Constant Practice in Ball Handling, Conditioning, and Skills Will Lead to Great Football Players

Constant motion drill to increase ball handling skills

This drill is used to increase player's ball handling skills on the field. Players will move the football from one hand to another hand around differing parts of their body. 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.

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Coaches can mix up the drill by shouting out body parts that the players will have to start circling with the football; they can also reverse the direction that the ball is traveling by calling, "reverse". Changing the direction of the football ensures that they don't form a habit, and that they remained focused on the ball and controlling the movement.

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

Conditioning: Cross jumping

Conditioning in football is meant to help you react quickly on the field moving in a variety of directions. The point to this drill is having players practice quick directional changes on the field. The drill takes place in small four corner area that you can draw out or use the lines of the field. The drill starts by having a player stand in one area or box, and has them jump diagonally, laterally, frontwards, and backwards from one area to another. Changes can be made so that the player will only use one foot and then the other while they run the drill.

Strip Tackling

The faster your defense is at getting the ball back into the offensive's hands the more likely you are to win a game. Forcing a fumble is one of the quickest ways that you can turn the tides and retain possession of the football. A great way to practice is have two players line up, one as the defense, the other with the football as the offense. The defender will practice stripping the ball by bringing his hands up quickly with a clenched fist to grab the opponent and as he does so to aim to knock out the football. Start the drill slowly, and reward for a strong tackle that affectively tackles and makes an attack to dislodge the offensive players grip on the ball.

Tackling Fundamentals and Safety

Learning how to perform a proper tackle is fundamental to the game of football. Tackling can be fun and exhilarating, but done improperly and it can be dangerous. Here are three important steps to practice:

First, plant yourself in front of your opponent. You can do this by placing your foot between your opponent's feet. Also, at this time thrust your arms backward to prepare for the next step.

Second, push your other foot keeping your knees low and bent, and in sync with your feet throw your hands up hard around the offensive player. Now is the time that injuries can happen. The one golden rule in making a safe tackle is to never, ever lead with or try to tackle with the crown of your head. Tell yourself, or your players to imagine that they are biting the football.

Third, throw your hips up and hard as you drive the offensive player backwards. The squarer you are in the first step the easier it will be to perform the third step.

Constant Practice in Ball Handling, Conditioning, and Skills Will Lead to Great Football Players

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Learning Elementary Football Players Tips

Water on and off the field

Drinking plenty of water is all it takes to prevent dehydration, and thus should be an important part of football practices. Make sure that during the football practice players have their water bottles handy and are drinking often. Always remember that if you prevent, punish, or otherwise use water as a motivational tool it is very counterproductive, and there are many other motivating paths that you can take. These safe practices will help keep players energized and healthy.

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Ball security: The Gauntlet Drill

Ball security, preventing fumbles and turnovers is perhaps the most important skill the offensive team can have. Quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers should work on this skill constantly. One drill that has been used several times to improve ball security is called the gauntlet drill. The point to the gauntlet drill is to have a player run through several opponents that try to dislodge the football. A coach can set up short fast runs or longer relays with several obstacles and defenders prying at the ball. Make sure to take the drill slow at first, and to also have the ball carrier hold the ball in several differing positions.

Making and effective Angle Tackle

Because not every tackle is direct and head on, it is necessary to set up an angle tackling situations during practice. Accomplish this drill in pairs, having one teammate act as the offense, or ball carrier, running in a straight line and the other as the defender coming in at any angle. As the opponent comes toward the defender he will need to adjust his body position and shorten the angle, put his foot in front of the opponent, and make sure that he put his head in front of the opponent. The defender follows through with the tackle by straightening his knees in a lunging type motion, wrapping his arms around the ball carrier to pull him down to the ground or push him off sides.

Building your muscles and endurance through Weightlifting

Let's not forget weightlifting. It is one of the essential elements that will help you improve your game. The effects of weight lifting will add muscle to your body and increase strength, this straighten will add to your maximum power. Maximum power should be the goal of your training, because it involves muscle strength and muscle excursion during play. This exertion will help you as a football player to execute your skills on the field with speed and force. We highly recommend working with a personal trainer when weightlifting to insure that you are doing it properly, and to help you design a program that will fit your position.

Learning Elementary Football Players Tips

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Soccer Coaching Drills

Soccer or football drills are nothing but a well developed program to improve the skills of the team and the individual's while competing at all levels. Carrying out these drills to perfection during the match is what separates the men from the boys. Here's a look at some of the drills or exercise coaches from around the world employ:

DRILL 1: Defender without Opposition -

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This drill is used to teach players to defend when they are near the opponent with ball moving aggressively towards their goal.

You will need two defenders and two players with the ball. Each defender starts from the outside of the penalty box towards the opponent. Make sure that both, the defenders and the attacker, move fast towards each other. Repeat the exercise at least 7-8 times with each player so that they gain confidence while approaching the opponent during the match.

