The American Sport Education Program (ASEP) brings the gridiron to the desktop with Coaching Football Technical and Tactical Skills online course. The course draws content from the book Coaching Football Technical and Tactical Skills written by ASEP in conjunction with the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and Rob Ash, head football coach at Montana State University. Coach Ash also served as a content expert for the online course.

The course helps coaches learn how to teach the technical and tactical skills of football. In this course you will learn how to do the following:

• Explain the relationship and difference between technical and tactical skills, and describe the traditional and games approaches to football practice (unit 1).
  
• Evaluate technical and tactical football skills in your players, and make use of your evaluation results (unit 2).
  
• Prepare effective season plans and individual practice plans (units 3 and 4).
  
• Prepare far in advance for the season and each game (unit 5).
  
• Apply and teach the basic and intermediate offensive, defensive and special teams technical and tactical skills required for your team’s success (game units).
  
• Incorporate key focal points and principles of error detection and correction into your coaching (game units).
  
• Recognize various signals given by officials during the game (signals unit).

As you progress through the course, you are asked to read portions of the Coaching Football Technical and Tactical Skills book and view video clips housed on CD-ROM to complete course units. You will learn about different approaches to coaching, including the games approach (an alternative to drills-based coaching); develop a season plan and a series of practice plans; and improve your ability to coach during games.

The course is heavy on skill demonstration and error detection and correction. Through a partnership with Dartfish, ASEP has incorporated aspects of the Dartish video technology into the course. You can break down the technical and tactical skills of football by viewing Dartfish football media books that allow users to view video frame by frame.

The course concludes with The Big Game, an interactive exercise that simulates game situations. You are taken through game sequences—special teams, offense, and defense—illustrating techniques and tactics stressed throughout the course. You will view video clips as you progress through the exercise to enhance the concepts being taught.

Other features include Coaching Aids, a storehouse of printable PDF documents that are incorporated throughout the course. These include practice plans, sport first aid checklists, and drill sheets. You’ll have access to the Coaching Aids for up to one year after completing the course. The course also features a separate section devoted to football officiating signals.

After completing the course units, you’ll take the 40-question course test online and receive immediate results.

MSU Coaching Football Technical and Tactical Skills earns coaches 3.5 CEUs from MSU and the Michigan State Board of Education. In order for you to be awarded the CEUs, you must verify that you expended a minimum of 35 hours (which includes required reading) to complete the course.

In awarding CEUs, MSU follows CEU guidelines developed by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). Given that each state board has different requirements for teacher licensure, certification, and CEU courses, we encourage you to check with your district or state Department of Education to ensure CEUs from MSU and the Michigan State Board of Education are accepted by your organization.