Avoid TMI (too much information) when game planning

A number of years ago, we conducted a number of interviews as part of a research project that involved talking with a number of coaches that were still playing in November, either in "big" late season games or playoffs.

During one of our discussions, a High School coach informed us that he planned to enter 11 games into the computer - every game played by the next week's opponent that season.  While we were impressed by that kind of preparation, since it meant someone had or was going to "break down" each of those games, play by play by play, we wondered how happy the coach would be if by winning the game, a similar game breakdown assignment was in order for the following week!

A thought that occurred to us was how that coach would avoid the problems of TMI (too much information, or information overload). An even greater concern was how he would avoid having the results "skewed" by blowout games, bad weather games, games against a rare defensive style, games with injured players changing a team's "personality" and so on. In other words, how would this coach ensure that his tendency information, and in turn game and practice planning could be "relevant" and in turn useful and beneficial for that week's opponent?

When preparing for post-season games or big games late in the year, football coaches usually have at their disposal more than the "standard" 3 games that are customary in football game planning - especially if they maintain a video library from weekly "film exchanges". These games may even be "broken down" and entered into the computer.

For this reason, it seems worthwhile for a coach to take the time to carefully select the game "breakdowns" that will be used to prepare the game plan, as that is likely to be result in tendency reports that have "relevance" and serve as a better tool for the game planning process.

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