Oftentimes, high school football coaches just scan through film to look for an opponent’s scheme, to find good players to stay away from attacking or weak players to attack. Although looking for those things could definitely give your team an advantage, looking deeper into the film, similar to what professional coaches do, could give their players and extraordinary advantage.

Instead of looking at an opposing player and simply judging him as good or bad, put together a real scouting report on him. How does his stance and alignment indicate how he is going to attack the offense? What is his best pass rush move? These are the type of questions that former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line coach and current UTEP head coach Sean Kugler asks his offensive linemen to answer when scouting an opponent. By understanding how the defensive line is going to play, offensive linemen could spend time focusing on techniques to counter what they want to do and won’t be caught off-guard when they see it in game situations.

Although high school coaches won’t get into as much detail as the pros do, there are definitely applicable elements from Kugler’s scouting methods. Kugler asks his offensive line to “build a book” as a scouting report of the opposing defensive line. It is too much to ask a high school student to build their own book, but coaches could certainly do a less encompassing version of what Kugler requests.

I simplified the list for high school coaching purposes:

1. Stance Keys (What does his stance tell you about his technique?)

   1. If he’s balanced with no stagger, he’ll likely run read and 2-Gap.

   2. If his weight is forward with his butt up, he’ll likely shoot the gap and pass rush

2. Alignment

   1. If he’s head up, he’ll likely 2-Gap

   2. If he’s in the gap, he’ll likely shoot the gap.

TIP SHEET

3. How are they taught to release vs different blocks?

4. 1. Jerk and release (2 gap)

   2. Release pressure

   3. Jerk and rip

   4. Club

   5. Spin

   6. Back door

5. How do they Handle Double Teams?

   1. Drop Pressure Knee

   2. Pressure into uncovered Man

   3. Spin

   4. Dip and Rip

   5. Get Skinny and Split

6. How do they pursue on the backside?

   1. Fast flow over the top of LB’s

   2. Back Door

   3. Anchor and Shuffle

   4. Penetrate and Run Through

   5. 2-Gap Tech with Hat

   6. Does End Man on Line of Scrimmage properly Contain?

7. How do They play Back or Angle Blocks?

   1. Penetrate-Disrupt

   2. Over top

   3. Fight Pressure

   4. Spin or Club

   5. Jerk and Swim

   6. Dip underneath and get Flat

8. Best Pass Rush Move

   1. Speed

   2. Swim

   3. Club- Rip

   4. Jerk and Release

   5. Hand Slap

   6. Stutter

   7. Bull Rush

   8. 1 Arm Stab to Combination

Kugler’s list is a lot longer and more comprehensive. I simplified the list to what is more commonly seen in high school football. For the entire list, check out the COOL clinics and look for Sean Kugler’s Film Criteria Sheet. If you are able to answer all these questions for your linemen, you will give them a huge tool in practice and coming into the game. Your scout team will give a much more realistic look for them during the week, and during the game, they could come in with a lot more confidence. Even if an opponent is more talented, having the tool of knowledge could be a huge confidence builder.

RELATED: Want to see more content like this? Check out USA Football's Coaches' Notes feature.