A taste of spring football around the South

Spring football is not just for colleges anymore. Most Southern states have organized spring practice, including pads, that culminates in a spring game. Sometimes the spring game is an intra-squad matchup, similar to the ones played in college. Other states allow two schools to play against each other. High school football teams in Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama, for instance, are allowed by their state governing bodies to practice 10 days each spring to prepare for the coming season. Florida allows for 20 days. The South Carolina High School League (the equivalent of the NCHSAA) approved rule changes for spring football this season, including giving teams the option to hold up to seven practices in full pads.

There are several tangible benefits to full-fledged spring football practice.

It is helpful for new head coaches and staff to get to know the players and get a feel for the program in general and create a blueprint for success in the fall.

It is helpful for programs to “strike while the iron is hot” and maintain momentum following a successful season in preparing for the upcoming season.

It provides valuable opportunities for coaches to evaluate the progress of individual players and helpful in determining who will win starting positions in the fall. By the same token it is an additional two weeks during which kids are kept focused on football and the hard work required to be successful.

It provides additional opportunities for college scouts to see prospects in live-action drills and game situations. Every little bit of exposure and contact with recruiters is valuable.

By giving the coaches an extra two weeks to teach the fundamentals in the spring it thereby gives them more opportunities for installing specific offensive and defensive schemes in the pre-season. The fine-tuning of a team's game strategies makes for a more successful team. Full contact spring practice gives the coaches and players a headstart on that.

North Carolina is slowly moving in this direction but as usual lags behind her sister states in football sophistication. For instance, the NCHSAA allows severely restricted "skill sessions" for football in the spring. This allows for no more than 21 players at a time to gather on a field and maybe throw the football around a little bit. Pads are prohibited which means that contact is prohibited. Game situations are prohibited. There is no opportunity to get in some extra teaching on the fundamentals of blocking and tackling. Apparently the NCHSAA doesn't see the need or benefit of maximizing the training of young players in the crucial skills of blocking and tackling. Less training is more... That is unless the NCHSAA could figure out a way to make some money out of the deal...

Let me be crystal clear: I absolutely think that full-fledged spring practice for 10 days (with up to 7 days in pads) is perfectly feasible, acceptable, proper an, indeed, necessary. Change is inevitable and I believe North Carolina will follow South Carolina's example.

Here are some more examples of spring football throughout the Southland.

Spring Football back and ready for pads

Florida high school spring football guidelines

Spring Football: Why it matters

Wildcats return to the gridiron for spring

Week 1 goes well for the Cats