Powerful Blocking Strategy: Double Teaming

Football is all about strategy and fining, or making weak spots in your opponent. A great technique that will give you an advantage on the line is double team blocking. It is basically putting two linemen on one. The strategy works for putting a hole in the line of scrimmage as two easily overpowers one. Here are some pointers for this strategy: First, players need to step together, and second lock hips. They form a wall that the opponent cannot break. Hit the shoulders hard and pin the opponent down as you drive them back. To be effective the double team has to work in a fast blitz like maneuver.

Proper Catching Leads to Great Ball Security

When a receiver catches the ball they need to immediately put it into a secure ball carrying position. The points of a proper catch are: First, opening up your hands with an open triangle. 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. 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.

Low Ball Catching Techniques

Great plays are made through dedicated practice of the fundamentals. 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. One situation that most offensive players will face is the low catch. 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. Second, keep your knees bent low and in extreme cases you should be flat on the ground or diving. Once you have the football in your hands scoop it up and tuck it away. Remember, the cardinal rule of catching is to use your hands and not your body. Never use your body to catch a football. Last, concentrate on catching it first and then worry about the defense, and scoring some more yards.

Conditioning: Dot drilling

Strength and reaction time is what makes a great football athlete. This drills intention is to help quickness and accuracy on the field which will reduce errors and increase the chances of great plays. 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.