There is no physical aggression and acts with the two hand touch rule much like children playing recess football.
The event focuses on the skill position players, positions excluding offensive and defensive lineman. Teams get to display their passing game and practice defending against other teams’ passing threats.
Those familiar with aspects of football would explain that this give the offense the ability to understand defensive coverage while working on wide receiver, tight end, and running back route running assignments. It also gives quarterbacks the ability to see different defensive schemes and pass coverages to better understand how to read into defensive maneuvers to better complete passes.
On the flip side, the defense gets to witness various offensive passing attacks to work on the coverage of the field. The defense works on how to cover wide receivers, tight ends and running backs based on man to man coverage or zone coverage in which the defense spreads the field based on sectors.
An event such as a passing league tournament promotes confidence in one’s position assignments and helps to develop younger players for the future. There is little pressure, which creates room for growth and maturity in particular areas of football knowledge. The coaches get to evaluate the team’s and individual player’s performance and progress through the summer workout program to see what needs to be worked on and their strengths moving into the season.
The schools that attended this particular tournament were Dodge County, Telfair County, Bleckley County, Perry, West Laurens and Hawkinsville.
Dodge showed great potential with room for improvement, as did every team. What Dodge lacks in seasoned skill position players and experience, they make up for with tenacity and the will to out work their opponent, as has been seen in recent years under guidance of coach Rex Hodges.
The Indians’ schedule takes flight with a scrimmage against the Hawkinsville Red Devils on Friday, August 12, 2016 at home in Memorial Stadium at 7:30 p.m.