Oregon Ducks Analyst on the Self-Scout and Actionable Information

Oct 14, 2024 2:04 pm

Coach -

I’ve known Dante Bartee for years and talk to him throughout the year. He is a great young football mind and a deep thinker on the game, and he’s coached at the high school level and all college levels.

His insight into the game is universal and what we share from him today on self-scout is straightforward and very useful. Listen to his thoughts on self-scout here.

The Ducks put together a great team effort in a big win over the Ohio State Buckeyes. Let’s take a look at Coach Bartee’s approach to the self-scout.

Regardless of your point in the season, this is a useful approach.

Dante Bartee’s Four-Step Approach to Self-Scout

Oregon Ducks Defensive Analyst Dante Bartee emphasizes the importance of methodically analyzing data to determine which plays and strategies are working and which need to be adjusted or scrapped altogether. Here are his four key steps:

#1). Evaluate the Frequency vs. Efficiency of Calls

It's not enough to look at how often a call is made—coaches must assess if it's working as expected. For example, if a call or play was run 50 times in practice but only called three times by mid-season, its value must be reassessed. Did it underperform? Or was it not called enough despite positive results?

#2). Practice Relevance and Situational Use

Some plays are designed for specific opponents or situations. If a defense prepared calls for an Air Raid team in Week 7, those shouldn't negatively impact evaluations if not used beforehand. You must compartmentalize plays by their intended purpose.

#3.) Simplify, Don't Overload

One of the most common mistakes in mid-season self-scouting is adding more plays to the call sheet. Bartee emphasizes subtraction or increased usage of existing plays, not piling on new concepts. Continuity in a playbook allows athletes to execute without hesitation, fostering faster, more instinctive play.

#4). Adjust Presentation, Not Content

Instead of adding entirely new calls, Bartee suggests modifying formations, motions, and shifts to disguise familiar plays. The goal is to make the same play look different to the opponent without compromising the players' comfort and execution.

Coach Bartee’s approach in looking at what has been done so far is useful in all three phases of the game.

Good luck in your preparations this week!

Coach Grabowski

P.S. Here are some useful self-scout resources. I also listed clinics from Coach Bartee and the Oregon Ducks staff.