You Never Stop Scouting Your Opponent – Bill Edwards

by Bill Edwards - Head Coach, Hofstra

Originally published in October 2010 edition of Fastpitch Delivery

Bill Edwards' belief in the "game within a game" philosophy is one of the biggest tools in his coaching arsenal. This two-part series detailing this philosophy begins this month with "You Never Stop Scouting Your Opponent" and will conclude next month with "Defensive Game Planning."

As someone who has coached football, ice hockey and softball at a high level, I can tell you there is nothing more compelling than a baseball or softball game. There is no other sport out there that requires its coaches and players to make as many adjustments over the course of a contest that our sport does.

The "game within a game" is not something that is particularly unique to our sport, but I promise in no other sport is as critical as in our game. In the average softball game, there are sometimes over 200 "games within the games." As coaches, we can't just manage the game as a whole; in order to be successful, we have to manage every pitch of every game.

In an interview with legendary pitcher Greg Maddux, he talked about how he gained information from batters on every pitch he threw by the way they reacted to his pitches. He would then plan his next pitches based on the information he received. This is a prime example of the "game within a game" concept. It is great to have a game plan going into the game, but successful coaches alter that plan as the game progresses based on the things we see on the field.

This concept of a "game within a game" in no way diminishes the importance of having a game plan coming into the contest, because knowing as much as possible about your opponent ahead of time is the cornerstone of coaching strategy.

Scouting is obviously an important part of any game we play, but where we as coaches fail a lot of times is that we stop scouting on game day. Scouting is a process that obviously starts a few days to a week before the game, but it does not end until the last out is recorded.

When scouting, the first thing we need to collect is firsthand information – information we have received from either watching them play from the stands, having a playing history against a certain team or from game video. Game video is really the best form of analysis in that you get any information you need from it at your pace and on your time. Breaking down game video has become a very important element in establishing offensive and defensive game plans.

The first thing we should establish in our scouting report is each hitter's individual spray chart. A spray chart is a record that shows where each batter hits the ball in the field during each at bat. Once we have the chart, there are several things we can glean from it. When closely analyzed, the hitting chart can give us a glimpse into the personality of the hitter. Whether they are aggressive and confident, whether they are conservative and defensive with their swings, how they react to each pitch, where do they position themselves in the batter's box, how do they react to a change-up, are they working over or under the ball, are they pull conscientious or inside-out and what swing tendencies they have in certain situations are all examples of the wealth of information we can obtain from a hitter's spray chart to build their personality profile.

The next thing we can get from the chart is the hitter's speed if they are a slap hitter. We need to know the speed of a slap hitter so that we can figure out how we will defend against them and how we will pitch to them. Another thing to determine from the chart is whether or not the hitter is a "full-plate" slapper. A "full-plate" slapper is a player that is able to power slap, soft tap, hard tap and bunt, in other words they are able to do it all. Once we determine the type of slapper a hitter is we can then take the speed of the slapper and her capabilities at the plate and use that information to set our defense. The hitter's spray chart will also tell us how to shade or defend based on the percentage of times they hit to a certain area of the field and on what type of pitch they are hitting the ball.

Another great pre-game and game day tool is our pitching charts. These help us analyze not only what types of pitches have been and are thrown, but the results of those pitches as well. Using present and previous pitching charts tells us the success, or sometimes lack there of, of each of the hitters that a pitcher faces. This is especially helpful when analyzing a previous opponent. Pitching charts help us not only analyze the inning-to-inning history of the current game, but past charts help us figure out in advance how we will approach each hitter. This prevents us from falling into pitching patterns and it allows us to analyze a match-up or in some cases helps prevent us for sending our pitcher into a mismatch later in the game at a more critical time.

The last chart we use in this evaluation is a team chart. From this team chart we can find out a team's weaknesses and strengths; we can figure out which players to attack and how to defend against their players. A few things that the team chart will tell us is what first and third defense we can use, what bunt charges we can utilize, any special defenses available to defend their strengths and expose their weaknesses, when and who can we "pinch" our middle infielders for a double play, who is tipping pitches or location and what is the catcher's pop time.

