Guides
Get more out of
every game week
Step-by-step guides for uploading from Hudl, logging film, reading the data, and calling the right play on Friday night.
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Importing from Hudl
If your team uses Hudl, most of your column data maps automatically. Here is exactly which columns CallBreaker understands and what to do when the import shows gaps.
Export from Hudl Exchange
Open your opponent's playlist in Hudl. Click Exchange, select your tagged plays, then Export as CSV. Choose "All columns" or include at minimum: Down, Dn & Dist, OFF PLAY, OFF FORM, Personnel, PLAY TYPE, GN/LS, Hash, Ball On, Qrt.
Upload in CallBreaker
Go to Upload Data and drag your CSV file. The preview shows detected columns in green and unrecognized ones in amber. A 90%+ match means you are getting full analytics.
Review before importing
Check total rows, valid rows, and any skipped rows. Expand the skipped rows section to see exactly which rows are missing required fields and why.
Set confidence weights
After import go to Opponents, find the game, and set 1x, 2x, or 3x. Same coordinator as this week? Set 3x. Film from two seasons ago? Set 1x.
Hudl column name reference
Use these column names in your Hudl tagging setup for automatic mapping. Required fields are marked with a star.
| CallBreaker field | Hudl column names |
|---|---|
| Quarter | Qrt, Quarter, Q |
| Time | Game Clock, Clock, Time |
| *Down | Down, Dn, Down Num, Play Down |
| *Distance | Distance, YTG, Dn & Dist |
| Yard Line | Ball On, YARD LN, Yard Line |
| Hash | Hash, Hash Position |
| Score Diff | Score Diff, Score |
| Game Situation | Situation, Game Situation |
| *Formation | OFF FORM, Formation, Off Formation |
| Formation Strength | OFF STR, Off Strength, Strength |
| Personnel | Personnel, Pers, Personnel Group |
| QB Alignment | QB Align, Alignment, Snap Type |
| Motion | Motion, Pre-Snap Motion |
| QB | QB, QB Name, Quarterback |
| Def Linemen | Def Linemen, DL, Down Linemen |
| Coverage | Coverage, Cov |
| Blitz | Blitz |
| *Play Call | OFF PLAY, Offense Play, Play |
| Play Direction | PLAY DIR, Play Direction, Dir |
| Point of Attack | GAP, Point of Attack, POA |
| Play Result | RESULT, Play Result, Outcome |
| *Yards Gained | GN/LS, Gain/Loss, Yards, Yds |
| Last Touch | Last Touch, Ball Carrier, Tackler |
| Notes | Notes, Comment |
Fields Hudl does not have
Add these as custom columns in your Hudl tagging setup to unlock deeper analytics. These are optional but significantly improve the insights available to your staff.
Play Result
The outcome — Rush, Complete, Sack, Fumble, Interception, etc.
Add custom Hudl column: "Result"
Point of Attack
Gap/zone attacked (0-9 zones) — powers the 10-zone field diagram.
Add custom Hudl column: "POA"
Score Diff
Score margin at the snap — drives the score-situation filter.
Add custom Hudl column: "Score Diff"
Def Linemen
Number of defensive linemen in the front.
Add custom Hudl column: "Def Linemen"
QB
Multi-QB tendency splits.
Add custom Hudl column: "QB Name"
Game Situation
2-Minute / Hurry-Up filter.
Add custom Hudl column: "Situation"
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Film Logger workflow
How to log a full game worth of plays during film study without adding more than 25-30 minutes to your session.
Focus on the 5 core fields first
Down, Distance, Formation, Personnel, and Play Call drive 90% of your Game Day predictions. Log those on the first pass through the film. Everything else is bonus data.
Use Play Type to filter options
Tap Run, Pass, Punt, or Field Goal before choosing a Play Call. The dropdown automatically shows only play calls that match that type — no scrolling through unrelated options.
Use the per-field clear buttons
Every field has an X button to clear just that field without resetting the whole play. If you tapped the wrong formation, clear just the formation and pick again.
Log Point of Attack as a zone number
Entering 1-9 is fastest. Zone 3 is the most common run zone (center to right tackle). You can type "A Gap", "Flat Left", or "Deep Right" and it maps automatically.
Enter the real down on special teams plays
Log the actual down — 4th down for a punt or field goal, for example. CallBreaker recognizes punts, field goals, kickoffs, and PATs by the play type (from the play name), so it automatically excludes them from offensive run/pass tendency analytics. There is no special "Down 0" to set.
Duplicate the previous play for repetitive series
Use the duplicate button at the bottom of the logger to copy the last play. Change only what is different between plays. This cuts logging time in half for drives where the formation and personnel stay the same.
Game Week Playbook
Monday through Friday
The full game week workflow for a staff using CallBreaker from film study to kickoff.
