Shooting Football (USA variety) Technique

[zackojones]

When you shoot a football game what technique do you use to follow the action?

Sometimes I find myself looking in one place when the action is taking place on

a different part of the field. Do you track the football or do you pick a

specific player and track that player for the whole play or do you use some

other technique?

 

Attached is a tight crop from one of the pictures I took last Friday night.

That's my boy making a tackle early in the game.<div></div>

[darrendrevik]

<p>Normally at the snap I look for what are called "keys." Your son can explain what they are. The most common one is to watch the offensive linemen at the snap. If they fire forward, it's usually a running play, and you can quickly zoom in as the quarterback hands off the ball to a runner and then follow the play.</p>

<p>If the linemen stand up or back slightly at the snap, it's usually a passing play (they can't be downfield when the ball is thrown), so I'll choose either to zero in on the quarterback and wait for him to throw or roll out, or glance downfield and find the receiver that the QB is eying and see if the ball goes his way. </p>

<p>The situation also can allow you to anticipate and get a better shot. Think run on a 3rd and 1, and think pass on a 3rd and 20.</P>

<p>If you're shooting the defensive team, best to line up about 10-12 yards behind the line of scrimmage and shoot the linemen shooting the gaps, or the linebackers defending the play. You can also get good shots of QB sacks and runners thrown for losses from this vantage point.</p>

<p>Don't forget the human interest stuff. Point your camera at the sidelines and the stands occasionally. The best shot I ever took of my brother's football career was him on the sideline caked in turf watching stoically as his team was going down to defeat.</p><div></div>

[wilsontsoi]

Zack, Darren's "Keys" clue makes lots of sense, but I normally keep in mind of what the down and yardage situation is and anticipate the play with one eye in the finder and another keeps tab of peripherals. You can track either the ball or the players as both methods are valid and it has to do more on whether you're trying to capture a certain play (more often) or a certain player (a checklist to work off.) Third-and-long I'd be tracking the receivers down field, but if third-and-goal at the 1, obviously you'll want to track the RB or a QB sneak. I think that the more you shoot, the more you develop your own shooting style/skill and become more fluid at shooting the game (as evident in "Tackle" image.)<div></div>

[wilsontsoi]

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[wilsontsoi]

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[wilsontsoi]

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[mark newcombe www.mcnphoto]

Nothing beats a good knowledge of the game, shooting one team over time will give you a goood idea of what play is coming, we try to capture every player and use check lists like Wilson said.

 

Great as usual Wilson.

[zackojones]

Darren: Thanks for the info. I'm a former offensive guard so I have some knowledge of the game but the idea of keying on what the linemen are doing will be very helpful to me.

 

Wilson: What can I say - you are the master. You should write a book on this stuff. Being able to predict what type of play that is coming up based upon yardage needed for first down will help me.

 

Mark: I've watched this team for two years but it's a whole lot different watching from the stands and being on the side lines. The idea of using a checklist is a good one. I will try that this week when I shoot the 9th grade and JV games.

 

I shot a cross country meet today - oy I have a lot to learn still :)

 

Thanks again for the great advice!