DRILL 2: Winger versus Fullback

This exercise focuses on winger attacking with the ball on the opponent's half with fullback approaching.

Set the field with six attackers and six defenders along with a goal keeper. Mark off a lane that is 15 yards wide from both the side lanes. Now start with left winger on the left and right winger on the right lane with the balls and the fullbacks charging towards them. The wingers play one on one with the aim of dodging the defenders down the side line. Once he beats the defender, he can now approach the central defenders near the penalty area.

DRILL 3: The Circular Passing Game

This is a popular passing game. Players stand near the edge of the circle with two players stand in the middle. The players in the middle act as defenders. The purpose of the players standing near the circle is to keep the ball in play without losing it to the defenders. If the ball goes out to the defender or outside the circle, then the player that made the pass would replace the defender and the defender would take his position. The attacking player can move while passing or receiving the ball. You can make the circle smaller to increase the difficulty level. Accurate passing, ball control and good communication skills are developed through this drill.

DRILL 4: Shooting Indoors

This shooting drill is used while training indoors. Cones are placed on the side lines. With goal keepers on each side of the half, the attacker's aim is to dribble pass all the cones and then take a shoot from the edge of the penalty box. Ball control, dribbling skill and shooting skills are put on test through this drill exercise.

Soccer Coaching Drills

Matt @ Football coaching drills

Youth Football - Developing Speed and Quickness in Youth Football Players

Athletic Development In Youth Football

Athletic development is the process of developing players speed, agility and quickness. It is worthy goal for your players when coaching youth football, unfortunately many youth coaches either take it too far or they do it in a very inefficient manner.

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What the Poor Performing Youth Football Teams Do
When observing traditional poor performing youth football programs, what is a common theme is lots and lots of conditioning and or attempts at athletic development and lots of full contact scrimmaging. There is rarely little attention paid to technique development and perfecting offensive and defensive team execution. The traditionally successful programs on the other hand typically devote most of their precious practice time to developing technique and doing the ordinary things extraordinarily well. Athletic development, conditioning and full contact scrimmaging are usually held to an absolute minimum with these teams.

Athletic development for youth football players is something that should be a year-round effort. We do a program each spring called FASTT, it stands for Fun Acceleration, Speed and Technique Training. We meet just once per week for about 8 weeks, with the goal of introducing the players to some basic athletic development training methods in a fun atmosphere so that if they decide to train on their own, they will have a the knowledge and foundation to do so. A byproduct of these 90 minute sessions is our kids also learn how to be coachable and how we want them to interact with both us and their teammates.

The program consists of 30 minutes of athletic development movements, 30 minutes of football skills development and 30 minutes of pure team building fun "game" time. This mix has allowed us to get very high participation rates and kept the kids interest levels high.

What Drills to Do
When we went to design the athletic development piece of the program we looked at improving the explosiveness, agility and quickness of our players as it relates to the requirements of the game of football. While there are endless choices of training methods, in the end we chose tried and true speed and plyometric movements as well as some base technique improvement methods AND combined them when we could with football specific movements.

The key is to kill two birds with one stone, even in the spring. When starting your football practices in July or August for fall football, you just don't have the time to do a lot of this type of activity. In the fall you have to ask yourself, what are my goals and what is the most efficient method of getting there? It all goes back to your mission statement. Our mission statement is "To develop and love and appreciation of the game of football in our players so that they may gain the life lessons the game teaches us all". We all know that in order for this to happen the kids have to stick around and continue to play. Our research has shown that kids play because they are having fun and they are having a reasonable amount of individual and team success. In order for them to have that success and have fun, we have put a premium in developing sound fundamental technique while perfecting team execution. The athletic development portion of our program is fairly slim during the season because with limited practice time, you have to allocate your time to the most efficient method of meeting your goals.

The Two for One Deal
However, if you could develop base football techniques while also getting the benefit of athletic development, this could be a very effective and efficient use of your time. Here is an example of two very simple movements we combined to accomplish this goal: One very effective movement that is used to help players develop body control and acceleration skills is a stop start type movement, think of things like the pro agility run or ladder type drills. These drills are usually very intense short distance drills where a player has to stay low, stop, change direction, accelerate in a very short space, change direction and accelerate again. Obviously these are the types of things he will be asked to do when he is on the football field.

We combined this type of movement with a tackling drill that we normally use to get our players to tackle with correct form and accelerate through contact. Here is the combined drill: Take a cone and place as a starting marker, you can never have too many cones, The second cone is put at a 30 degree angle to the left at about 6 yards, the third cone is placed at about a 30 degree angle to the right of cone 2 at about 6 yards where a coach is now standing with a tall stand up dummy. The movement is to have the player run from the starting cone to cone 2 and touch it coming to a near stop, staying low and pivoting on his outside foot as he touches the cone, he then accelerates to where the coach is standing with the dummy at cone 3, the player now executes a form fit tackle on the dummy with his head on the outside (right), his knees bent, his toes nearly touching the dummy, his head up and his left shoulder making contact at the contact point you specify.

