Highlight film that gets watched past the first 20 seconds
Coaches watch hundreds of reels. The first five plays decide if they watch the sixth.
Order the plays by impact, not by date
Your best five plays go first. A coach who is not impressed in 20 seconds closes the tab. Do not build to a finish. Lead with the finish.
Mark yourself
A circle or arrow on you before the snap, every play. Coaches should never hunt for the athlete. Hudl and most editors do this in one click.
Keep it short
Three to four minutes for a season reel. Under a minute for a single game. If a play needs explanation, cut it.
No music, no intro, no slow motion
Coaches watch with the sound off, in an office, between meetings. Skip the title card, the song, and the slow motion. The play speaks.
Post it right
Upload to YouTube as Unlisted or Public, or share from Hudl, then paste the link on your page attached to the season it came from. Private YouTube videos will not play for a coach. If you change the setting later, the page checks the link every week and tells you if it stops working.
Full game film too
A highlight reel gets you a second look. The second look is usually a full game. Keep two or three full games ready to send, unedited.