Where can I learn more about Xs and Os? (NFL)

[TheRover]

Tell him what to look for, maybe?

These bookstores - they has books. A lot of people don't know that they carry books.

Any of the Pro Football Prospectus books are a good start. Of course, footballoutsiders.com

There are a series of books called (Year) Coach of the Year Clinics Football Manual or something similar that have transcripts of speeches by coaches at some annual get together thingy. I've never read them, but they look awesome.

Bill Ansparger has a few books about coaching defense.

[WhoIam]

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I highly recommend "Edge NFL Matchup" which airs at odd times on espn during the season. They have coaches tape and coaches actually watch the show. Almost everything else on tv is crap, so you have to look to other avenues to learn.

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Doesn't NFL Network have a similar show where they explore some of the previous weeks' more interesting plays? Man, I miss the NFL Network.

[rafiki]

[ QUOTE ]
Tell him what to look for, maybe?

These bookstores - they has books. A lot of people don't know that they carry books.

Any of the Pro Football Prospectus books are a good start. Of course, footballoutsiders.com

There are a series of books called (Year) Coach of the Year Clinics Football Manual or something similar that have transcripts of speeches by coaches at some annual get together thingy. I've never read them, but they look awesome.

Bill Ansparger has a few books about coaching defense.

[/ QUOTE ]

Why limit it to a few ? The good thing about just going to the bookstore is that all football books are side by side. He can take as many off the shelf as he wants, and look at them himself like any smart adult could. The whole point was to suggest that the biggest wealth of knowledge is found at your local bookstore. I don;t have to do any hand holding beyond that, lol.

[onlinebeginner]

MADDEN

I'm not kidding at all

[PokerFink]

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I'm surprised no one said footballousiders.com yet

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FO is mostly innovative stats/numbers, but Mike Tanier writes a great weekly article there called Too Deep Zone that often breaks down strategy and diagrams plays. I've learned a lot from his articles.

[youtalkfunny]

OP: Don't educate yourself on this topic. Stay dumb. You'll be happier.

If your ignorant, it won't drive you batty when the slob on the next barstool screams at the tv, "He threw it right to the linebacker! There was no receiver anywhere near there! He's fixing this game!" You can just nod and agree with him, and not question why you go to places where your surrounded by idiots.

[gusmahler]

Football outsiders won't really teach the nuts and bolts of football. I also think that Football for Dummies (the one by Howie Long), was at a level less than what OP is looking for.

I like Bob Davie's series of articles for ESPN called Football 101. You can find them at
http://sports.espn.go.com/keyword/se...ource=l_navbar

Unfortunately, some of those articles are old and the images the articles linked to are broken.

[Needle77]

[ QUOTE ]
OP: Don't educate yourself on this topic. Stay dumb. You'll be happier.

If your ignorant, it won't drive you batty when the slob on the next barstool screams at the tv, "He threw it right to the linebacker! There was no receiver anywhere near there! He's fixing this game!" You can just nod and agree with him, and not question why you go to places where your surrounded by idiots.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is 100% correct. Ignorance is bliss when it comes to football.

[gusmahler]

[ QUOTE ]
I highly recommend "Edge NFL Matchup" which airs at odd times on espn during the season. They have coaches tape and coaches actually watch the show. Almost everything else on tv is crap, so you have to look to other avenues to learn.

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I'll second this. Best NFL show on TV by far. Last year it aired only once a week--Sunday morning at 3am Eastern. So I'd DVR it and watch it in place of the Fox or ESPN Sunday morning preview show.

[Kneel B4 Zod]

[ QUOTE ]
MADDEN

I'm not kidding at all

[/ QUOTE ]

Madden is seriously a good way to get an idea of formations and patterns, at least for offensive skill positions. that is, if you are interested in calling a play, and then replaying it over and over to see where each guy went.

it's kind of hard to see the DLine and LB's this way, and it won't really teach you anything about Oline play. defensive backfield play, in vanilla formations, isn't that difficult. it's the nickel and dime and 2-3-6 and exotic packages that are very difficult to learn unless you have a coach explain it to you.

LB play is very difficult, b/c so much of it is read based.

I never advanced beyond high school football, but I have at least some understanding of X's and 0's. but even as a player (unless you are the QB) you really don't know where everyone else on the field is doing. the lineman only know what the lineman are doing, the WR maybe only what he is doing, etc. as a corner I knew what the other dbacks were doing, and some of the LB's. if forced I could have probably told you what the dlineman were doing, but it's not something that really affects your responsibilities.

I would imagine this holds less true as you move up the levels. but even when Adalius signed with the Pats this year, he was lauded as "a guy who knew where everyone on the field was supposed to be on every play" which is a rarity for a non QB/ILB.

but anyways, it's far more complicated than any other sport I ever played. in basketball you really need to know where everyone else is, baseball it matters only a bit, etc