Developing Collegiate Football Learning Habits

The importance of learning the Playbook

Practicing the plays is fun, and also very important. When you master your part of the play it will strengthen your team and yourself. In order to start learning a play, make sure that you first pay attention to the instructions when they are given. In order to avoid learning a play wrong, or developing bad habits, we recommend that you go through the entire play slowly at first. As always, when learning a new play don't hesitate to ask for individual help to master the techniques needed. Are you done with the play after practice? No way! the best thing that you can do after practice is visualize your plays. Sleep on them, and you will learn them twice as fast.

Powerful Blocking Strategy: Double Teaming

In various plays whether you are on offense or defense you will want to have a strategic advantage over your opponents. One such strategy or technique is the use of double teaming on the line of scrimmage. This play is simple, double up and push through. The strategy works for putting a hole in the line of scrimmage as two easily overpowers one. To execute this properly have both linemen step together at the same time and lock their hips together. This forms an impenetrable line in the middle and as each lineman is on the edge of the opponent it will be very difficult to go around. Concentrate on this wall so that the opponent cannot duck around or go through the double team. To be effective the double team has to work in a fast blitz like maneuver.

The High Toss Football Catch

As a receiver, or any player that is going to catch a pass, you know that not all passes are going to go right to the chest. Here are some simple steps when making a high catch: The first and most important is that you extend your arms and keep your hands together in a diamond type shape to catch that football. When you try to catch the ball with your body there is a greater chance that it is going to bounce off and cause an incomplete pass. Once you have your hands around the ball, dont take your eyes off the ball but follow it right into your tuck.

A great Handoff Drill

Drills practicing fundamentals like an effective hand offs can make the difference between a mediocre team and an excellent one. One great hand off drill starts by having two separate lines of players facing each other: line A and line B. The player from line A leaves the line with the football running towards line B. In sync with that first player, a second player leaves line B, when they meet player A passes to player B. At the point of the hand off another player leaves line A and runs towards player B, who hands off the ball to the new player. The motion should be constantly moving from one line to another in this drill, almost like a juggling pattern. This is a great drill to help running backs practice hand offs, and should be run every day.