What Is Work Calendar For Football Player?

Football is a demanding and regimented sport. For most teams at the youth, high school, college and professional levels, coaches will try to prepare their teams for one game per week by preparing a work calendar or practice schedule that will bring out their best effort on game day. While coaches might have their own particular way of preparing a team, the work calendar is similar for all teams in the NFL.

Game Day

This is the highlight of the weekly work calendar for any team. At the pro level, players will get to the stadium on Sunday about three hours before game time so they can meet with trainers and position coaches, and get dressed in full uniform prior to the game, which will be about three hours long, unless it goes into overtime. Players often then have media obligations after the game. By the time they get showered and dressed, they will have been at the stadium about eight hours on game day.

Monday

This is the day to review what happened in Sunday's game. Players will arrive at their team's training facility by 8 a.m. and will watch a video of the game with their position coaches. Each coach will point out the positive and negative plays that were made and try to understand why those plays were executed in that manner. This is a critical day for determining who remains in the starting lineup and who moves to back-up status. All players who are in need of medical attention get it from the trainer and team physician.

Tuesday

Tuesday is the traditional off-day for NFL players. Injured players will report for physical therapy and additional examinations by the medical staff, but players in general get to have a day to themselves. Some players will use this time for weight training and drills on their own, while others will stay completely away from football.

Wednesday Through Friday

These are the heavy practice days on the work calendar. Coaches will institute the game plan for the next game on Tuesday and will inform their players on Wednesday. This will be done in film sessions in which they will point out the strengths and weaknesses of the team they will face Sunday. Then the players will head to the practice field for at least 90 minutes worth of work on play execution and strategy. Thursday is more of the same, and players are expected to execute all plays with a much sharper focus. Fridays will include a shorter practice for regular players, but at least one hour will be devoted to special-teams work. Kickoffs, punts, field goals and returns are vital to the outcome of all games and must get time in practice.

Saturday

The day before the game serves as a walk-through practice for most teams, when technique gets refined and players' questions get answered. This is also when late plays and last-minute changes in the game plan will be made. If the team is playing on the road, the walk-through practice -- no scrimmages -- will be held at the opponent's stadium, weather permitting.