On most staff's, when a mistake is made during practice that requires immediate action, the head coach may choose to send players on a penalty lap to drive home a point on focus, or effort, or any other number of things. We've all been there.
Well on Bill Belichick's staff, just having the players run isn't enough - the assistants are also required to run the penalty lap, as Mike Reiss of ESPN pointed out today.
During mini camp today, with the tempo turned up and the music booming as loud as it has all year, the offense made a mental error by not having the proper personnel on the field.
Patriots wide receiver Brian Tyms lays out how the situation played out in the piece:
"It was a miscommunication and you have to move fast because that's our offense -- fast-paced, you're trying to pick up the pace so the defense can't see what we're doing. We didn't move fast enough and we have to be able to communicate in even the harshest of situations; when everybody is dead-tired and has nothing left, you still have to be able to communicate with each other and execute."
So when Belichick sent Tom Brady and the offense on their penalty lap, the offensive staff consisting of Josh McDaniels (OC), Dave DeGuglielmo (OL), Ivan Fears (RBs), Chad O'Shea (WRs), and Brian Daboll (TEs) were all held equally as accountable by joining their guys for that same lap.
One could say that Belichick has this whole coaching thing down to a science, so you might want to consider adding this to your practice strategy.