One of the most frustrating things about water restoration is getting a call from the adjuster saying your invoice is too high. During my 14 + years in the water restoration business I have gotten plenty of calls from adjusters saying that my price is too high on this dehumidifier or this fan, etc. This used to bug me until I learned the secret to prevent most of these calls, COMMUNICATION & DOCUMENTATION. Remember that the adjuster has to justify his work to his boss and as long as the price and scope of work can be justified then it will be paid.
The football spread offense has become one of the most popular high school and college plays in today's football. Here is an article about a new type of spread offense.
The football spread offense has become one of the most popular high school and college plays in today's football. Here is an article about a new type of spread offense.
The football spread offense lets you be more aggressive on offense. You can win football games using the spread offense even if your opponent has better talent.
I talked with former a former NFL player and Head Football Coach Bill Renner and he are some of his ideas about the Spread Offense for Football.
"Establish a Beach head" Once we determine which assault method, run or pass, is the most effective versus our opponent, we will use this as the primary means to attack them 80% of the time. The other 20% of the time we will mix in one of the other attack methods. We want to have two means of attack to not allow the defense to hone in on our primary method and adjust to it. At the same time, we want to consider taking what the defense is permitting us either run or pass. Both systems, run and pass, need to be simple yet provide you with the answers to whatever the defense shows you.
"One Bit of Territory at a Time" - Do not try to beat the opponent in the 1st, 2nd or 3rd quarter, beat them gradually, control them. We want to have an offensive attack that they cannot stop from the 1st quarter through the 4th quarter and play all offensive situations the same, aggressive and attacking. We do not change offenses for down-distance, being ahead, being behind, goal line/short yardage, last play, two-minute, etc. The 5 Wide Attack Spread Offense works for all situations and allows us to keep taking territory, little by little. We ALWAYS remember that no amount of points are ever enough for them or us!
The football spread offense lets you be more aggressive on offense. You can win football games using the spread offense even if your opponent has better talent.
I talked with former a former NFL player and Head Football Coach Bill Renner and he are some of his ideas about the Spread Offense for Football.
"Establish a Beach head" Once we determine which assault method, run or pass, is the most effective versus our opponent, we will use this as the primary means to attack them 80% of the time. The other 20% of the time we will mix in one of the other attack methods. We want to have two means of attack to not allow the defense to hone in on our primary method and adjust to it. At the same time, we want to consider taking what the defense is permitting us either run or pass. Both systems, run and pass, need to be simple yet provide you with the answers to whatever the defense shows you.
"One Bit of Territory at a Time" - Do not try to beat the opponent in the 1st, 2nd or 3rd quarter, beat them gradually, control them. We want to have an offensive attack that they cannot stop from the 1st quarter through the 4th quarter and play all offensive situations the same, aggressive and attacking. We do not change offenses for down-distance, being ahead, being behind, goal line/short yardage, last play, two-minute, etc. The 5 Wide Attack Spread Offense works for all situations and allows us to keep taking territory, little by little. We ALWAYS remember that no amount of points are ever enough for them or us!
Starting off the job on the right foot is important. You should always get a work authorization signed by the insured before starting work. A work authorization will allow some insurance companies to be able to pay you directly or at least get your name on the check.
Then as soon as the initial mitigation is performed, call the adjuster and let him/her know what you did. This can be done on the way back to your office. During this conversation just let the adjuster know what you saw when you arrived and what you decided to do about. During this conversation I generally try to steer away from talking about pricing. If they ask about it then I will talk about it, but for me this is more of an information phone call to the adjuster. At this point, usually the adjuster has not been there and so to call and inform him/her what is going on is my main objective.
Next, you should have an itemized invoice. The invoice should include your company name, address, (so they can send the check) and your Taxpayer Identification Number. Each room that work was performed in should be separate and have measurements down to the nearest inch. Then within each room list each item or piece of equipment. At this point it is good to comment on the items that are most questioned, such as cost of dehumidifiers, number of fans, extraction, etc. Place comments with the items, if your estimating software will let you, justifying why you charge what you do for a dehumidifier or why you had 3 fans in a 6 x 6 room. Anything that could be questioned comment on it. To me this is one of the most important parts of the invoicing process. Yes, it is time consuming but the adjuster will be able to see the reasoning behind the line item. This alone may prevent most calls.
Next include a copy of the signed work authorization and signed certificate of satisfaction. This not only shows that the customer was satisfied but that they authorized you to do the work. Make sure that your work authorization form includes a section in it that would allow the insurance company to be able to pay you directly. I, personally, had my lawyer look over my form to make sure it was accomplishing what I wanted it to accomplish. I would strongly suggest that you do the same no matter whether you got a generic form from somewhere or you came up with your own form.
