We have a system for our flag football league that allows coaches to protect up to 3 players. Any unprotected player must attend a combine where players are assigned a number, coaches get a roster with their names and corresponding numbers, and coaches observe. Following the combine, we draft teams. Any player that misses the combine and is not protected, will be randomly assigned after the draft is complete.
This is pretty standard and guards well against stacking teams. However, the one way it can be beaten is for a coach to have kids he wants flop at the draft so that no one else picks them. Does anyone here have an idea of how this can be prevented? It is the only loophole but we need to close it as we're currently dealing with it. The only idea I have would be to set a GoPro at all 4 stations and have coaches turn in their assessment sheets and then average them out per player. This would both act as a deterrent and expose any player(s) who go from throwing duff passes at the combine to Tom Brady opening day.
Any thoughts or ideas from the group appreciated.
My advice is to do a drill like Deer Hunter. The kids will find it fun and you'll find out really quickly who your dudes are. Most kids hate losing, so the better athletes will stick out like a sore thumb.
Fight 'em until Hell freezes over, then fight 'em on the ice -- Dutch Meyer
Get rid of the coach.
--Dave
"The Greater the Teacher, the More Powerful the Player."
The Mission Statement: "I want to show any young man that he is far tougher than he thinks, that he can accomplish more than what he dreamed and that his work ethic will take him wherever he wants to go."
#BattleReady newhope
Get rid of the coach.
--Dave
That is definitely an option. This is the first time we've experienced this but couldn't prove it until 2 weeks into the season, so not a lot we can do at this point other than focus on preventative measures for our upcoming 2023 Spring league. :/
This is the first time we've experienced this but couldn't prove it until 2 weeks into the season, so not a lot we can do at this point other than focus on preventative measures for our upcoming 2023 Spring league. :/
Wait...what? The guy cheats and the response is, "Not a lot we can do at this point." With a response like that, I'm surprised cheating isn't rampant. Immediately firing the cheating goof will send a message. Otherwise, don't have a scouted draft. Just pick every kid's name out of a bucket.
--Dave
"The Greater the Teacher, the More Powerful the Player."
The Mission Statement: "I want to show any young man that he is far tougher than he thinks, that he can accomplish more than what he dreamed and that his work ethic will take him wherever he wants to go."
#BattleReady newhope
This is the first time we've experienced this but couldn't prove it until 2 weeks into the season, so not a lot we can do at this point other than focus on preventative measures for our upcoming 2023 Spring league. :/
Wait...what? The guy cheats and the response is, "Not a lot we can do at this point." With a response like that, I'm surprised cheating isn't rampant. Immediately firing the cheating goof will send a message. Otherwise, don't have a scouted draft. Just pick every kid's name out of a bucket.
--Dave
I hear that all the time from my club and from the league. And yes, cheating is rampant. Guy plays a former player of mine against me, even though he is not rostered on that team? "Nothing we can do about it." Another coach plays 2 kids who are in the wrong grade (too old), who have been on that team since 3rd grade, but didn't file the right paperwork? Forfeit playoff win and 3 game suspension.
My upcoming opponent is pretty bad and I've been noodling on ideas to compete, but at the same time keep the score down. I just got an email that one of his kids is suspended for our game. I will give odds that the coach will ignore this and play him anyway. If he plays the kid, I'm considering challenging my team to score 100. Then, when he complains to the league about my "poor sportsmanship", I'll show them game highlights of the suspended player.
When in doot . . . glass and oot.
Any thoughts or ideas from the group appreciated.
If I were coaching in that situation, I'd go to last year's film and look for these kids. I'd snipe them right from under that coach's nose. Then, I'd share what I know with the other coaches, so all of those kids get drafted early. That, or go to the stats if you keep them.
Otherwise, it's probably impossible to tell if a kid is sandbagging or having a bad day. If he is sandbagging, just about impossible to prove he was coached to do so.
Here's an idea. Run your combine and have all coaches turn in assessment sheets as you are already describing. Then, sort the players into 1's, 2's and 3's with 1's being in the top 3rd, 3's in the bottom 3rd. Then assign each team an equal number of 1's, 2's and 3's respectively. Keep the kids' names or other identifying information out of it.
When in doot . . . glass and oot.
I'm a little confused... isn't there a Board that is supposed to handle these kinds of complaints? Someone to turn the evidence over to and have them rule on the matter? Some set of rules / guidelines as to consequences for cheating?
Granted our fairly small population [27K people for the whole county] makes it kinda hard to have a kid flop in the combine when he's already known for his athleticism in other sports / gym classes, etc., but even here we have rules in place and actions that will be taken against those who break the rules.
Sometimes there are false / nonsense accusations... I was once accused of cheating because we never kick deep, by the coach who's son was an absolute speedster and often returned deep kicks for scores. But also had the league president come to our sideline concerned that we were not following the rules regarding playing kids - The kid had an issue with the snap on a chin strap that had to be replaced, and got back into the game as quickly as possible - but these things are being watched.
Is no one watching?
Umm.... why does that 6 ft tall 9 yr old have a goatee...?
That's the way I and other coaches in the Warriors club took it. Which is why we didn't take the evaluations very seriously.
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