7on7s provide a great opportunity for offenses and defenses to get in sync while offering a chance to compete against someone wearing a different colored jersey.

While 7on7s are almost an indispensable part of the summer routine for top high school teams because of the value they offer to get players ready for the fall, 7on7s also provide opportunities for coaches to learn and develop.

Brandon Sheppard has witnessed it firsthand over the last decade.

The USA Football 7on7 director has seen how head coach sometimes take a step back during 7on7s in order to allow assistant coaches a chance to take a step forward.

“It is very commonplace for assistant coaches to assume leadership roles during 7on7 events,” said Sheppard. “It is great training for those play-callers as well as the position coaches in improving their individual players in those positions as well as in-game adjustments.”

It’s difficult to argue with the results: 17 teams that participated in USA Football 7on7 events went on to capture state titles in the fall.

Even if all coaches assume their regular duties during a 7on7 event, it remains a great chance to get some coaching reps in.

Like players, coaches need practice too, and 7on7 can help coaches work on logistics, play calling and signaling, communication and tempo.

Perhaps most importantly, it gets coaches’ competitive juices flowing just as much as it does in the players.

The end result is coaches and players coming together to improve and achieve small victories in the summer that can pave the way for significant wins in the fall.

“7on7 is simply a great team-building event,” Sheppard said.

Compete for a chance to earn a spot in the National Championships Series and get your team registered for a USA Football 7on7 event this summer.