Coach ,

Having had the opportunity to watch a weekend full of pre season games, I was reminded about how much NFL teams use shifts and motions.  Many  teams do a great job with their formations.  Those that really want to stress a defense use shifts and motions on most plays.

Some of the most successful offenses in the NFL move almost every play.  They like this because in addition to giving the offense indicators,  it stresses a defense in that they have to recognize, communicate and adjust. That’s three opportunities to be wrong. 

Unfortunately, many times you will see the offense taking too much time to get aligned.  Even with formations that are unique and definitely required adjustments from the defense,  a team slow to align from huddle or no huddle gives the defense plenty of time to align.

The Sugar Huddle

The sugar huddle has been arond for a long time.  In 1984, the late Sam Wyche, then the head coach of the Bengals had a revelation about their procedures, especially as it related to personnel changes…

"We're going to go back here and [huddle] for 20 seconds and let them get all of their best rushers and best cover people in?" Wyche posited in a November 2008 interview with the Roanoke Times. "And [then] we're going to line-up and do exactly what they thought we'd do—throw the ball."

This thought led to the birth of the “sugar huddle.” They called it the sugar huddle because it was “short and sweet.”  In the way Wyche used it, they were in and out of it quickly to keep the defense from making personnel changes, especially on third down.

A better answer for the huddle offense is better tempo out of their huddle.  The sugar huddle which is closer to the ball that is broken out of quickly then starts their movements can cause chaos for the defenses recognition, communication and adjustment.  

A shift done slowly really does not stress a defense that much.  Shifts should be done at a “run” pace.  It doesn’t have to be a sprint, but it certainly isn’t a jog or a walk.

Josh Gibson, head coach at Pleasant Grove High School in Texas believes the sugar huddle provides a big advantage and attributed it as a major factor in their state championship season.  Coach Gibson talks about it in this video:

Video: Sugar Huddle

Not for Huddle Teams Only

Gus Malzahn installed the sugar huddle into his offense as the offensive coordinator at Tulsa before bringing it with him to Auburn and continuing to use it now at UCF.  

In studying how Malzahn’s teams have used it, they typically are breaking the huddle and even with motion are snapping the ball three and a half seconds after they break.  

That’s the other great aspect of the sugar huddle is that it allows you to have the effects of being uptempo after breaking the huddle and quickly getting the snap off, yet it allows the offense to use the clock as well.

Why use the Sugar Huddle?

The sugar huddle gives you a very versatile procedural weapon. Here are the advantages:

• Alignment of skill players and strength of the formation is hidden until the break, giving the defens little time to adjust.
• Unbalanced formations become very difficult to react to.
• You can have the fastest no huddle effect if you train your players to snap the ball quickly like Malzahn’s teams.
• Communication in critical situations.  The players can relay any important information to each other in the huddle.
• You can use the clock. You can have your offense stay in the huddle and break it at 10 seconds on the play clock and chew up clock.  It is a great 4-minute procedure.

Going fast provides tremendous advantages that we all know about.  Defensive coordinators will tell you though that teams who use multiple tempos are also difficult to defend because you are never sure of the pace. It’s something you can employ as a change up or as your main procedure for running your offense.  

It’s definitely worth sitting down with your staff and discussing. It can lend itself to playing complimentary football, especially if your defense needs a break or you need to take time off the clock with a lead.

Good luck as you wind down camp and head into game week.

Always be growing!

Coach Grabowski

P.S. We have had 79 clinic presentations with Big10 coaches. All of those are 25% off today. You can see them here.