After you let everyone in your small group do the fit, the second time around the players would take the dummy to the ground with the coach holding the players accountable to the same coaching points.

Once that is completed, now take a cone and put it 6 yards to the right of the starting cone and have the coach with the dummy stationed 6 yards to the left and at 30 degrees of the new cone 2. Now repeat what you did the first time around but this time the player starts to his right and goes left, this time his head will be on the left and contact will be made with the right shoulder. Do the first rep with a fit and the second with the player taking the dummy to the ground. You should be at a pace where you do have a player come through about every 6 seconds, This is just one of many drills where we have been able to incorporate an athletic development movement into our base drill without significantly altering the time required to work on the form of the base technique.

The Keys
Don't overdo the athletic development like many coaches do. Quite often when you do that, your players and teams aren't progressing well with base football technique fundamentals and team execution. However, if you can combine drills like the above example where both athletic development and football technique are taught in the same movement, you may have yourself something that makes sense.

Youth Football - Developing Speed and Quickness in Youth Football Players

Dave Cisar-

Dave has a passion for developing youth coaches so they can in turn develop teams that are competitive and well organized. He is a Nike "Coach of the Year" Designate and speaks nationwide at Coaches Clinics. His book "Winning Youth Football a Step by Step Plan" was endorsed by Tom Osborne and Dave Rimington.
For 325 of his Free Youth Football Coaching Tips : Youth Football Plays.

Tackling, Catching, Running, and Other Basic Yet Fundamental Football Skills

The Proper Way to Catch a High Football

As a receiver, or any player that is going to catch a pass, you know that not all passes are going to go right to the chest. Here are some simple steps when making a high catch: 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 to look the catch through and tuck it away. When you practice a high catch you are going to perform it subconsciously on the field, so remember extend the arms, catch and follow through.

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Running will increase performance

Endurance is the name of the game when it comes to football, and running will help you endurance grow. Though dull and sometimes boring, these running drills will help you play your hardest until the end of the game. Teams, or individuals, that do not complain throughout the running drills will be better off and better prepared for a game. Because in the end, the team or players that are the fastest are the ones that win the championships. Running also will teach you how to push yourself even when you don't want too.

Powerful Blocking Strategy: Double Teaming

Football is all about strategy and fining, or making weak spots in your opponent. Use the proven technique of double teaming to get great results on the field This play is simple, double up and push through. If you ever need to get a running back through or perform a great blitz, remember this technique. 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. Concentrate on this wall so that the opponent cannot duck around or go through the double team. Also, this maneuver needs to happen quickly and efficiently.

Catching the ball low

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. Here are some secrets to making this catch. First, keep your hands down low in a scooping or shovel position; you can even cross your pinkies. This ensures that the ball will not slip through your fingers. 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. Use your hands and not your body. Never use your body to catch a football. And always see the ball through, meaning that you are watching it into the tuck.

Tackling, Catching, Running, and Other Basic Yet Fundamental Football Skills

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Strengthening Middle School American Football Team Drills

Conditioning: The five dot drill

Conditioning is meant to increase speed, endurance, and reaction time on the football field. For this reason, coaches like this drill for its focus on speed and accuracy. 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.

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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. 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 last step is the same as the first hop scotch method but this time when the player reaches the other side they will turn around on the two dots. Because this drill is intended for accuracy and speed, it is recommended that players start out slow and deliberate and then speed up to their maximum time.

Conditioning: Cross jumping

Reaction is as skill that players need to develop through conditioning and drills. The point to this drill is having players practice quick directional changes on the field. Start out by placing the player on any crossing lined area on the field, anything like a small for square area. Then the player will proceed to jump from on area or box to another, thus forcing the player to jump laterally, diagonally, frontwards, and backwards. Some of the variations can be on legged; either right or left, or changing the order those players will perform the drill.

Strip Tackling

In order to win football games you need to have possession of the football. Forcing a fumble is one of the quickest ways that you can turn the tides and retain possession of the football. Practice dislodging the football on the field in pairs of players. As the offender runs ahead of the defender, have the defender bring his clenched hands up quickly, and forcefully, as he aims his hand at offender's football. This drill is most effective if you start it slow focusing on the motions needed to be effective, and then speed up over time.

Basics to football hand offs

Learning the basics in a hand-off is essential to a strong offense. Let's look at a simple hand off between a quarterback and a running back to point out the fundamentals of this skill. A good hand off starts with the running back giving a target to the quarterback, this can be done in the running back keeping his arms flat against his body, one arm low and the other high creating an open square or target around the chest for the quarterback to slide the ball in. When the running back receives the football he clamps down both arms hard on the football to protect it. Now that the running back has the ball when he leaves the quarterback he should remain low to the ground in order to react quickly on the field.

