Author Topic: 7-Man crews (Read 19385 times)

TxSkyBolt · « **on:** January 18, 2015, 06:20:14 PM »

Do any chapters have fixed 7-man crews? If so, do they get picked every week or are there weeks they sit home?

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Coby · « **Reply #1 on:** January 20, 2015, 08:40:02 AM »

Do not mention 7man crews to anyone from Houston. The chapter/city/state might burn down because of it.

TxSkyBolt · « **Reply #2 on:** January 20, 2015, 12:30:07 PM »

Que?

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Welpe · « **Reply #3 on:** January 20, 2015, 01:55:05 PM »

It's a touchy subject around here.

It's kind of like the end of the first Terminator movie when the young boy tells Sarah Connor "Mira mira! Viene la tormenta!"

SA_Zebra · « **Reply #4 on:** January 21, 2015, 01:38:27 PM »

I find it absurd that all chapters are not moving towards having a least a few 7 man crews available to the schools that wish to utilize them.

Etref · « **Reply #5 on:** January 21, 2015, 01:42:03 PM »

What happens to the two deep guys the 5-6 weeks during the year the coaches only want a 5 man crew?

TexDoc · « **Reply #6 on:** January 21, 2015, 02:30:35 PM »

Quote from: Etref on January 21, 2015, 01:42:03 PM

What happens to the two deep guys the 5-6 weeks during the year the coaches only want a 5 man crew?

Good question. My answer is, we work as a 7 man crew or we don't. You might sit at home on a Friday night or be used as fill-ins somewhere.

My question is, if you limit the number of 7 man crews on your chapter, how and who decides who gets to form a 7 man crew?

SA_Zebra · « **Reply #7 on:** January 21, 2015, 04:13:51 PM »

Not all of our games get picked... many are assigned. If a 7 man crew doesn't get picked, those guys can then be assigned according to the normal procedures, even if it is only 5 of them. I have a feeling the assigners will make sure we're working before they let us sit at home... even if they have to give us an assigned game.
Most guys that I have talked to are willing to "risk" not getting picked, because we are confident that there are enough coaches that will embrace the 7 man crews and it is really no risk at all.

Etref · « **Reply #8 on:** January 21, 2015, 08:35:52 PM »

If the coaches, schools, etc wanted 7 man crew why did nearly all of the SC games go 5 man this year?

TexDoc · « **Reply #9 on:** January 21, 2015, 10:32:20 PM »

Quote from: Etref on January 21, 2015, 08:35:52 PM

If the coaches, schools, etc wanted 7 man crew why did nearly all of the SC games go 5 man this year?

The smaller schools are likely less apt to go with 7 man. They are not as athletic nor do they throw the ball as well. The 6A and 5A schools, which comprise a small percentage of the overall playoff games, like would want 7 man crews.

Joe Stack · « **Reply #10 on:** January 21, 2015, 11:10:29 PM »

Not necessarily. Coaches are still concerned that 2 more officials would increase flags 20%. Some are also concerned that they won't be able to get away with whatever it is they think they can get away with now. We need to show them the first concern is not valid, and the second concern should be the opposing coach's, something that 7 man may work to prevent.

TxSkyBolt · « **Reply #11 on:** January 22, 2015, 10:53:11 AM »

So I gather by the responses that NO TASO chapters have established 7-man crews. That's a good piece of data to have.

TexDoc · « **Reply #12 on:** January 22, 2015, 11:09:08 AM »

Quote from: Joe Stack on January 21, 2015, 11:10:29 PM

Not necessarily. Coaches are still concerned that 2 more officials would increase flags 20%. Some are also concerned that they won't be able to get away with whatever it is they think they can get away with now. We need to show them the first concern is not valid, and the second concern should be the opposing coach's, something that 7 man may work to prevent.

That may have been true in previous years, but more and more coaches are seeing the benefits of 7 man crews. Like any change, especially concerning coaches, they sometimes are not well-received or embraced immediately. Like going to 4 man to 5 man back in the late 80's, this change will happen. It is a matter of when, not if.

Etref · « **Reply #13 on:** January 22, 2015, 11:56:53 AM »

In the 80's we had to bring to coaches kicking a screaming to 5 man crews!

SA_Zebra · « **Reply #14 on:** January 22, 2015, 02:34:19 PM »

The most important thing to do would be educate the coaches on the benefits of 7 man crews... show them the difference in the mechanics, etc. Help them understand that they are the ones that will benefit.

