On June 17, the NCAA Division I Council approved the six-week preseason practice schedule for college football that was drafted by the NCAA’s Football Oversight Committee.
Assuming the first week of the season would begin on Sept. 5, the first phase of the model starts this week and goes until July 23.
For the University of Alabama, the football program has transitioned from in-person voluntary workouts to mandatory sessions that require up to eight hours of training. In a world with the global pandemic of the Coronavirus, the Crimson Tide’s sports performance staff of David Ballou and Dr. Matt Rhea are practicing social distancing.
More than likely, they would work with one to two positional units a day.
Both coaches would have players spaced out, as the team goes into target weight training, flexibility, speed workouts and other forms of conditioning to prevent injuries. After working with one group, one would imagine the Tide cleaning the area before the next group arrives.
Along with the workouts, Alabama will also have film study.
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This will be done through Zoom calls from head coach Nick Saban and his staff.
Saban would breakdown the personnel of Alabama’s opponents and how the Tide will combat it both offensively and defensively.
New strategies, formations, terminology and looks will go into the system, and he’ll guide the players through what it all means. Despite the team having up to eight hours per week for all of this, it can only watch up to two hours of film per week.
As awesome as the voluntary workouts were, phase one of the preseason plan starts getting athletes back into the mindset of football.
Since spring practice was taken away, this is the opportunity for young players and veteran guys to get caught up to speed.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
