That's it. The constraint is the point.
How to Identify Your Own Low-Percentage Plays
The plays listed above are bad by design. But this tip isn't really about those specific plays. It's about the ones in your playbook that don't work for you.
Here's how to find them:
- Pay attention when a play feels slow. Slow handoffs, late throws, routes that take forever to develop. Those are red flags.
- Check the blocking before you snap. Count the defenders in the box. Now count your blockers. If guys are unblocked by design, that's a bad play.
- Track what happens when you call it. Did you get positive yards? Did you get stuffed? If you're calling a play and regularly getting nothing - that's data. Use it.
- Ask yourself: am I forcing this? If you have a "favorite" play you call even when it's not working. That's a problem. Attachment to a play costs you downs.
What to Do Instead
Replace bad plays with ones that consistently get positive yards for you. You don't need 40 plays in your head. You need fewer, better ones.
This connects directly to having a dominant run play or RPO from your passing formations. When you've got one reliable run concept, defenses have to respect it, and that opens everything else up. One good play beats five mediocre ones every time.
If you're running horizontal concepts like baby dots, routes 15 yards or shorter, attacking zone coverage, those work because the design is sound. The blocking is there. The math works in your favor. That's what a good play looks like.
Cut the plays that don't have that. Keep the ones that do.
Common Mistakes When Cutting Bad Plays
- Keeping bad plays "just in case." There is no just in case. If it's low-percentage, it's low-percentage in every situation.
- Blaming execution instead of the play. Some plays are bad by design, not because you ran them wrong. Know the difference.
- Cutting plays but replacing them with nothing. The goal isn't fewer plays. It's better plays. Fill the space with something that works.
- Holding onto plays that "work sometimes." Sometimes isn't good enough. You need plays that work at a high rate. Inconsistent plays waste downs just like bad ones do.
The Short Version
Every play call is a tradeoff. You pick that play. You gave up every other option. So make sure what you're picking is worth it.
Cut the Halfback Counters. Cut the TE screens. Cut the WR reverses. Cut whatever's in your playbook that consistently gets you nothing.
Then call better plays. That's the whole tip.