Helping Professional Football Position Tips

Conditioning: The five dot drill

Strength and reaction time is what makes a great football athlete. The intent of this drill is to increase accuracy, timing, and speed. 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 athlete starts at the edge of the mat placing their feet on two of the outer dots and proceeds to jump with feet together on the center spot and then out again quickly to the outer dots similar to a simple hop scotch motion. The second phase is having the player touch each of the dots with only one foot, and then switch to the other foot. The next step is jumping on all five 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. Remember that speed and accuracy are important on this drill so coaches should start players off slow and then proceed to full speed constantly watching accuracy.

Receivers: Ball Security Drill

When a receiver catches the ball they need to immediately put it into a secure ball carrying position. There are three steps of a great catch: First, place your hands in front of you with your palms open and thumbs out forming an open triangle for the football. Second, follow the ball with your eyes from the first time you see it in the air until it is securely placed in a tight hold. Third, secure the ball tight and high against your ribs, forearm, and biceps. Many receivers can get into a bad habit of looking away from the ball before it is stored away properly. This increases fumbles and turnovers. In order to increase catching and ball security effectiveness have two receivers pass to each other, when one of them catches the ball make sure that they slow the motion down pausing when they catch, follow through, and secure the football.

Ball handling Drill: Hot potato

Ball handling is one of the most vital skills that a player can have on the field, and this drills goal is to help players get a better feel and control for the football. In this drill players will be constantly moving or passing the ball from one hand to the other. The drill starts by having players hold the football above their head and start to pass it around their head, moving to the chest, under the arms, around the waist, knees, and completing with passing it through the legs.

In this drill the coaches responsibility is to observe the smoothness of the drill, and to also shout commands of body positions to move the ball around, and also to reverse the direction of the football. Changing the direction of the football ensures that they dont form a habit, and that they remained focused on the ball and controlling the movement.

At the very end of the drill the players will do several simple drops. This means that the player will drop the football and retrieve it again quickly. They also should rotate which hand they are using to pick it up so that you can increase ball handling with both.

A great Handoff Drill

Because hand offs are such a vital part of a running offense, running backs should practice hand off skills every day. 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. Now player B has the ball and will hand off the ball to the next person in Line A who will hand off to the next player in Line B. The motion should be constantly moving from one line to another in this drill, almost like a juggling pattern. Practice this drill every day to ensure that your running backs are effective on their hand offs.