Thorough Scouting
Made Simple
Ray Lokar
In our eternal quest for success in any endeavor, I suspect that we can all pretty much agree that preparation is the key to that success. It has often been mentioned that organization is the foundation for that preparation. That being said, the more tools that we have at our disposal to aid in that organization the better. Over the years I have found that a thorough,simp1e, organized method of scouting an opponent can aid in preparing a game plan against that particular team. In the next pages I will explain a most effective tool in assisting me in scouting a game or team.
The importance of scouting varies from coach to coach and from year to year. While it obviously is most important to do the things that you do well, I'm sure that each coach has determined different aspects of an opponents game which are important to his preparation.What that coach then must do is develop a thorough, organized approach to compile thatimportant information. This scouting form has evolved with information and areas stolen, borrowed from, revised and added to other forms that I've come across.
One of the advantages of this form is that the information can quickly and easily be found and recorded simply with check marks or circles. This makes it easy for even the newest of assistants or friends of the program who may be new to scouting to cover a game thoroughly and to your specifications. This form has been effectively used by my son when he was 11, at games while I was scouting one team and he would scout the other. While he understood the game a little better than your typical 11 year old, I think that this speaks to the simplicity of the format. And we defeated that team soundly in the finals of their tournament, so he must have done a pretty complete job.
Another advantage is that the form gives the scout a checklist of the information that is significant. As the game progresses the person covering the game can easily see what information is still needed and can concentrate on those aspects of the game. With the action happening so quickly and only 32 or 40 minutes in which to gather information, time is of the essence. In reading through typical reports, it is often difficult to find information and decipher the notes and diagrams, so this form will save you time there as well. And like I always say, "Time is like money and closet space - no matter how much you have, you always need more!"
Now , onto the report. This form is printed on both sides of an 11" \ 17" piece of .paper folded in half to give you an 8 1/2" x 11" folder of 4 pages. Inside this folder you can put a program, roster, box score, stat sheet or any other information that may be provided. When a team is scouted more than once could put several reports inside of one another to keep them organized. Some years I've printed them on paper of a little heavier stock to make them more durable and easier to write on.
In the initial section, starters are listed first and then substitutes are listed in order of their entry into the game and who they came in for. Players are rated 1-5 in a variety of skill categories. This information could be completed entirely / or you might only note items of extreme significance. There are some general individual descriptions listed such as whether a post player will drop step, turn & shoot, use a variety of moves (active), or look to go inside out. Some of these observations may be made during the game while some may be added afterward. These general comments are usually what is shared with the team during our pre-game talk. The last column is for possible matchups based on the performance on that night.These may differ after seeing a team several times and your matchups may change in final analysis.
After the game you should fill out the game summary looking for some of these impressions 1) Is the score a true indication of the relative strengths of the teams? 2)Did one team gain a quick advantage, and if so, why? 3) Did substitutions, change of strategy or style of play affect the course of the game? 4) Do they do anything special out of timeouts. 5) Any other significant observations.
The second page deals with offensive tendencies and is primarily a checklist of the most important information with full court diagrams for fast break, early offense, and pressbreak as well as an area for general notes. Items to note in this area might be 3) how do they initiate their oftense 2) are they patient 3) does the offense have any continuity and 4) do they prefer one side or the other. The bottom four diagrams should be done during the post game summary and their most used "bread & butter plays" in their half court offense.
The third page is the most difficult, but maybe the most useful if done thoroughly. Actually it is so difficult that during that game that was covered by my 11 year old son, he needed to enlist a little bit of help from my 8 year old daughter, so I suppose that it isn't that difficult after all. The individual shooting chart, when filled out properly , not only gives you makes and misses from spots on the floor, but also certain tendencies. I like to indicate the direction in which a post player with his back to the basket might turn on any given move. When using this method , the circle indicates the location on the floor while a curved line would show the direction the player came from. Thus the diagram on the left would indicate a move to the players left, resulting in a made field goal. This technique can also be used for perimeter players to indicate the direction and the number of dribbles therefore the diagram on the right would indicate a made field goal off of two dribbles to the right. Along the bottom of each diagram you can also indicate free throws made or missed.
At times I have used a slash mark on the diagram for turnovers by each individual. Sometimes , when I feel real efficient, I might even use a different color pen for each half. This was particularly useful at one game in which two players took 27 of a teams 31 shots in the second
half. I also like to fill in the ft's as the game develops to find out who looks to get
into the flow of the game early. Below the individual shot charts are a number of
courts for diagrams of a teams man offense, zone offense, inbounds plays, and
special situations. Whenever possible it is very important to get the call or signal
for each play so that the defense can be alerted. Also it is advantageous to put numbers instead of x's and o''s as teams will run certain plays for certain players.
The final page outlines the scouted teams defensive tendencies and gives us an idea on how to prepare our offense and what to spend time practicing. While filling out the checklist it may also help to know how often they play each defense. To do this you could put a slash mark for each possession or just estimate the percentage after the game during your post game summary.In the general comments it is important to try to determine any weaknesses or how the defense can be attacked.
Once a team is scouted effectively, whether you saw the team one, two, three/ or more times, how you use the information really varies. Some teams go over all the information in great detail with the players, some post a summary in the locker room or give each player a copy. I like to leave the players with some real general or generic team concepts and immediately before the game hit them with some specific individual tendencies. Importantly it helps determine an effective practice plan in preparing for that team. But most importantly I think that it gives the coach some peace of mind in knowing that he has done all that he could do to make sure that his team is going to be the best prepared team that it can be.
