"Self-Scouting"

[CaptainKickass]

It may not be a new phrase, but I don't recall any interviews with coaches and/or players in previous years where the team would talk about their preperation for the following weeks game and use the term "self-scouting"

I keep reading the phrase "self-scouting" this year perticularily from coaches usually in context lie "We'll do our film study on the opponent, and of course our "self-scouting" and then we'll work on our fundamentals....blah blah blah.

Now maybe I skipped class on the day footbal vernacular was in the curriculum - buts can someone tell me exactly what teams & coaches are referring to when they use the tearm "self-scouting"?

How does it differ from team to team, how is it different than "scouting" or "someone else scouting"?

Hook a Captian up eh?

[Iron Mike]

IDK.....maybe "self-scouting" means they read "Boys' Life."

http://www.gono.com/adart/boys%20life/Boys'%20Life%201970-3.jpg

[DonHutson]

I mostly recall hearing about self-scouting as a bye-week activity. I think the coaches basically just watch Packer film the same way they would watch film on an upcoming opponent to look for weaknesses, etc.

I'm sure they try to do that to a degree all the time, but the break allows them to delve deeper than is ordinarily possible.

[run pMc]

I think the coaches basically just watch Packer film the same way they would watch film on an upcoming opponent to look for weaknesses, etc.


I believe you are correct. They also do it to ensure their playcalling hasn't become too predictable. My understanding was they do self-scouting every 3-4 weeks to identify and fix area of weakness.

[KYPack]

Self scouting is like doing an inventory in a retail business. Everybody hates it, but ya gotta do it.

The all-time champ at self-scouting was Bill Walsh. His Niners were constantly self-scouting. Some opposing coaches used to say you were better off scouting film on the Niners from 3 or 4 years prior, cause you knew they wouldn't do anything the same week to week.

Walsh always had a big staff and it was the "junior" coaches who had to run the teams tendencies so Walsh could use that to develop his script and game plan.

[Fritz]

it's like masturbation.