Another tool that helps justify your bill to the adjuster is your daily humidity readings. You should be keeping the temperature, relative humidity, and grains (gpp) inside, outside, unaffected area, dehumidifier(s), and the HVAC. By doing this you will be able to learn about what is going on during the job. For example, several years ago we opened up a new refrigerant dehumidifier and took it straight to a job. When we got there and turned it on we started running our pshychrometric readings and discovered that there was a problem with the dehumidifier. It was great to find that out then and not the next day when we would have had a lot of evaporation and no dehumidification. Using the grain readings can also help you prove that the equipment was off, a door was opened that you wanted closed, a window got opened, etc. When this is used correctly then you can prove to the adjuster why you needed an extra day. Also make sure to include plenty of comments to go with your readings to help explain what you saw.
To go along with your daily humidity readings try including a graph from a data logger. Data loggers can be set to record the temperature and relative humidity as often as you would like. I like to set ours to record every minute and this gives you a good graph of what is happening on the job. When the job is complete then print the graph and turn it in with your invoice. Just like with your daily readings a graph will help prove what you saw happening on the job. (i.e. door left open, window open, equipment turned off, etc.) Taking an hour meter reading off your equipment at several points in the job can also help prove when things were not running and should be turned in as part of your documentation.
Kevin Pearson is a partner in Pearson Carpet Care. He has over 17 years experience in the cleaning and restoration business. He serves on several committees with the IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification) and is on the board of directors of the PCRA (Professional Cleaning and Restoration Alliance). Kevin has dried building in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. He has extensive experience drying residential homes but has also dried office buildings, chemical plants, historical homes, Southern Methodist University, Stephen F. Austin State University, The Toyota Center (where the Houston Rockets play) and more.
I am a former NFL Football player and I want to talk today about offensive lineman. My friend and fellow Football University Coach Irv Eatman spoke to me about some practice drills that are great for offensive lineman.
Offensive formations
Before the ball is snapped the offensive team lines up in a formation. Most teams have a "base" formation they prefer to line up in, while other teams leave the defense guessing. Teams will often have "special formations" which they only use in obvious passing situations, short yardage or goaline situations, or formations they have developed for that particular game just to confuse the defense. Because there are a nearly unlimited number of possible formations, only a few of the more common ones are listed below.
Pro Set
The Pro Set is a traditional formation commonly, a "base" set used by professional and amateur teams. The formation has two wide receivers, one tight end, and two running backs with the backs split behind the quarterback, who is lined up behind center. The running backs are lined up side-by-side instead of one in front of the other as in traditional I-Formation sets.
Shotgun formation
The Shotgun formation is an alignment used by the offensive team in American and Canadian football. This formation is used by many teams in obvious passing situations, although other teams do use this as their base formation. In the shotgun, instead of the quarterback receiving the snap from center at the line of scrimmage, he stands at least 5 yards back. Sometimes the quarterback will have a back on one or both sides before the snap, while other times he will be the lone player in the backfield with everyone spread out as receivers. One of the advantages of the shotgun formation are that the passer has more time to set up in the pocket which gives him a second or two to locate open receivers. Another advantage is that standing further back from the line before the snap gives the quarterback a better "look" at the defensive alignment. The disadvantages are that the defense knows a pass is more than likely coming up (although some running plays can be run effectively from the shotgun) and there is a higher risk of a botched snap than in a simple center/quarterback exchange.
The formation got its name after it was used by a professional football club, the San Francisco 49ers, in 1960. Combining elements of the short punt and spread formations ("spread" in that it had receivers spread widely instead of close to or behind the interior line players), it was said to be like a "shotgun" in spraying receivers around the field like a scatter-shot gun. Formations similar or identical to the shotgun used decades previously would be called names such as "spread double wing". Short punt formations (so called because the distance between the snapper and the ostensible punter is shorter than in long punt formation) don't usually have as much emphasis on wide receivers.
At times the formation has been more common in Canadian football, which allows only three downs to move ten yards downfield instead of the American game's four. Canadian teams are therefore more likely to find themselves with long yardage to make on the penultimate down, and therefore more likely to line up in the shotgun to increase their opportunities for a large gain. Teams such as the Saskatchewan Roughriders utilize the shotgun for a vast majority of their plays.
Wishbone formation
The wishbone formation, also known simply as 'bone, is a play formation in American football.
The wishbone is primarily a running formation with one wide receiver, one tight end and three running backs behind the quarterback (who takes the snap under center). The back lined up behind the quarterback is the fullback and the other two are halfbacks (although they may be called tailbacks or I backs in some playbook terminology).
The wishbone is often associated with the option as this formation allows the quarterback to easily run the option to either side of the line. It is also ideal for running the triple option.
History
The wishbone was developed by Offensive Coordinator Emory Bellard and Head Coach Darrell Royal at the University of Texas in 1968. Coach Royal was always a fan of the option offense, and in looking at the personnel on the team, Coach Bellard saw three great running backs. After experimenting with family members over the summer, Coach Bellard came up with the formation.
