What’s the Best Way to Grade Your Players During the Course of the Season?

Gary Chilcoat, O-Line and Outside Linebackers Coach Deep Run High School, Glen Allen (VA) “I have used film grades in the past, but they are so time consuming that you really know how they played before you grade. What I have found most effective is grading them during practice. We tell our players they earn the right to play Monday through Thursday. Most people can give great effort on Friday’s, but it takes a true believer to work hard during the week. We expect starters to be in front of every line, to be first when we change drills, to be out to pre-practice first and not to miss assignments during practice. I try and keep a mental notebook, then write it down after practice, to be sure and remind them the next day. “We use the film to evaluate loafs. Our motto is defensively: ‘your value to the team is how close you are to the ball when the whistle blows.’ Offensively, we