Wide Open – Coaches share strategies for winning in summer 7-on-7 competitions.

The explosion in popularity of off-season 7-on-7 passing competitions has helped coaches put a better product on the field in the fall, mainly through player development. But don’t discount the value of putting your playmakers in competitive, late-game situations.“Ideally, I want each of our games to be 21-14 on the final possession, with us trying to score or prevent the tying touchdown,” said Bryan Gray, head coach at East Hall  High School (GA) and a big believer in the benefits of 7-on-7. After nearly a decade coaching his teams in 7-on-7 leagues, Gray raves about the conditioning, the improved communication and the overall skill development, especially with quarterbacks, that come from the off-season passing competitions.Gray keeps his 7-on-7 scheme as close as possible to his normal system, going so far as making his quarterback use play-action even though there are no