A Little Ludwig Goes a Long Way

A smattering of opinions on technology, books, business, and culture. Now in its 4th technology iteration.

I don't understand injury report strategy

21 September 2012

Apparently a lot of coaches think the smart thing to do is to “withhold injury information”:http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/09/20/lane-kiffin-supports-a-uniform-injury-policy/. Others “spew out injury information at the drop of a hat”:http://www.cleveland.com/buckeyeblog/index.ssf/2012/09/injuries_injuries_though_some.html

This seems obvious to me. At the limit, if you disclose nothing:

* Your opponent must assume that all your best players will play * Your opponent thus must prep for your best possible effort * Your opponent may get an upside surprise when they find you field a weaker team than for which they prepped.

On the other hand, if you disclose every possible injury:

* Your opponent will see that many of your players may be limited * Your opponent may not plan for your best effort * Your opponent may get a downside surprise when they find you field a stronger team than they expected.

It seems obvious to me that you should disclose every injury, major or minor.