Strengthening Middle School American Football Team Drills

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Youth Football Drills - Make The Fundamentals Fun!

Make Practice Fun!

Youth football drills will improve the skills of your football team. If you are the coach of a young team of eager football players, the following youth football skills will help you move the team forward into both comprehension of the stances of the on field playing game and the repetitive skills it takes to be a dedicated professional player. Youth football drills should be informative and fun, so you can keep the team players interested while they learn.

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Youth Football Drills All Begin With Ready Stance:

The Ready Stance drill teaches one of the proper "ready" football stances. Line up your team into lines and shout "ready"... "stance". Walk up and down the lines as the players crouch into their stances. Correct any players that are not in the correct position. This is one of the most important, basic football skills needed.

Quick Hit Drill:

The Quick Hit drill helps team members, such as the blocking backs and linemen, in quickly moving from the Ready Stance into a blocking position. Youth football drills, such as this one, are basic to the game. The players will make a circle and stand in their Ready Stance. On your command, the players will pop into a pass protection position, take a quick step with the outside foot, and assume the squat position ready to strike a blow. Repeat these youth football drills as needed.

Youth Football Drills With Receiver Concentration:

Youth football drills, such as this one, should ensure the receiver can get the ball, hone in on the ball, and pat attention watching the ball throughout its flight until it lands clutched in his hands. Getting hit is not a factor in this drill. Take three players holding hand shields and line them up ten yards deep, three yards apart from one another in a triangle formation. Your receiver will run a pattern specified by you, which will land him in the middle of the triangle. Once the receiver enters the triangle, your quarterback will throw a high pass that will make the receiver jump to make the catch. As the receiver touches the ball with his hands, the three players in the triangle will jam the receiver with their respective shields.

Youth Football Drills Teach Good Balance:

Good balance is important to all sports, but especially to all youth football drills. For a Good balance drill, have your team players line up across from one another on the field. Have each player grab the shoulder pads of the player situated directly in opposite from them. Each player should take turns trying to knock his "opponent" off balance. He will do this by pulling, pushing, and tipping his opponent from side to side. The opponent will get down into a low base, and move his feet around to maintain balance.

There are many youth drills for football players. Each one is meant to help youth teams learn fundamentals of the game, as well as learn the importance of playing as a team unit. By improving your team in practice, you will be giving them opportunity to overcome any obstacles on the field.

Youth Football Drills - Make The Fundamentals Fun!

By Margarette Tustle. Read more resources on drills [http://www.ddrill.com/] at a target="_new" href="http://www.ddrill.com/">ddrill.com

Football Training - Shape Up With These Conditioning Drills

Football teams that are in shape will feel more confident and better prepared on the field, which will lead to more success throughout the season. The following football training drills were designed as gut busters for all players and can turn any team into an unbeatable force. While not fun, they are challenging and ultimately very rewarding.

Indian Relays

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This football training drill can be run with the whole team together or divided into two groups. Have players form a single file line and jog laps around the field or track. The coach oversees and blows the whistle to signal for the last player in line to sprint to the front of the line, assume the first position in line, and resume jogging. The coach will continue signaling for the last player to move to the front of the line until all the players have cycled through. Aim for a ten to fifteen minute jog the first time around and then increase as necessary.

Speed Run

For this conditioning drill, you will need a steep decline for players to run down. Ideally, players will start at the top of a long, fairly steep hill. At the whistle, players will run down the hill as fast as they can without losing control. This drill will increase pick-up speed by training players to run faster than they would be used to on a flat surface. Once they reach the bottom of the hill, have them walk back up and run down again. Repeat three to five times, depending on the length of the hill.

Terrible 20s

For the Terrible 20s training drill, divide the team into two groups and position them at either goal line. The first group will complete twenty push-ups before sprinting down the field to the other goal line. Meanwhile, the second group will be performing twenty sit-ups before sprinting to the opposite goal line. Once they reach the opposite side of the field, the groups will alternate tasks and perform nineteen push-ups or sit-ups before sprinting back to the other side. The groups will continue sprinting the one hundred yards and repeating the exercises until they count down to zero.

Run/Walk

For this football drill, divide the team into two groups and have them line up at opposite corners across the field from each other. At the whistle, both groups will sprint down the sidelines to the other end zone. Once they reach the goal line, players will quickly walk to the opposite side. At that point, they will once again sprint the one hundred yards down the field. Then, move players infield to run seventy-yard sprints and walk across the field. Repeat, and then have them move infield to run two fifties, two forties, two twenties, and two tens. The short sprints are good for improving quick acceleration.

Football Training - Shape Up With These Conditioning Drills

Next step: for more free football drills, tips and coaching ideas, go here to watch a free video:

http://www.football-tutorials.com/vid/

Inside, you'll discover dozens of unique, fun, and wickedly effective football drills you can take immediately to practice. Each one is simple to learn and easy to implement with your team.

