Running Drills: A Way of Life
Endurance is the name of the game when it comes to football, and running will help you endurance grow. Running drills will help you gain stamina so that you will be able to play to your full extent throughout the game. Even with all of these benefits you will notice that most of the complaints in practice come from running drills. Whether you are tired, exhausted, and ready to throw up, if you keep running your added strength will help you win games. Another benefit that you will not see at first, is the ability to push yourself past your limits.
Some fundamentals of ball security
You cant run with the football until you have learned some basic ball security measures. Nothing is worse for your offensive team then turning it over carelessly to the other team in a fumble. A great way to teach tight ball security is with four points. The first point is the claw, meaning that your fingers are wrapped over the tip of the football. The second point is your forearm wrapped around the ball and shielding it from the defense. Third, pull the football in close to your bicep to protect it from opponents jabs and attempts to make you fumble. Last point is to hold the back of the football right up against the ribcage and as you run keep it high and tight. Run a couple of drills were the ball carrier runs through a pack of defenders to practice. In this way you can practice great defensive moves to force a fumble, and also focus on offensive ball protection.
Secrets to a good hand off
Handoff skills can secure yardage on the field and increase your overall success. The hand off can take place in many ways, but most if not all handoffs occur between the quarterback and the running back. A good hand off starts with the running back giving a target to the quarterback, this can be done in the running back keeping his arms flat against his body, one arm low and the other high creating an open square or target around the chest for the quarterback to slide the ball in. When the quarterback slides the ball into the arms, or the pocket as it is called, the running back closes his arms around the ball to protect it. As the running back runs off with the football it is important to stay low to increase agility and speed.
Conditioning: Five dot jump
Strength and reaction time is what makes a great football athlete. This drills intention is to help quickness and accuracy on the field which will reduce errors and increase the chances of great plays. The drill set up is a mat or place on the field with 5 dots about a foot away from each other forming an X shape, exactly in the same shape as you would see diamonds arranged on a number five card in a poker deck.
The player will start by placing a foot on the back two dots and then jumps together to the middle dot and then out separating his legs to the outer dots, much like you would see in hop scotch. The second phase is having the player touch each of the dots with only one foot, and then switch to the other foot. After this, the player will touch all of the dots with both feet together. The end step is similar to the first jumping jack step except that this time the player will turn 180 degrees after jumping on the two dots. Players will need to increase their speed and accuracy to be effective with this drill.
Endurance is the name of the game when it comes to football, and running will help you endurance grow. Running drills will help you gain stamina so that you will be able to play to your full extent throughout the game. Even with all of these benefits you will notice that most of the complaints in practice come from running drills. Whether you are tired, exhausted, and ready to throw up, if you keep running your added strength will help you win games. Another benefit that you will not see at first, is the ability to push yourself past your limits.
Some fundamentals of ball security
You cant run with the football until you have learned some basic ball security measures. Nothing is worse for your offensive team then turning it over carelessly to the other team in a fumble. A great way to teach tight ball security is with four points. The first point is the claw, meaning that your fingers are wrapped over the tip of the football. The second point is your forearm wrapped around the ball and shielding it from the defense. Third, pull the football in close to your bicep to protect it from opponents jabs and attempts to make you fumble. Last point is to hold the back of the football right up against the ribcage and as you run keep it high and tight. Run a couple of drills were the ball carrier runs through a pack of defenders to practice. In this way you can practice great defensive moves to force a fumble, and also focus on offensive ball protection.
Secrets to a good hand off
Handoff skills can secure yardage on the field and increase your overall success. The hand off can take place in many ways, but most if not all handoffs occur between the quarterback and the running back. A good hand off starts with the running back giving a target to the quarterback, this can be done in the running back keeping his arms flat against his body, one arm low and the other high creating an open square or target around the chest for the quarterback to slide the ball in. When the quarterback slides the ball into the arms, or the pocket as it is called, the running back closes his arms around the ball to protect it. As the running back runs off with the football it is important to stay low to increase agility and speed.
Conditioning: Five dot jump
Strength and reaction time is what makes a great football athlete. This drills intention is to help quickness and accuracy on the field which will reduce errors and increase the chances of great plays. The drill set up is a mat or place on the field with 5 dots about a foot away from each other forming an X shape, exactly in the same shape as you would see diamonds arranged on a number five card in a poker deck.
The player will start by placing a foot on the back two dots and then jumps together to the middle dot and then out separating his legs to the outer dots, much like you would see in hop scotch. The second phase is having the player touch each of the dots with only one foot, and then switch to the other foot. After this, the player will touch all of the dots with both feet together. The end step is similar to the first jumping jack step except that this time the player will turn 180 degrees after jumping on the two dots. Players will need to increase their speed and accuracy to be effective with this drill.