Phantomref · « **Reply #15 on:** January 22, 2015, 03:06:32 PM »

Quote from: SA_Zebra on January 22, 2015, 02:34:19 PM

The most important thing to do would be educate the coaches on the benefits of 7 man crews... show them the difference in the mechanics, etc. Help them understand that they are the ones that will benefit.

How does one educate/explain the benefits of 7 man crews to coach whose team is primarily a running team

Just wondering how that conversation would go.

Welpe · « **Reply #16 on:** January 22, 2015, 04:16:36 PM »

Let's not forget that 7-man crews also provide much better coverage at the goal line. Running plays that end near the pylons are critical plays and having an official right there to make a call is a great benefit of 7 man coverage. That is one of the most compelling reasons to go to 7-man crews IMO.

Magician · « **Reply #17 on:** January 22, 2015, 04:59:01 PM »

Quote from: Phantomref on January 22, 2015, 03:06:32 PM

How does one educate/explain the benefits of 7 man crews to coach whose team is primarily a running team

Just wondering how that conversation would go.

Welpe answered that question very well. We do so much more than rule on fouls. Catch/no catch, in bounds/out of bounds, pylon busters, fumble/no fumble are just a few examples. Those are often bigger than fouls in the course of a game. 7-man crews helps make the crew better on each of those.

Legacy Zebra · « **Reply #18 on:** January 22, 2015, 05:17:15 PM »

Another big advantage with 7 man mechanics is kick coverage. Both free and scrimmage kicks are better covered with 7. You don't have to send the L deep for field goals, the L doesn't have to head down field on punts, you get a full box on the restraining lines plus the three deep guys on every fee kick. I just don't see why people don't want to switch if you have the people.

Etref · « **Reply #19 on:** January 22, 2015, 07:31:11 PM »

Quote from: Legacy Zebra on January 22, 2015, 05:17:15 PM

Another big advantage with 7 man mechanics is kick coverage. Both free and scrimmage kicks are better covered with 7. You don't have to send the L deep for field goals, the L doesn't have to head down field on punts, you get a full box on the restraining lines plus the three deep guys on every fee kick. I just don't see why people don't want to switch if you have the people.

Would love to have 7 man crews, but most chapters do not have enough folks to field the crew. Seems the chapters that do, don't want them.

Legacy Zebra · « **Reply #20 on:** January 22, 2015, 09:54:31 PM »

Trust me, I know. I come from one of those chapters that can't field 7 man crews. Heck, some times we have a hard time fielding 4/5 man crews for all of our games. But for those who have the resources, what argument could you possibly have against going to 7.

SA_Zebra · « **Reply #21 on:** January 22, 2015, 11:02:49 PM »

As several have pointed out, the benefits go beyond the passing game. Thus the reason the coaches (and maybe some officials not familiar with the mechanics) should be educated. I'm not suggesting all crews should go to 7... Few, if any, chapters have enough guys to accommodate that. The bigger chapters, though, should be able to provide at least a few crews of 7 so the schools are at least provided that option.

TexDoc · « **Reply #22 on:** January 23, 2015, 08:54:51 AM »

Quote from: SA_Zebra on January 22, 2015, 11:02:49 PM

As several have pointed out, the benefits go beyond the passing game. Thus the reason the coaches (and maybe some officials not familiar with the mechanics) should be educated. I'm not suggesting all crews should go to 7... Few, if any, chapters have enough guys to accommodate that. The bigger chapters, though, should be able to provide at least a few crews of 7 so the schools are at least provided that option.

You're right. Even in a big chapter like SA, we don't have the heads to be able to make every crew a 7 man crew. That means it has to be limited, and I think that will cause problems. How do you decide which crew can or cannot be 7 man. The crews not going to 7 and the crews with lesser games will certainly see some guys taken from their crews. That's going to ruffle some feathers, but it should stop us from moving forward.

Coby · « **Reply #23 on:** January 23, 2015, 09:47:47 AM »

Every Houston Crew next year will be listed out as a 7man crew. Schools that are picking 7man crews will get to pick first, 5A 6A 5man schools will pick 2nd, 5man everyone else will pick last.

This will make for a very long day. My guess is that there are 15 games a week that are going to use 7man crews.

HoustonUmp · « **Reply #24 on:** January 23, 2015, 09:50:57 AM »

As of last night all Houston crews will be 7 man. Schools using 7 man crews pick crews before games using 5 man crews. This means hypothetically that private school X using 7 man will select before state 6A powerhouse who wants to use 5 man.

If a game is 5 man it is hoped that S and F will either get clocks or find a substitute role on another game that night. Perfect? No. Step in the right direction? Absolutely.

Rome was not built in a single day, or season.