Sharpening Collegiate Football Playing Strengths
Low Ball Catching Techniques
Making the plays means that you have practiced the non-optimal situation and know how to react to them. One situation that most offensive players will face is the low catch. Here are some great techniques in coaching and learning the low catch. First keep the pinkies together down low to make a shovel. First, keep your hands low and lock your pinkies. Second, keep low to the ground as a reference your knees should be level with your elbows, and if this means that you are down on all fours better a complete and no extra yards than an incomplete pass. Third, once the ball touches your hands scoop it up into your chest and tuck it away into a secure position. Use your hands and not your body. Keep your eyes right on the ball. And always see the ball through, meaning that you are watching it into the tuck.
Hand off drill
Because hand offs are such a vital part of a running offense, running backs should practice hand off skills every day. 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. At the coaches signal player A leaves line A running with the football 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 this moment another player leaves line A and accepts a handoff from player B. This drill should perform in a seamless motion. This is a great drill to help running backs practice hand offs, and should be run every day.
Conditioning: The five dot drill
Conditioning drills are effective in training and helping athletes be strong and reactive. 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. After this, the player will touch all of the dots with both feet together. The last phase is really returning to the original starting phase of jumping together and apart, however this time the athlete will change directions after they have jumped to the outer dots. Players will need to increase their speed and accuracy to be effective with this drill.
Receivers: Ball Security Drill
When a receiver catches the ball they need to immediately put it into a secure ball carrying position. 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, follow the ball through with your eyes. 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.
Making the plays means that you have practiced the non-optimal situation and know how to react to them. One situation that most offensive players will face is the low catch. Here are some great techniques in coaching and learning the low catch. First keep the pinkies together down low to make a shovel. First, keep your hands low and lock your pinkies. Second, keep low to the ground as a reference your knees should be level with your elbows, and if this means that you are down on all fours better a complete and no extra yards than an incomplete pass. Third, once the ball touches your hands scoop it up into your chest and tuck it away into a secure position. Use your hands and not your body. Keep your eyes right on the ball. And always see the ball through, meaning that you are watching it into the tuck.
Hand off drill
Because hand offs are such a vital part of a running offense, running backs should practice hand off skills every day. 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. At the coaches signal player A leaves line A running with the football 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 this moment another player leaves line A and accepts a handoff from player B. This drill should perform in a seamless motion. This is a great drill to help running backs practice hand offs, and should be run every day.
Conditioning: The five dot drill
Conditioning drills are effective in training and helping athletes be strong and reactive. 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. After this, the player will touch all of the dots with both feet together. The last phase is really returning to the original starting phase of jumping together and apart, however this time the athlete will change directions after they have jumped to the outer dots. Players will need to increase their speed and accuracy to be effective with this drill.
Receivers: Ball Security Drill
When a receiver catches the ball they need to immediately put it into a secure ball carrying position. 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, follow the ball through with your eyes. 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.
