For years, soccer’s no-huddle offense was reserved for the last two minutes of each half. We associate the no huddle with Roger Staubach and his innate ability to get his team down the field on short notice. Today, the no-assembly offense is often used as a scheme and can be deadly when implemented correctly.

The system is fun to train and more fun to play. Kids love the fast pace and are excited to practice offense. The key with the no-huddle offense is to make it simple enough for kids to understand, but complex enough that the defense doesn’t pick up on the signals or words being used.

There are many ways in which the system can be operated. Many trainers use numbered wristbands. In this system, a number is typically communicated and then called out by players on the field. If the number is verbalized, make sure you have your favorite plays listed multiple times. Some trainers will mix colors on the wristband. So, for example, you might have a brown 1, a red 1, a blue 1, and a green 1. Therefore, the number 1 could be four different plays.

In other systems, everything can be communicated outside of the body, including training, movement, and play. Our goal in our system is to be on the ball ready to shoot as soon as the referee moves away and blows his whistle. Train your children to help the referees by always handing them the ball at the end of each play. Also hurry up after incompletions and bring them back onto the field to keep the tempo up.

Another key is to limit what you do. Often, in a high-tempo no-rally offense, it’s less about what you call and more about how fast you call it. Pick three or four running plays, three or four passing plays, shoot a screen or draw a play and then go as fast as you can. Resist the temptation to constantly change formations. My experience has shown that once you find the formation where you have an advantage against a particular front, stick with it until it fits.

During the course of a game, we often find a formation that gives us an advantage and then find a particular play that we are successful with. We’ll build from that and then run game action passes or other plays that look the same or include movement over and over again.

You must practice how you play. Move the ball up and down the field. Plot your defense trends based on drop and distance. Write your daily practices keeping these tendencies in mind. Ask a defensive coach to provide you with fronts, coverages, and blitz attacks based on the defense you call for in your playscript. Another coach must be in charge of placing the ball.

Let position coaches fill in for athletes on the run (although not too often), but don’t let them stop practicing to coach kids. This should be done during individual and group periods. If a child must be trained, substitute for him and train him. Remember that the real advantage in this offense is playing fast. Don’t let other factors detract from the speed with which you play. Go fast, make multiple plays look alike, and attack the width of the field. I cannot stress enough the importance of attacking from side to side with pace.

Now this can be accomplished in multiple ways. It can be done using the jet sweep, bubble or jailbreak screen. Again repetition is the key. Group work is vital in this offensive system. Running backs and quarterback must have a single timing system. Receivers and quarterbacks also need to be on the same page.

The hardest thing for many coaches is allowing players to make adjustments on the field. There is no better advantage than allowing players to make changes in real time to help your team gain an advantage over the defense. Give quarterbacks the flexibility to change plays. For example, we run lead. Our preference is to run alongside 2-5 versus and even in front. We allow our quarterback to change the play and adjust our lineup if necessary. Another common example is the trap change. We prefer to catch a “3” technique versus a split front. Once again, we allow our quarterback to change this play as well. There are numerous examples I could give. The key is to limit the changes and base the audible ones on the capacity of your staff.