3 Keys to a Successful Youth Football Practice

Managing kids can be a challenge, add in teaching them athletic skills - sometimes can be next to impossible. Some adults can jump right in and gain the respect and devotion of the kids, while others have great intentions - but should really stick with being the supportive spectator on the sidelines. There are 3 key components to every practice for youth football: conditioning, drills, and scrimmaging. Incorporating these components will ensure a successful practice every time.

Conditioning is most important in the beginning of the season. The best conditioned your team is the more endurance they will have during a game - and the 4th quarter won't seem so long winded. Muscle wrap-ups, sprints and resistance training are all important to optimizing the body's performance. Drills are essential for teaching the basics of any sport, especially football. Repetitious drills can create muscle memory and be the difference between good players and great players. Scrimmaging allows the players to demonstrate their newly acquired skills to the coaches and show areas that need improvement. Scrimmages should be run with comments (good or bad) after each play; this gives the players immediate feedback and allows them to process their actions.

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Practices should not be equally divided into conditioning, skills and scrimmages. The levels of the players and where you are at during the season should dictate how much time is spent on each area. For example, you would spend more time on conditioning at the beginning of the season and less on scrimmaging; and towards the end of the season it would be reversed.

Practices are meant to condition the athlete for endurance during games, build on their techniques through various drills, and allow them to put the pieces together before the big game during a scrimmage. Practice is essential for a successful season.

3 Keys to a Successful Youth Football Practice

Youth Football Practice Tips
Jo Denn invites you to email her with any questions you might have about coaching youth sports. With a lifetime of experience, coaching her own teams and growing up around successful coaches she has a great coaching philosophy. Teaching skills through interactive drills in a competitive way yields a stronger team. Her player's grow and develop each season into better players on and off the field/court. Athletics plays a very import role in her family life and within her community. http://www.youthfootballdrills.info

Football Training for Kids

Foot ball is a team game and loved by all, kids, youth and old. Come FIFA world cup season or the League cup season, every child in every country is playing football in the local ground, or at least loving to kick the ball. The football game players are icons and heroes, and every child has a favorite to imitate.

Many parents encourage their children to join football training classes or football coaching. Coaching children is one of the most stressful and formidable challenges that one can undertake. It is not easy to make children (that too in numbers and groups) understand the rules and regulations, dos and don'ts, as well as teach them the skill and style. But, the flipside is the children of the resent times are exposed to the games much as the elders. So many have a fair idea as to what is a goal, what is a penalty, how to kick, and what is a foul. Since, they do not come with a blank slate, what many need to learn is, just the technique to handle the ball, and foot skills.

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Kid's football training classes include children from 6 years above. A few also allow children less than 6 yrs of age. Children are fast learners. And because of their tiny frame, they can be swift, once they practice. With kids as student, the training session will be pure fun, and noisy. A football training coach has to bring himself down to the level of the child to explain the little tips, to make the child understand. Besides, adding an element of fun to the trait, the child can grasp easier. With loads of energy, and enthusiasm, children are the noisy lot, who may be more demanding from the coach. Training kids, means controlling their running, and making them understand team spirit and the need to pass and share responsibility to win.

It is always nice to present a football drill and demonstrate a dummy game for the kids to understand the game better. You can also encourage the child to raise question, and also make the demo a discussion to make them analyze why each step was taken and what was achieved at each pass as well as what can be the alternative moves.

Many children feel dissuaded and discouraged when scolded in front of other kids. A word of encouragement and correction in a light manner will help resolve issues than the stern and strict ways. Besides, longer hours of drill can be boring too. The technique to have to ball in control totally and be in possession of the ball for longer time, and pass to the right teammate and quick foot skills can be achieved easily within a short time of 3 to 4 yrs.

Football Training for Kids

You can read more about football training for kids online.

Football Drills for Kids - Fun Drills to Teach the Basics

When coaching beginning football, it can be hard to find drills for kids. Coaches should look for drills that are fun and not too complicated so that kids will have fun while learning the game. Football drills for kids should be simple and start with the basics: passing, catching, tackling, and maintaining proper stance.

King of the Ring Drill

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This football drill for kids focuses on tackling the ball carrier.

Have the players form a large circle with one player in the middle (more than one circle can be used for large teams). The drill begins when the coach tosses the ball to a player in the circle. The player with the ball must try to run to the other side of the circle. The player in the middle tries to stop the ball carrier with a solid heads up tackle. If the ball carrier makes it to the other side, he remains where he is and the player in the middle stays in the middle. If the player in the middle is successful in the tackle, he goes to the circle and the ball carrier becomes the new person in the middle.

Keep Your Balance Drill

This beginning football drill teaches the correct stance for offensive players to maintain their balance.

Have the defensive and offensive players form two lines facing each other. Have the players grab the shoulder pads of the player opposite them. At the whistle, the defensive player tries to make the offensive player lose his balance by pushing, pulling, tipping, etc. The offensive player should practice proper stance to maintain balance: keeping his hips low, his base wide, and moving his feet to stay upright and secure. Switch players and continue the drill.

