[bball_fan]

I think you have to focus on what you have available to you. If you have big guys who are not very quick but strong, you need to run the ball and try to wear people out. A really quick athlete will wear out when a running back hits them every time you try to tackle them instead of letting the defense always deliver the hit. However, if you have a lot of speed and good athletes, I say spread the field and play a run and gun game where you do five or six yard routes to back the defense off and run the ball to keep a defense honest. Now if you have the athletes and a kid who has a arm to put the ball down the field, then spread the field and take what the defense gives you. If they want to take away the deep ball, you need to nickle and dime down the field and use the run to force man to man coverage. If they are going to take away the short routes, then throw the ball deep and force zone coverage. Find ways to dictate what the defense does and keep them off balance, that is what really good teams do. Teams and coaches do not need to settle into this mind set we have always ran the ball or through the ball so that's what we need to do. You look at you're team and the players you have. Whatever style will work best with the players you have, you run with it! A good coach can teach the run or the pass, a great coach can do both! Sometimes its not enough, but doing what is suited to you're players will take you a lot further then trying to make them do something they are not suited for.