Preparing for the Playoffs

Play every weekend of your season like it was the playoff. Playoff require you to beat a good team saturday and a better one sunday.

1. You must develop team wide habits to play all 22 players in your saturday match. Pick as strategy and stick with it. Either start top side Saturday and then pull key players to rest them when you are dominating, or start weaker side and sub studs if you are losing. Whatever the strategy work on it. Share it with the players, get them on board.

2. You don't have to list your 7 subs by name on saturday, this took AFA 2 years to discover. Use your first 15 saturday, sub b-siders if you are dominating sub your studs if you are even or losing. Whatever you do play 22 players every a-side game.

3. Our AFA sub strategy way 3 player at 3o minutes, 3 players at 50 minutes, and 1 player as needed where ever. This give players a change to get in the groove before and after half time.

4. Sunday should start 5-8 fresh players. Really 5-8 players--your A-side who did not play a minute saturday.

5. Getting the team psychologically, and physically ready for playoff is essential. Psychologically they need to understand the need for subs, the need for starters and the need for a top squad of 25-35 players. Div II teams might only have 25 top player, but you need everyone to be ready to have their position substituted and to be ready to come off the bency.

6. Physically playing 2 games is brutal. Have subs sit down--standing is taxing on. Have all players take and ice bath saturday night--it reduces swelling and healing. Good diet and nutrition and sleep is required to heal between playoff game. Laying down, resting physically and mentally is the key to winning on sunday.

7. Every player and coach need to understand this strategy. Regular season is significantly different from playoff rugby.