Please enlighten me

[SoonerNorm]

I have never understood the concept of "halftime adjustment". What can be fixed at halftime that can't be fixed during a timeout?

 

[MsProudSooner]

I have never understood the concept of "halftime adjustment". What can be fixed at halftime that can't be fixed during a timeout?

Something that takes longer to explain than a timeout allows? Also, if you make your adjustment at halftime rather than before the half, the opponent doesn't have as much time to adjust to your adjustment.

I've always remembered an OU/Texas men's game against UT in Austin while Kelvin was here. The first half had been very tight. In the second half, Kelvin moved Renzi from the low post to the high post and he passed the ball to open cutters. UT wasn't able to adjust at all and I think we ended up winning by 20 points.

 

[womenssports]

Something that takes longer to explain than a timeout allows? Also, if you make your adjustment at halftime rather than before the half, the opponent doesn't have as much time to adjust to your adjustment.

I've always remembered an OU/Texas men's game against UT in Austin while Kelvin was here. The first half had been very tight. In the second half, Kelvin moved Renzi from the low post to the high post and he passed the ball to open cutters. UT wasn't able to adjust at all and I think we ended up winning by 20 points.

Good response. Not sure I get the waiting so they do not have time to respond, though not saying you are not correct.........and, though I imagine there are adjustments made throughout the game, it is halftime, not only when you can explain it to the players but also when, I would expect the coaches have time to formulate a plan and talk and realize things that need to be done.

 

[rocjunkie]

Excellent posts and examples. Remember, during timeouts you may have other coaches talking to you about specifics, you have loud music blaring in the background, among a plethora of distractions. At half time you have 13 minutes of actual class room like quiet to go over changes and adjustments and all the players attention. A totally different environment and you can keep all the players focused on the game plan for the second half. It really is a different animal.

 

[soonermike22]

Also, on the side line you have verbal instructions, and a clipboard sized greaseboard to give changes to a circle of players. At half, you have a wall mounted board, and chairs or benches where players can all see and hear easily. And ask questions more easily. Some players understand better with a good visual explanation rather than only verbal instruction

 

[badger]

What can be fixed at halftime

The chalkboard after Kelvin throws a chair at it during the Big 12 tourney title game.

 

[SoonerNorm]

Here's an example...in our last football game even the announcers were screaming the entire first half that we should be running the ball. Everyone watching, except the coaches, knew it too. Lo and behold, at halftime the coaches made an "adjustment" and started running the ball and we pulled away easily. Back to my original question, why couldn't that adjustment have taken place in the first 5 minutes of the first half?

Basketball is even easier to make adjustments because there are only 5 players on the court. I don't think any coach installs a new offense or defense during a game. Most changes are minor corrections throughout the course of the game just about all of which have been practiced several times. It was mentioned that Kelvin moved Renzi to the high post following halftime and we pulled away to a 20pt win. Did it really take the halftime break to tell Renzi to go to the high post and which players should cut to the basket? I don't mean to be sarcastic to any of the posters here, my sarcasm is directed to coaches who seem to think it requires a halftime break to make appropriate corrections.

 

[sybarite]

Sometimes, you have to assume that the opposing coach has a brain, too. If you pull out the post to a high post position, how many ways are there for the opposing coach to counter? Can he simply cover your post with a forward because he isn't that great of a shooter? If his post is drawn out, does he have another rebounder underneath? Will that likely give him the baseline? How do you counter his counter? If he counters with A, you have to counter that with B. But, if he counters it with C, you probably would have more success countering with D. The various options might be difficult to explain in a time out.

I think a lot of the time, the halftime is simply a chance to restore the psychology. They caught you off guard, and you didn't respond well. You are on your heels. It is tough to settle a team down with a time out. Getting into the lockerroom can provide your team with a chance to restore their emotions. That may be difficult to do in front of 100,000 screaming football fans or 10,000 basketball fans.

Already, we have seen some different halves. Baylor/Kentucky was a tale of two halves. OU/Creighton was a story of two halves. Time outs hadn't done a thing.

 

[MsProudSooner]

I remember Billy Tubbs saying that he usually didn't like to press on defense much in the first half because the opponents could adjust at half time. He said he always preferred to go to the press more in the second half for this reason.