Get the data in
Export from Hudl and upload, or open Film Logger and log during your film session. Focus on Down, Distance, Formation, and Play Call first — those 4 fields drive 90% of Game Day predictions. Do this for every opponent on your schedule as soon as you get their film, not just the week you play them. The earlier you log it, the more data you have when game week arrives.
Fill in the picture
Upload remaining games. Check Insights Formation Breakdown — are their formations being recognized? Set confidence weights on each game.
Find the tendencies and build the plan
Open Insights. Check 3rd and Long, Red Zone, and 1st and 10. Look at the QB Alignment tendency — if Shotgun = 80% pass, that's a tell you can communicate to your defense. Then open your opponent on the Opponents page and run the Tendencies Report for a full written breakdown. From there, build a Game Plan: CallBreaker auto-identifies their most exploitable tendencies, ranks them, and drafts a defensive counter for each one. Tune the counters in your own words and export a one-page call sheet for your staff.
Set up Game Day
Practice voice commands with your opponent loaded. Say the situations you'll call during the game. Pin the filters your staff uses most. CallBreaker works on any device -- set it up on phones for the sideline, tablets for the press box, and computers for coaches in the booth. Every device just needs a browser and your login. Test each one before Friday so there are no surprises at kickoff.
Call the game, and scout yourself
On defense, hold the mic in Game Day, say the situation, and get the prediction. The color tells you how much data is behind the result -- green means 30+ plays, amber means 10 to 29 plays, red means fewer than 10; a gold star means one tendency is dominant enough to act on with real confidence. At the same time, put a coach on Live Scout to log your OWN offense play-by-play -- by halftime you can self-scout exactly which formations and calls are working and make real adjustments instead of guessing. Use the data as one input alongside your coaching instincts -- you know this team, the data just shows you the patterns.
Build your season library early
The teams you face later in the season are on your schedule right now. Log their film as soon as you get it — even a partial game or two. By the time game week arrives you will have months of data instead of a Monday morning scramble.
Week 1
Log every opponent you have film for, not just your Week 1 opponent. Even one game gives the model a starting point.
During the season
Add new film each week as you get it. Confidence weights let you prioritize recent film over older games as the season evolves.
Game week
Open Insights with 3–5 games already loaded. The predictions are sharper and your staff has real data to work from on Monday.
Game Day Playbook
Pre-game setup checklist
Do this in the 10 minutes before kickoff.
Select your opponent and confirm the correct games are loaded in Insights.
Open Game Day and verify predictions are loading for basic situations (1st and 10).
Say your 3 most important situations out loud to test voice recognition.
Pin the filters your staff will use most. These survive every mic press.
Set your phone to maximum brightness and enable Do Not Disturb.
If connection is spotty in your stadium, open Game Day while you still have signal and keep the page open — the loaded play data stays available for the rest of the game. Refreshing the page or switching games needs a connection.
Share the URL with any other coaches who will be using it on their devices.
Game Day Playbook
Voice command reference
Hold the mic button, speak naturally, then release. CallBreaker filters by whatever it hears -- combine multiple filters in one phrase. The key is to speak the situation the way you would call it on the sideline.
Example command
"Third and long, shotgun trips right, left hash, red zone"
Sets: Down = 3rd, Distance = Long, Formation = Shotgun Trips Right, Hash = Left, Field Zone = Red Zone
Down & Distance
Say the down as a word or number followed by the distance.
"First and ten"
"Second and medium"
"Third and long"
"Third and 7"
"Fourth and goal"
Formation
Say any formation name exactly as it appears in your data. If you uploaded custom formations, say those names.
"Shotgun trips right"
"I formation"
"Gun spread"
"Pro set"
"Empty backfield"
"Pistol"
...or any formation in your data
Field Position
Say the hash or field zone.
"Left hash"
"Right hash"
"Middle"
"Red zone"
"Backed up"
"Own territory"
"Opponent territory"
Personnel
Say the grouping code or its description.
"11 personnel"
"Twelve personnel"
"One one" (= 11)
"Heavy" (= 22)
"Empty" (= 10)
QB Alignment
Say the snap type.
"Shotgun"
"Under center"
"Pistol"
"Wildcat"
Clear & Reset
Remove a specific filter or clear everything at once.
"Clear filters"
"Reset"
"Remove formation"
"Remove hash"
"Remove personnel"
"Start over"
You can say any formation in your data
CallBreaker recognizes every formation name you have uploaded or logged -- not just the common ones listed above. If your team logs a custom formation like "Gun Trey Left" or "Wing T Power", say that exact name and it will filter to that formation. The voice system matches against your actual data, so your coaching vocabulary always works.
Standard name
"Shotgun 2x2"
Matches the canonical formation name
Your custom name
"Gun Trey Left"
Matches exactly what you logged
Common alias
"Gun trips"
Many aliases auto-map to formations
Tip: Print this for your clipboard
Use your browser Print function (Ctrl+P or Cmd+P) and select just this section to print a quick-reference card you can tape to your clipboard for the first few games until the commands become second nature.