Eye on the Ball Drill

This kids football drill is designed to help receivers maintain their concentration. They should focus on catching the pass even when they expect a hit.

Have three players with hand shields form a large equal triangle. The drill begins with the receiver running a pattern into the middle of the triangle. Once the receiver is in the triangle, the coach throws him a high pass. The receiver jumps to catch the pass and the players with shields run to the center of the triangle to jam him.

Football Drills for Kids - Fun Drills to Teach the Basics

And if you'd like to see more football drills and coaching tips, go here to watch a free video:

http://www.football-tutorials.com/

Steve Tucker is a youth football coach, and the owner and publisher of Football-Tutorials.com. Visit his blog today for more than 468 free articles covering football drills for kids, plays, and coaching strategies.

Flag Football Coaching Tips

Lets start this article with talking about Flag Football Drills. Most of the Flag Football Drills I have found deal with the basics, Run, Pass, Tackle (flag pulling). Using google to search for the term Flag Football Drills I discovered a couple of good drills. Most drills deal with a lot of running plays or basic flag pulling. There were not a lot of how to or technique drills. I found one below I would like to share. With any team, practice makes perfect. Flag is no different. If you are serious about winning check out this drill.

Chase the man

Foot Ball Drills

The purpose of this drill is to develop running skills and avoid having the flag pulled. Most flag runners will give up when someone is in front of them. So this drill will help with agility and footwork. This how you will set up the drill.

Set out a 40 x 40-yard area. Place cones 2 yards apart to simulate a mini-end zone. Recommended for six pairs of players, the maximum number of kids is 20. If cones are not available, marks on the ground or floor, t-shirts, or tape can be used. Balls are optional. These are the actions that you need to take in order to make this drill work

- Pair players up - one as a RB and one as a DB. The DB is in back of the RB and chasing the RB from behind.
- RB's should carry a football (if available).
- Each RB starts off on the end line at either side of the playing area.
- The DB start 5 yards behind the RB.
- On the coach's whistle, the RB attempt to cross through the mini-end zones without getting their flags pulled by the pursuing DB.
- The DB must chase the RB.
- Both flags are pulled, RB is out. If one flag pulled, the RB keeps going.
- Any end zone can be crossed and there is no order in which the end zones have to be crossed.
- The drill lasts 45 seconds and then you switch RB's to DB and DB to RB.

After the first run through the drill shorten the time to 30 seconds.

Flag Football Coaching tips. Advise your players to perform the following during the drill

- RB run plays with their heads up.
- DB watches the movement of RB's hips, not his/her head or shoulders.

Enjoy your season and I hope this tip helped

Flag Football Coaching Tips

Revitalizing College Football Coaching Strengths

Running Drills: A Way of Life

Running drills are one of the most basic ways that you can enhance your endurance. Though dull and sometimes boring, these running drills will help you play your hardest until the end of the game. Even with all of these benefits you will notice that most of the complaints in practice come from running drills. Because in the end, the team or players that are the fastest are the ones that win the championships. Another benefit that you will not see at first, is the ability to push yourself past your limits.

Foot Ball Drills

Strip Tackling

There is a golden rule in football defense, get the ball to the offensive team as quickly as possible. Forcing a fumble is one of the quickest ways that you can turn the tides and retain possession of the football. A great way to practice is have two players line up, one as the defense, the other with the football as the offense. The point is to have the defensive player throw the fist into the football causing the offensive player to fumble the football. Practice these movements slowly to start muscle memory and to correct bad habits.

Conditioning: Five dot jump

Strength and reaction time is what makes a great football athlete. The intent of this drill is to increase accuracy, timing, and speed. 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.

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. Next proceed around the dots one at a time jumping with one leg only, and then change to the other leg. After this, the player will touch all of the dots with both feet together. The last step is the same as the first hop scotch method but this time when the player reaches the other side they will turn around on the two dots. Because this drill is intended for accuracy and speed, it is recommended that players start out slow and deliberate and then speed up to their maximum time.

Building your muscles and endurance through Weightlifting

No practice regime would be complete without lifting weights. The effects of weight lifting will add muscle to your body and increase strength, this straighten will add to your maximum power. Maximum power is different from strength because it is the power that you exert on the field during a play. It is the quickness and exertion that will enable a football player to accomplish their plays with skill on the field. We highly recommend working with a personal trainer when weightlifting to insure that you are doing it properly, and to help you design a program that will fit your position.

Revitalizing College Football Coaching Strengths

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Football Speed - Football Drills to Increase Speed in a Hurry!

As a fitness trainer and strength and conditioning specialist that has trained athletes in the Atlanta area now for over 10 years I can tell you right now that if you want to build your speed for football then you have got to utilize kettlebells! That's right, I said kettlebells my friend. Keep reading if I have your attention.

Football Speed Training Workouts!