Another great source of information before the game is statistics. We can get stats really in one of three ways – a previous game with them, watching them play, whether in person or on tape, and from the Internet. The amount of statistical, for lack of a better word, "stuff" that is on the Internet today is incredible. Programs such a PalmScout, RightView Pro and Dartfish are a wealth of information and can really help you nail down your game-day plan; however, we have to be careful not to get too caught up in stats and analysis.

Statistics do not always tell the whole story, particularly on a player's good or bad day. The things you see on game day may be a better indicator of what the stats are telling you. The final warning on stats is to be careful of overloading yourself with information and over analyzing that information. Remember that even though there have been many technological advances in our sport as relates to scouting in the past several years, sometimes the best indicator is still your "gut."

The next time we can collect information is during pre-game. There are several opportunities to get information to help adjust our game plan even just minutes before the game. You can watch batting practice and take notes, mental or written if you are able, and you can also watch the bullpen to pick-up great, last-minute pitching information. Another great opportunity is to watch the infield/outfield session and to look for you opponent's weaknesses and strengths that your team can exploit. You can also study pitchers and hitters in the downtime of the game itself by watching warm-up pitches, hitters in the on-deck circle and hitters that swing between pitches. While swinging between pitches may not seem like a big deal, the players that do this are actually giving the opposing team extra chances to scout their swing.

Once the game starts is actually when the "game within in a game" begins as well. We can pick up so much information just by observing. By watching hitters we cannot only figure out their personalities, their approach, their strengths and their weaknesses, but we can also help create situations to defend by dictating the pitch we need the batter to hit. This helps ensure that when the game is on the line that we have their hitters hitting pitches that play to our defensive strengths.

While we might like to think we, as coaches are immune to the scouting process, in reality we are as big of a "tell" of our team as our best player. By watching and listening to another coach's verbal cues, their signs and observing their general demeanor, we can determine how they will approach certain offensive and defensive situations. This also goes for a team's system or the way they operate, and other personnel besides the head coach. Watching these things can give us further insight into the way that team approaches the game and sometimes their general team philosophy.

These bits of information we receive from other coaches usually fall into one of two categories: information about the team of that coach's philosophy or information about a certain player. All of the information that you gather while listening to the other coach, whether it involves the team or an individual hitter, should be recorded for later use.

Team information should go on the team defensive chart and individual hitter information should go on that hitter's spray chart. Having this information for later use will prove invaluable whether you are facing that team later the day in the second part of a doubleheader or if you meet them at the end of the season in the conference tournament.

Comments made by a coach on one side of the ball can also give us insight into their philosophy or approach to the other side of the ball. For example, a lot of time you can pick up on a coach's offensive tendencies or philosophy by listening to what they say on the defensive side of the ball. Watch when they pitch out, hit and run or when they pull their corners in. When coaches make comments like "good time to be going" or "watch out for the bunt," they might be giving you their philosophy on what they would do if they were in that situation.

One example of information about a specific player is one we have probably all heard and maybe even said ourselves. If you hear the other coach says, "Lay off the high one," we know that the player they are talking to is usually aggressive towards the high pitch. While this may seem obvious to some, it is one of those things that when we get caught up in the heat of battle, we sometimes overlook.

In the movie Any Given Sunday, Al Pacino's character, in a pregame speech to his team, makes the statement that "The inches we need are everywhere around us. They are in every break of the game, every minute, every second." While that movie may have been about football, it absolutely applies to our sport as well. The tools and information we need to be successful are all around us; the challenge comes in training ourselves to find that information and use it to our advantage.

About the Author...

Edwards has led Hofstra to the regional finals of the NCAA Tournament in the 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2010 seasons, and helped the Pride capture a remarkable 11 straight conference tournament titles from 1998-2008, which is an NCAA Division I record for softball. His career record stands at 766-363-3 in 21 seasons, ranking him in the top 25 in NCAA history in career winning percentage.

Edwards guided Hofstra to a school record-tying 45 wins in 2010, as the team won the CAA regular season title, swept through the CAA Tournament, and advanced to the NCAA Regional finals with two wins over No. 14 Oklahoma State. The Pride took third-ranked (and eventual runner-up) Arizona to 12 innings in the regional finals before falling 10-6. Edwards earned the CAA Coach of the Year honor for the third year in a row for his efforts.

