When you are building your scouting report for the second time you are playing an opponent, the second report should be different than the first report. The focus of the report should be on what has happened in the last 5 games leading into your game. You should also look at the summary notes that you have taken from the first time you played the opponent. You need to look at the first game again on film and make edits of the games., as well as take notes from the film.
• Here are several questions that I use to help me formulate the second scouting report:
1. What are the recent trends of their team? Are they now playing more man or zone? Offensively are they running new sets?
2. Have there been any changes in their rotation?
3. Are there any injuries? What role will it play?
• Statistical Breakdown:
1. Look at stats of starters
2. Look at stats of substitutes
3. Look at the overall stats
4. Look at the stats from the conference
5. Breakdown of the stats from the last 5 games
6. Look to determine if they are shooting more free throws than earlier in the year.
• Video Breakdown:
1. Personal edits
2. Offensive edits
3. Chart their offensive frequency and efficiency
4. Chart their out of bounds plays
• Second scouting reports should focus more on the opponent’s personnel and not so much on their style of play. Knowing more about the individual tendencies can help you when you are defending them.
• Second Scouting reports should focus on learning the keys to tipping off their plays.
• Second Scouting reports should focus on figuring out trends of your opponents, such as play sequences, play frequency, substitution rotations, after time out tendencies. Offensively-calls for OB plays, set plays, Defensively – do they change defense from man to zone or zone to man.
Conclusion:
The Second Scouting Report should put the players in a proper frame of mind for them to perform at their best by having a “digestible amount” of information. The outcomes of the game will more often than not be, determined by the team who plays there hardest together throughout the course of the game!
