Constant Motion Drill To Increase Ball Handling Skills
Without a solid foundation of ball handling players will be easy prey to a solid defensive team. This drill is meant to help players control and develop their ball handling skills. Players will move the football from one hand to another hand around differing parts of their body. 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. This change of motion will keep players from falling asleep, and ensure that you are developing handling skills and not just muscle memory.
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. It will also help to change the hand that the player's uses to pick up the ball to ensure both hands are learning this technique.
Proper Catching Leads to Great Ball Security
Catching the football properly and effectively is fundamental to a strong offense. 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, keep your eyes on the ball through the entire catch. 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. 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.
Strength and conditioning: Up Downs
The popular conditioning drill known as up downs is a very effective way to increase cardiovascular activity and endurance. This drill consists of having players run in place as fast and as hard as they can. At the coaches signal the players will drop to the ground and do a push up, and then quickly get back up and start running again. This drill is an excellent workout and should be worked in slowly at first and then increased in intensity and length over time.
The High Toss Football Catch
Because not all throws are perfect you will need to practice making catches that are high or low. As such you need to practice the high passes so that you know to react, here are some basics: When you go to make the high catch extend your arms, but keep your hands close together with your hands coming together in a diamond formation. 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. Important Tip: never, ever, under any circumstances, for any reason, take your eyes off the ball; even after you have caught it watch the ball until you know that it is safely in your grips. Some receivers fear an oncoming tackle and want to check out the field as soon as possible, those receivers that follow the catch with their eyes are going to catch more and receive more playing time.
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. This change of motion will keep players from falling asleep, and ensure that you are developing handling skills and not just muscle memory.
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. It will also help to change the hand that the player's uses to pick up the ball to ensure both hands are learning this technique.
Proper Catching Leads to Great Ball Security
Catching the football properly and effectively is fundamental to a strong offense. 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, keep your eyes on the ball through the entire catch. 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. 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.
Strength and conditioning: Up Downs
The popular conditioning drill known as up downs is a very effective way to increase cardiovascular activity and endurance. This drill consists of having players run in place as fast and as hard as they can. At the coaches signal the players will drop to the ground and do a push up, and then quickly get back up and start running again. This drill is an excellent workout and should be worked in slowly at first and then increased in intensity and length over time.
The High Toss Football Catch
Because not all throws are perfect you will need to practice making catches that are high or low. As such you need to practice the high passes so that you know to react, here are some basics: When you go to make the high catch extend your arms, but keep your hands close together with your hands coming together in a diamond formation. 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. Important Tip: never, ever, under any circumstances, for any reason, take your eyes off the ball; even after you have caught it watch the ball until you know that it is safely in your grips. Some receivers fear an oncoming tackle and want to check out the field as soon as possible, those receivers that follow the catch with their eyes are going to catch more and receive more playing time.