Foot Ball Drills

You see in order to stimulate your body to actually get FASTER you have got to train it a certain way in order for it to be. Speed can be obtained a number of different ways, but by developing strength through dynamic movements you will increase your speed performance and smoke the competition on the football field in a hurry! This is where kettlebell training comes into play my friend.

You see kettlebell training is a movement based style of training that will help you to develop strength, power, endurance, and of course speed! Just by engaging in some of the more primary movements that will stimulate the muscles of your posterior chain (hips, glutes, hamstrings, back, etc.) you will develop your sprinting powerhouse for optimal performance. Kettlebell training allows you to perform these dynamic strength movements over and over in order to help you develop both power and endurance at the same time.

For instance, the kettlebell swing is the base lift you can perform with the kettlebell and it gives you a much greater range of motion and similar training effect as a barbell clean. The difference in the two drills is that you can't swing the barbell! The kettlebell allows for a much greater range of motion and volume of training due to it's unique design and the way that the swing lift is performed. This is what strongmen and athletes in Russia have understood for centuries.

Another great thing is that you can actually integrate more functional style drills into your football speed training with kettlebells such as kettlebell drags, totes, and throws. These are drills that more closely resemble world strongman training, but they will certainly improve your football speed performance! This is the kind of workout that will make you a better football player, period.

If you haven't already started to implement the use of the kettlebell into your football speed drills then you are missing out my friend. Take the time to learn more on how to do this by accessing more of my articles on the subject for free. Remember that most any football player can train hard, but only the champions train smart!

Football Speed - Football Drills to Increase Speed in a Hurry!

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Strengthening American Football Running Back Routines

Up Downs Conditioning Drill

Up downs is an excellent conditioning drill that will improve reaction time and endurance. This drill consists of having players run in place as fast and as hard as they can. From time to time the coach will signal to the players, by whistle or a command, to get down - meaning that they drop down do a push up and get back up as quickly as possible to run again. Because this drill can be very taxing, it is important to increase the time spent at this slowly over time as the player's strength increases.

Foot Ball Drills

Tackling Fundamentals and Safety

Learning how to perform a proper tackle is fundamental to the game of football. If executed poorly not only will you not succeed in stopping the offensive team, but you could possibly injure yourself in the process. When you tackle your opponent remember three important steps:

First is to cut off your opponent by placing yourself directly in front of them. You can do this by placing your foot between your opponent's feet. Also, and in coordination with your feet throw your arms back preparing to grab.

Second, thrust your other foot again squarely in front of your opponent and with all the momentum that you have brought to the tackle grab your opponent. Now is the time that injuries can happen. The one golden rule in making a safe tackle is to never, ever lead with or try to tackle with the crown of your head. A great way to insure that you are in the right position is to practice touching your facemask to the football of the opposing player.

Third, throw your hips up and hard as you drive the offensive player backwards. Setting yourself up for this last step will ultimately prove the success in the tackle.

Low Ball Catching Techniques

Good receivers and even running backs know how to make the great plays. Making the plays means that you have practiced the "non-optimal" situation and know how to react to them. One situation that happens a lot in a game is catching the low passes. Here are some great techniques in coaching and learning the low catch. First, keep your hands down low in a scooping or shovel position; you can even cross your pinkies. This technique stops the ball from bouncing away and also helps the player scoop up the ball quickly. 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. Second, bend your knees and get low. Use your hands and not your body. Keep your eyes right on the ball. Last, concentrate on catching it first and then worry about the defense, and scoring some more yards.

Some fundamentals of ball security

One of the fundamental aspects of running with a football is ball security. Football teams have lost many games because a couple of players were lax in there ball carrying and fumbled the football. Basic ball security can be broken down into four steps. First grab the football with your carrying hand with the tips of the football being covered with your fingers. The second point is your forearm wrapped around the ball and shielding it from the defense. The third point is securing the other point of the football with your bicep making sure that it is right up against it. Last point is to hold the back of the football right up against the ribcage and as you run keep it high and tight. Practice holding the football and having defensive players try and knock out the football by any means possible. As your ball carrying continues to improve you will insure less turnovers and greater success on the field.

Strengthening American Football Running Back Routines

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Becoming a Powerhouse on the Football Field Starts With Basic Drills and Practices

Conditioning: Cross jumping

Conditioning in football is meant to help you react quickly on the field moving in a variety of directions. This practice drill is intended to increase reaction speed and the ability to quickly change directions. It starts by placing players in a small four square box. Once a players positions themselves in one of the corners they will proceed to jump from one corner of the area to other in either a patterned function or randomly. Coaches should encourage one foot jumping to increase further strength and reactions on the field.

