You've seen the laminated "Waffle House menu" held by guys like Andy Reid or Sean McVay on Sunday afternoons. It looks like a chaotic grid of neon colors and tiny fonts. From the stands, it’s just a prop. But for a coach, that football play calling sheet is the only thing standing between a clinical touchdown drive and a delay of game penalty because you couldn't find the "Y-Cross" variation you practiced all Tuesday.
Most coaches—whether they're at the high school level or coaching a local youth league—overcomplicate this. They try to fit 400 plays onto a legal-sized piece of paper. Then, the pressure hits. The clock is ticking. The quarterback is looking at the sideline with a blank stare. Suddenly, you can't find your 3rd-and-short calls because they're buried under a pile of "just in case" trick plays.
Honestly, a great call sheet isn't about how much information you can cram onto the plastic. It’s about how fast your brain can process that information under fire. If you can’t find a play in three seconds, it might as well not be on the sheet.
The Psychology of the Sheet
When the stadium noise picks up, your peripheral vision narrows. It’s a physiological response to stress. You aren't reading that sheet like a book; you’re scanning it for anchors. That’s why the best ones use color coding that actually makes sense, like red for the red zone or green for "go" situations.
But don't go overboard. If every section is a different neon color, nothing stands out. You’ve basically created a rainbow that obscures the actual text. Most NFL coordinators, like Kyle Shanahan, use a highly structured grid that prioritizes situational football. They aren't looking at a list of plays; they’re looking at a list of answers to specific problems the defense is presenting.
Think of it like a GPS. You don’t need the map of the whole country when you’re just trying to turn left at the gas station. You need the immediate data.
Organizing by Situation Instead of Formation
A common mistake is listing plays by formation. "Here are all our I-Formation plays. Here are all our Spread plays." That's great for a playbook, but it sucks for a football play calling sheet.
Why? Because in the heat of the game, you aren't thinking "I want to be in Spread." You’re thinking "It’s 3rd and 7 and they’re playing Cover 2."
You need sections that speak to the moment.
- Openers: The first 15 plays you scripted to probe the defense.
- 3rd & Short (1-2 yards): High-percentage bangers.
- 3rd & Long (7+ yards): Sticks-movers and screens.
- Red Zone: Where the field shrinks and windows get tight.
- Two-Minute Drill: Plays that get out of bounds or stop the clock.
If you organize this way, the game slows down. You stop "guessing" and start "responding." Bill Walsh, the father of the West Coast Offense, was the pioneer of scripting the start of the game. He realized that the human brain is better at decision-making when it has already done the heavy lifting on a Tuesday night in a quiet office.
The Physical Build: Front and Back
Let's talk about the actual paper. Most guys use 8.5" x 14" (legal size) because it gives you that extra bit of real estate. You laminate it—obviously—because sweat, rain, or spilled Gatorade will turn a regular piece of paper into a soggy mess by the second quarter.
The front side is usually your "Main Menu." This is where the situational stuff lives. The back side? That’s for your "Reference Library." This includes your roster by number (in case a backup has to go in and you forget his name), your penalty reminders, and maybe a small chart for 2-point conversions.
Some coaches, like Chip Kelly during his time at Oregon, used those massive boards or even picture cards. It was about speed. If you’re running a no-huddle, tempo-based offense, your football play calling sheet needs to be even leaner. You can’t be squinting at 8-point Calibri font when you're trying to snap the ball every 18 seconds.
Dealing with the "Defensive Mind"
You also have to account for what the guy across the field is doing. If the opposing defensive coordinator is a "blitz-heavy" guy, you need a dedicated "Blitz Beaters" section. This should be smack in the middle of your sheet.
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It’s about "if-then" logic. If they bring the house, then we throw the hot route to the slant. Don’t make yourself hunt for it.
Font Sizes and Eye Fatigue
This sounds nerdy, but it matters. By the fourth quarter, you’re tired. Your eyes are strained. If your font is too small, you'll misread "62 F-Angle" as "62 F-Anchor." One is a touchdown; the other is a sack-fury.
Use at least a 10-point font. Use bold headers. Use white space. White space is your friend. It gives your eyes a place to rest so the text doesn't all blur together into a grey smudge.
I’ve seen coaches use different colored highlighters to mark plays they've already called. It prevents you from becoming predictable. If you look down and see that "Power O" is already highlighted twice in the first quarter, maybe it's time to dial up the play-action version of it.
The Scripted 15
The "Script" is a subset of your football play calling sheet. Usually, it’s the first two drives. You aren't necessarily calling these to score—though that’s the goal—you’re calling them to see how the defense reacts.
How do they align to your 3x1 formation?
Do they swap their linebackers when you go in motion?
Who is the "force" player on outside runs?
Once you get through the script, you go to the situational boxes. It's a rhythm. It’s a flow. When people talk about a play-caller being "in the zone," they’re usually talking about a guy whose sheet is so well-organized that he’s always one step ahead of the defensive adjustments.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Game
Stop trying to look like an NFL coach with a massive sheet if you only have 20 plays in your playbook. It’s embarrassing and inefficient.
- Audit your playbook. Identify the 5 plays that work 80% of the time. Put those in a "Money" box right at the top.
- Group by "The Why." Instead of grouping by formation, create boxes for "Need a First Down," "Shot Plays (Deep)," and "Safe Throws."
- Use "Legal" paper and heavy lamination. It’s more durable and fits more without feeling cramped.
- Practice calling from the sheet. Don't let the first time you look at the finished product be on Friday night. Carry it during practice. Get used to where your eyes need to go.
- Leave room for notes. Carry a fine-tip Sharpie. If you notice the cornerback is playing 10 yards off every time you’re in "Trips," write that down. It’ll lead to a comeback route later that wins the game.
Designing a football play calling sheet is an iterative process. You’ll hate your first version. By week 5, you’ll have crossed things out and moved boxes around. By the playoffs, it’ll be a finely tuned instrument that feels like an extension of your own brain.
Keep it clean. Keep it fast. And for heaven's sake, make sure the font is big enough to read when your heart is pounding at 140 beats per minute.