Football scouting report template

One printed page for scouting next week's opponent from film or the stands. Tick their personnel, front and coverage, chart what they call on each down and distance, and list the players and special teams you have to plan for. Then draw their plays in Playmaker for your scout team.

Download the PDF Draw their plays

Free, no account, nothing to install. Football scouting report, one page, US Letter. Draw their plays opens a football field in Playmaker, free and with no account.

The first page of the football scouting report template PDF
The first page, as it prints.

How to use this template

  1. Print one per opponent

    Print at actual size on US Letter or A4. One page per opponent is enough for a high school or youth staff, and it fits on a clipboard in the press box.

  2. Tick the quick things first

    Their personnel groups, tempo and quarterback on offense, and their front and coverage on defense. These are the things you can see on the first few snaps.

  3. Chart down and distance

    Tally run and pass in each situation as you watch, from 1st and 10 to the two-minute drill, then write their favorite formation and plays in each row.

  4. Note players and special teams

    Six key players with what to stop, then the kicker's range, the punt formation, the returners and any fakes.

  5. Draw their plays for the scout team

    Open Playmaker on a football field and draw their best plays, or copy them onto the free scout cards, so your scout team runs them right in practice.

Download the template

Found a play worth showing your team? Draw it in the a play creation tool built for coaches and press play to watch it run.

What goes on a football scouting report

A football scouting report answers one question for your staff: what are they going to do, and when? That is why the middle of this template is a down and distance chart. Most teams are far more predictable on 3rd and short or in the red zone than they think they are, and a tally of run and pass in each situation is the fastest way to find out.

The page is built for a high school or youth staff with one person scouting, not a college quality control room. Everything you need fits on one side, and the parts you fill in during the game are ticks and tallies.

Their offense and defense

On offense you tick their personnel groups (10, 11, 12, 21 or 22), whether they huddle or go no-huddle, and whether the quarterback is a passer, a runner or both, then write their base formations and their best run and best pass. On defense you tick the front (4-3, 3-4, 4-2-5, 3-3-5 or 5-3) and the coverage they live in, and note when they blitz, their best defender and where you think they can be attacked. If you want to see a formation before you write it down, the football play templates include the I formation, shotgun trips right and a cover two shell.

Down and distance tendencies

Nine rows: 1st and 10, 2nd and long, 2nd and short, 3rd and long, 3rd and medium, 3rd and short, the red zone, the goal line and the two-minute drill. Each row has a column for run percentage, pass percentage, their favorite formation and their favorite plays. Tally as you watch and turn the tallies into percentages afterwards. Two games of film is usually enough to see the pattern.

Key players and special teams

Six rows for the players who decide the game, and the special teams notes coaches forget until Friday: the kicker's field goal range, whether they punt from spread, pro or rugby, who returns kicks, and whether they have shown a fake or an onside kick.

Draw their plays

The scout is half the job. The other half is your scout team running their plays well enough that your starters recognise them on Friday. Open the football play designer, draw their best plays and press play, so your players watch every route and block in order. It is the same play creation tool coaches use for their own playbooks, free and with no account. For practice, print the free football scout card template and hold the plays up to your scout team. Sign in and you can save their plays into a playbook for that game: the free plan saves a few plays, and Pro saves as many as you draw.

Playmaker does not have a scouting feature. This sheet is the scouting part, and Playmaker is where their plays get drawn.

Common questions

What should be in a football scouting report?

Their personnel groups and formations, their front and coverage, what they run and pass on each down and distance, their red zone and goal line calls, their best players, and their special teams. This template has a place for each, on one page.

How do you chart down and distance tendencies?

Make a tally in the run or pass column for every snap in that situation, and write the formation and play beside it. After the game, turn the tallies into percentages. If a team runs on 3rd and short eight times out of ten, your defense can plan for it.

Is this for scouting an opponent or a player?

An opponent. It is for scouting the team you play next. It is not a recruiting form for rating one player.

Is the football scouting report template free?

Yes. It is free to download and print, with no account and no email address. Each page has a small Playmaker mark at the foot.

Does it work for flag football?

It is written for tackle football. Flag has no line to gain that moves and no special teams, so the down and distance chart does not fit flag well.

More free printable templates

Show your team what you found

Draw the plays from your report in Playmaker and press play. Your players watch every run move before game day. Free, with no account.

Draw their plays

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