Coach Bellard demonstrated the formation to Darrell Royal, who quickly embraced the idea. It proved to be a wise choice: Texas tied its first game running the new offense, lost the second, and then won the next thirty straight games, leading to two National Championships using the formation.
It was given the name wishbone by the Houston Chronicle sportswriter Mickey Herskowitz.
A variation to this formation is called the flexbone.
I formation
The I formation is one of the most common offensive formations in American football. The I formation draws its name from the vertical (as viewed from the opposing endzone) alignment of quarterback, fullback, and running back, particularly when contrasted with the same players' alignments in the now-archaic T formation.
The formation begins with the usual 5 offensive linemen (2 offensive tackles, 2 guards, and a center), the quarterback under center, and two backs in-line behind the quarterback. The base variant adds a tight end to one side of the line and two wide receivers, one at each end of the line.
Typical roles
The I formation is typically employed in running situations. The fullback typically fills a blocking, rather than rushing or receiving, role in the modern game. With the fullback in the backfield as a blocker, runs can be made to either side of the line with his additional blocking support. This is contrasted with the use of tight ends as blockers who, being set up at the end of the line, are able to support runs to one side of the line only. The fullback can also be used as a feint--since the defense can spot him more easily than the running back, they may be drawn in his direction while the running back takes the ball the opposite way.
Despite the emphasis on the running game, the I formation remains an effective base for a passing attack. The formation supports up to three wide receivers and many running backs serve as an additional receiving threat. While the fullback is rarely a pass receiver, he serves as a capable additional pass blocker protecting the quarterback before the pass. The running threat posed by the formation also lends itself to the play-action pass. The flexible nature of the formation also helps prevent defenses from focusing their attention on either the run or pass.
Common variations
Many subtypes of the I formation exist, generally emphasizing the running or passing strengths of the base version.
* The Big I places a tight end on each side of the offensive line (removing a wide receiver). Coupled with the fullback's blocking, this allows two additional blockers for a run in either direction. This is a running-emphasis variant.
* The Power I replaces one wide receiver with a third back (fullback or running back) in the backfield, set up to one side of the fullback. This is a running-emphasis variant.
* The Jumbo or Goal-line formation further extends the Power I or Big I, adding a second or third tight end to the line, respectively. This variant has no wide receivers and is all but exclusively a running formation intended to reliably gain minimal yardage, most commonly two yards or less.
* The Three-wide I replaces the tight end with a third wide receiver. This is a passing-emphasis variant.
The I formation, in any variant, can also be modified as Strong or Weak. In either case, the fullback lines up roughly a yard laterally to his usual position. Strong refers to a move towards the side of the quarterback with more players, weak in the opposite direction. These modifications have little effect on expected play call.
In Professional Football
In the NFL, the I formation is less frequently used than in college, as the use of the fullback as a blocker has given way to formations with additional tight ends and wide receivers, who may be called on to block during running plays. The increasingly common ace formation replaces the fullback with an additional receiver, who lines up along the line of scrimmage. The I will typically be used in short-yardage and goal line situations.
Goal Line formation
Single set Back
Single set back is a base formation in American Football used by the offensive team which requires only one running back behind the quarterback. There are many variations on single back formations including two tight ends and two wide receivers, one tight end/three wide receivers, etc. The running back can line up directly behind the quarterback or offset either the weak side (away from the tight end) or the strong side(towards the tight end).
On all drills, we base the fact that we want our lineman to be lateral movers. We want the to be able to move side to side. We want them to be able to slide there feet. In each drill we teach them not to turn away fro the line of scrimmage. We do not want there hips and shoulders to open. We want everything in front of them like a baseball catcher.
Drills number one - Running ropes
First week we have them hit every other hole. Hands chin high. Arms flexed like a boxer. Hand six to eight inches from there chin so they can still punch. We go down and back and down and back 4 times. This is not a speed drill.
Second week we have them start standing besides the ropes. As they go through the ropes we grab them and hit them to see if they and stay balanced?
Drill number two - Wave Drill
The wave drill emphasizes change of direction and lateral movement. You can have some fun with this drill. You can catch the lineman off balance when they are not concentrating. It is a good drill to teach them to keep there shoulders square.
Drill number three - Big Bertha Bag Drill
We have big bags that holds about 300 pounds of sand. We bang on that bag every day. It is hung on a swing set apparatus. The players bang the bag and keep there feet open and there shoulders square. You can have the lineman in a 2 point or 3 point stance. As soon as the bag swings forward you have the player hit the bag. Have the player 4 or 5 good reps. This offensive lineman drill teaches the players to use there hands and develop a good punch.
For more detailed information about offensive lineman drills go to my football coaching website listed below.