The Pride also earned 45 wins in 2008, including two at the NCAA Regionals in Hempstead as it advanced to the regional finals for the third time. The Pride finished with a 45-13 record, while winning the Colonial Athletic Association regular season and postseason championships, earning Edwards the CAA Coach of the Year award. He also won the CAA Coach of the Year honor in 2009 after leading Hofstra to the regular season title with a 14-3 mark in conference play.

Prior to its 45 wins in 2008, the previous school record of 43 was set in 2005, when Hofstra reached the NCAA Regional finals at Alabama with a 2-1 win over Arizona State. The year before, he led the Pride to the 2004 NCAA Regional finals at Stanford University, where the Pride won four games and fell just one win shy of reaching the Women's College World Series. Hofstra has won 14 NCAA Tournament games since 2003, including victories over Penn State, Nebraska, Auburn, Stanford, Oklahoma State and Arizona State, while defeating five pitchers who earned All-America honors during their careers.

While the last decade has been especially noteworthy on a national level, the Hofstra Softball program has also displayed consistent excellence over his 20-year career. Edwards and company have garnered 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, including six straight from 2003-08. In each of the last 19 seasons under Edwards, the Pride has won either a regular season or a postseason conference title, including 11 straight tournament championships from 1998-2008, breaking the previous record of nine straight conference titles set by Massachusetts from 1995-2003.

Edwards, who has been a part of 20 straight winning seasons at Hofstra, coached the Pride to a #21 ranking in the final 2004 NCAA Division I Softball Poll, and a #20 ranking in the final 1994 poll. He has also led the Pride to #1 rankings in the Northeast Region Poll in 1993, 1994, 1997 and 2000.

Edwards has been named the Regional Coach of the Year 10 times in his career (1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008). His players have also earned All-America honors from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association five times, including twice by Crystal Boyd (1993, 1994) and once apiece from Alicia Smith (2000), Lisa Ciavardini (2000) and Amanda Hallaway (2003).

During the 2000 season, Edwards and the Pride set a then-school record with 42 wins, marking the third time that they had reached the 40-win plateau. Hofstra also won their third consecutive America East Championship and earned their second straight automatic bid to NCAA Regionals, where they defeated Louisiana-Lafayette before being eliminated 2-1 by seventh-ranked LSU.

In 1995, Hofstra's first season in the North Atlantic Conference, Edwards led the squad to a school-record 41-21 mark, the North Atlantic Conference Championship and a berth in Hofstra's second NCAA Tournament. For his efforts, Edwards was selected as the North Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year and Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year. Edwards was also named the East Coast Conference Coach of the Year (1994) earlier in his career.

Edwards came to Hofstra from Commack High School where he coached softball for nine years. During his tenure at Commack, his teams compiled a 118-61 record and reached the Suffolk County Class A playoffs in seven of those nine years. His 1988 squad captured the Suffolk County championship and the Long Island championship, and finished third in the New York State Tournament.

Since 1986 Edwards has also served as head softball coach for the P.S.I. Couriers, an Amateur Softball Association (ASA) summer team. His 1987 team captured the Mid-Atlantic region championship and finished fifth in the national tournament, which marked the first time a Long Island team had competed in the national tournament. The P.S.I. Couriers also finished second in the region in 1986 and third in 1988 and 1989. He is also a past president of the Suffolk County Softball Coaches Association.

Edwards, a teacher in the Commack School District from 1967 through 1999, worked and coached at John F. Kennedy Junior High School, Wood Park Elementary School and Commack High School. He served two stints as freshman football coach at Kennedy Junior High School from 1972 through 1976, and 1979 and 1980, and was also the freshman baseball coach from 1975 through 1980. When he moved on to Commack, Edwards served as offensive coordinator from 1981 through 1983. During those three years, Commack won three league titles, two conference championships and one Suffolk County championship. In 1993 he served as head football coach at Commack.

In addition, Edwards also served as head ice hockey coach at Iona College from 1968 through 1979. At Iona, his teams posted a 174-58-14 record and captured four Metropolitan Collegiate championships. In 1988 Edwards was inducted into the Iona College Sports Hall of Fame.

Edwards and his wife, Janie, have two grown daughters, Shari, who played NCAA Division I softball at Northern Illinois University and coached at Hofstra, and Karen, a licensed practical nurse. Edwards received a bachelor's in physical education from Northern Michigan University in 1967 and a master's from the University at Stony Brook in 1975. The Edwards family resides in Nesconset, New York.