Middle School American Football Players Routines

Learning the Basics of Catching a Low Football Pass

This means that quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, etc have gone through the motions several times and know how to react to situations on the field. Perfect and not so perfect scenarios should constantly run at football practice. One not so perfect scenario is a low passed catch. First, keep your hands down low in a scooping or shovel position; you can even cross your pinkies. First, keep your hands low and lock your pinkies. Locking your pinkies prevents the football from falling through your hands. Third, once the ball touches your hands scoop it up into your chest and tuck it away into a secure position. Remember, the cardinal rule of catching is to use your hands and not your body. Keep your eyes right on the ball. Catch it first and then worry about running it.

A great Handoff Drill

Drills practicing fundamentals like an effective hand offs can make the difference between a mediocre team and an excellent one. A simple drill for a hand off is to line up all of your running backs in two lines facing each other in what we will call line A and Line B. A player leaves line A with the football and runs at line B. At the same time that the first player leaves player B leaves his line towards player A, as they pass each other in the middle player A hands off the football to player B. At this moment another player leaves line A and accepts a handoff from player B. 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.

Football Catching Fundamentals

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. Taking your eye off the ball increases incomplete passes, 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.

Conditioning: Five dot jump

Conditioning drills are effective in training and helping athletes be strong and reactive. This drills intention is to help quickness and accuracy on the field which will reduce errors and increase the chances of great plays. Setting up this drill is very simple, you will need five markers placed about a foot apart in an x formation with one of the dots being in the center surrounded by four other dots in a square formation.

This drill begins with the player starting on two of the outer dots and jumps feet together to the middle dot and then out again to the edge dots separating their feet. Next proceed around the dots one at a time jumping with one leg only, and then change to the other leg. Then continue around the dots with both legs 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.