Revitalizing American Football Practicing Suggestions

How to overpower on the line of scrimmage

In various plays whether you are on offense or defense you will want to have a strategic advantage over your opponents. A great technique that will give you an advantage on the line is double team blocking. It is basically putting two linemen on one. This technique is effective for punching a hole through the line and getting a running back through, or it also works great on a defensive blitz. To execute this properly have both linemen step together at the same time and lock their hips together. They form a wall that the opponent cannot break. Hit the shoulders hard and pin the opponent down as you drive them back. Also, this maneuver needs to happen quickly and efficiently.

Football Catching Fundamentals

Catching the football properly and effectively is fundamental to a strong offense. A great catch can be broken down into three steps: First, keep your arms extended out in front of your body with your hands out forming an imaginary triangle with your fingers and thumbs. Second, keep your eyes on the ball through the entire catch. Third, secure the ball tight and high against your ribs, forearm, and biceps. Bad habits can form easily as many receivers look away mid catch to scan the field for defenders. Taking your eye off the ball increases incomplete passes, fumbles, and turnovers. To overcome this habit set up a simple drill where two players pass the ball to each other stopping at each critical step: the catch, the follow through, and the tuck.

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. The secret to this drill is having the ball constantly moving around and from hand to hand. The drill starts with the head moving the ball in a circular motion from hand to hand, then proceeds to go under the arms, around the waist, then the knees, and finally through and in between the players 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. The reverse option is an important command as it will keep the players on their toes and focuses on concentration and ball handling.

We recommend that you end this drill by doing several football drops. For example, the player drops the ball and retrieves it quickly. They also should rotate which hand they are using to pick it up so that you can increase ball handling with both.

Basics to football hand offs

Whether you are a quarterback, running back, or a player that at anytime will receive a hand off you need to realize the basics of a great hand off. Lets look at a simple hand off between a quarterback and a running back to point out the fundamentals of this skill. The running back starts the hand off running towards the quarterback with his arms open creating a pocket for the quarterback to slide the football right into the running backs chest. When the running back receives the football he clamps down both arms hard on the football to protect it. As the running back runs off with the football it is important to stay low to increase agility and speed.