This is taken from the "Melee Tactics" forum in the Armour Archive but it also seemed appropriate for some of our discussions lately:
edited for clarity
Being recently inducted into the command structure of an SCA army I would like to address this. Basically because I had the exact same notion going in.
There are many factors to consider when commanding an army in the SCA. Some of which are listed below:
1. Training - The army is basically comprised of "volunteers". Not only that but volunteers that only train sporadically. Realistically, even if you started training your troops months in advance at every event, you will only be able to train a certain percentage of your troops and only a few times at the most because not everyone goes to every event, and some don't go at all.
2. Complexity - with a volunteer army that has only minimal to moderate training you can only really expect them to be able to carry out very simple commands, i.e., advance at a step, charge, ground your shields. With commands like wheel right, wheel left, mad dog right, mad dog left being advanced commands.
3. Experience - How experienced is your army? Is a significant amount of your army made up of people who are new or at their very first war? If so you can't expect them to know how to repel a full-sprint Tuchux charge. You can instruct them but until they are knee deep in dead bodies, they won't understand.
4. Desire - This is a game. If you are too strict or regimented, you will get "fall off", i.e., people will get tired of your yelling and stop fighting OR even worse break off into smaller groups and do their own thing. Not everyone is going to enjoy the intricacies of how the "* of the Wombat" manuever works or even care how to carry it out. Some people are just there to hit other people.
5. Information - no one likes the "blind leading the blind" tactic. Inform your troops of their jobs realistically and with enough warning they can organize (if this is possible).
6. FUN - Make boring stuff fun, make the fun stuff MORE fun and you will have a happy army. If no one is having fun they will do something else. Not every second has to fun, but try and make the best of every situation.
With all of the above PLUS other factors like Allies, Scenarios, Scenario changes at the last minute, weather, etc. Sometimes "Get'em" is about the best you can hope for with a SCA army.
Discuss.