Every coach wants practices that are fast, intense, and full of energy—where players are locked in, competing, and raising the standard on every rep. But here’s the reality: if you don’t demand it, some players will do just enough to get by, giving less than their best effort.

There’s an old saying: “What you measure is what you treasure.”

If you want players to value effort, then effort must be the thing you measure every day.

And make no mistake—effort in practice should be priority #1.

The simplest and most effective system I’ve ever used takes just 15 minutes a day—and it will completely change the culture of your practices.

Why Grade Effort?

Effort is the great equalizer. Talent varies, but effort is a choice. When players know they’ll be held accountable for how hard they go on every snap, practice intensity skyrockets.

There are only three things to look for on film:

Is he engaged with a defender?
Is he running to block someone?
Loaf

That’s it. Simple, clear, and impossible to argue with.

It doesn't take long - 15 minutes!

How the System Works

Each position coach grades 10-12 random plays after practice.
Stop the video at the time the whistle would have blown and then look for
- Engaged
- Running to block someone
- Loaf
Scoring is simple:
- +1 for being engaged or running to block.
- –3 for a loaf.
Post their grades in the team chat group before going home.

That’s all it takes—about 15 minutes per coach.

Early on in the process, do this as a group activity so all coaches are on the same page.

Accountability + Competition = Intensity

Here’s where the magic happens:

Celebrate the High Scorers

“What you celebrate, you replicate.”

Make a big deal out of effort. Highlight the players who set the standard:

Snap a picture and share it in the players’ chat group and the parents’ group—let everyone see who earned it.
Give the daily winner a fun prize—something lighthearted like a Moon Pie and a Cherry Pepsi. Players will compete for it.
Take it further:
- Recognize the weekly effort champion at the pep rally.
- Let them carry the team flag in the run-through on game night.
- Award an effort sticker for their helmet.

The reward doesn’t matter as much as the recognition. Whatever motivates them to practice hard is worth it.

Punish the Loafs

Just like you celebrate great effort, you must call out loafs—because what gets tolerated gets repeated.

Before practice, each position group gathers in a circle.
Coaches announce the loafs:
- “Meador — two loafs!” He steps into the middle while the group does two up-downs.
- “Holland — one loaf!” The group responds with one.

This does two things:

Accountability — players know loafs don’t go unnoticed.
Shared responsibility — when the group pays for one guy’s loaf, everyone pushes each other to raise the standard.

Pretty soon, players sprint on every rep because they’d rather earn recognition than bring their group down. Loafs disappear fast when the whole team feels the cost.

Our position groups were:
- Offensive line
- Receivers
- QB / RB / H / Kickers
  - How can a QB loaf on some plays? Did he carry out his fake? If you’re a tempo team is he taking charge and getting the play snapped?
Give them one ‘practice-run’ on this system. There will be a lot of loafs early on. After the first day have each position coach circle up their guys and tell them how many combined loafs there would be. Then explain this is the only day we’ll just talk about it. Go finish each play.

When teammates pay the price for your loaf, the message is clear: loafs cost everyone.

The Results

Within days, practice looks different. Players start going hard until the whistle. Nobody wants to be called out. Nobody wants their group doing extra up-downs. And everybody wants to be the guy holding the prize in the picture.

Our practices were no joke—guys were moving because they knew they’d be held accountable.

The Secret Sauce

This is one of the simplest and most powerful systems you can install. It doesn’t take long, but it transforms the tone of your program:

Objective accountability for effort
Competition that drives intensity
A culture where loafing isn’t tolerated

Remember: “What you measure is what you treasure.”

If you want effort to be your program’s identity, then start grading it every day.

If final exams weren’t graded, few students would spend hours preparing. The same is true in football—what gets graded gets prioritized. When players know effort is being measured every day, they stop thinking about it and start giving it automatically.

The team that plays the hardest usually wins—make sure that’s your team.

When game night comes, your team won’t have to “flip a switch.” They’ll already be conditioned to play full speed.

Trust me—this is the secret sauce for practice intensity. Try it for one week, and you’ll never go back.