Foot Ball Drills

Steps to effectively block driving

When talking about the fundamentals of a great offense or defense, you have to know what a good driving and blocking techniques are. The drive block is the most fundamental and should be practiced often. It is a simple yet effective way to move your opponent. If the Defensive lineman is aligned slightly to the right of the offensive linemen then the drive block with pus the defender to the right. Execute the drive by bolting off the line with your play side foot; again if the play is happening on the left side then you will use your left foot. Connect hard against your opponent, bring your other foot into play and continue to drive in the aligned direction.

Learning the Plays from the Playbook

Learning a play is critical because when an individual learns a play and executes it properly, it benefits the whole team. Because football plays can be intricate, it is important that you understand and follow the coach's instructions. In order to avoid learning a play wrong, or developing bad habits, we recommend that you go through the entire play slowly at first. Practice is a great time to get some extra help, so if you are struggling with a certain play remember that your coaches are there to help you master the techniques. Always, always ask for the help that you need. After practice is over visualize the play in your mind. Go over it again and again, and you will find that your mind will help you learn the plays even when you sleep.

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. From time to time the coach will signal to the players, by whistle or a command, to get down - meaning that they drop down do a push up and get back up as quickly as possible to run again. Because this drill can be very taxing, it is important to increase the time spent at this slowly over time as the player's strength increases.

Becoming a Powerhouse on the Football Field Starts With Basic Drills and Practices

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Football Drills for Defense End

Probably the most important job of a defensive end in football is to rush the quarterback. It's important that the defensive ends get good pressure on the quarterback. Otherwise the quarterback will have time to stand back behind his offensive line and complete passes to his receivers. Football drills for defense end help a player develop strength and explosiveness so he can get to the quarterback quickly. There are also many drills that help a defensive end develop moves to get to the quarterback.

Firing Off the Ball

Foot Ball Drills

If a defensive lineman doesn't fire off the ball at the snap, then he will have a hard time rushing the quarterback and disrupting a running play. So, football drills for defense end always have to include working on firing off the ball.

The drill is very easy. Since a defensive linemen needs to look in and watch for the ball to be snapped (for them to fire forward) during a game, that's what they do for this drill. The defensive linemen get into their three point stance and a coach simulates the snapping of the ball. When the coach snaps the ball, the defensive linemen fire forward.

Specific Moves

There are a few different moves that defensive linemen can use to try to beat an offensive lineman and get to the quarterback. For each move there is a drill that helps the defensive lineman perfect the move. Two of the better football drills teach the Swim Move and the Bull Rush.

The Swim Move

The Swim Move involves a defensive end making a swimming move with his arm in order to knock the offensive lineman's hands down. What an offensive lineman wants to do is get his hands on the defensive lineman to shield him away from the quarterback. So, by raising his arm up and knocking the offensive lineman's hands away (using a Swim Move), the defensive linemen can get to the quarterback.

The Bull Rush

The Bull Rush is a move that has the defensive end running directly into the offensive lineman and trying to knock him off balance and then out of the way.

A great drill to work on the Bull Rush requires 2 players, one to be the defensive end and the other to provide resistance. The defensive lineman should place his helmet and his hands into the back of the player providing resistance. At the whistle, the defensive lineman will begin pushing the other players while that player provides resistance. Then, when a signal is given, the player providing the resistance will try to sit down. The defensive lineman must hold-up the offensive lineman and continue to drive the o-linemen back. This forces the defensive end to use his hips and his upper-body strength.

The Benefits of Football Drills for Defense End

Football drills for defense end are great because they teach a defensive end how to play the position the right way. The drills teach a defensive end how to fire off the ball and the drills also teach the defensive end specific moves to beat the offensive lineman and get to the quarterback. Two of these drills teach the Swim Move and the Bull Rush.

Football Drills for Defense End

Coach Tucker is dedicated to seeing his teams succeed in the classroom and on the football field. He shares his love of the game (along with many other defensive football drills and plays) for free on this website:

http://www.FootballTutorials.com/

For a limited time, all coaches who visit Steve's site will also get a free copy of the special report: "The 7 Biggest Mistakes Football Coaches Make". Go get your free copy today!

Youth Football Wide Receiver Tips

Catching a football is not that difficult; however, catching a football correctly takes hours and hours of practice. You'll see many youth football receivers position themselves in front of the ball and catch with their body ending up in a heap on the field with the football tucked away. There isn't much chance of them running with the ball after the catch when they are lying on the field. Here are some wide receiver tips for catching the football the right way and to prepare you for gaining extra yards.

Catching Strategies for Wide Receivers

Foot Ball Drills

Catch with your hands and not with your body for a couple of reasons. If you catch with your body it may bounce off of your equipment for an incomplete pass. Watch replays of Terrell Owens, Randy Moss, or your favorite NFL receiver and you'll notice they always catch with their hands.Keep your eye on the football. Focus on the tip of the football as it's coming towards you and "watch" it into your hands. Never take your eyes off the football. There are a variety of receiver concentration drills.Create a pocket with your hands by positioning your thumbs and index fingers close together. Similar to making a diamond shape with your hands.Try to catch the ball on its front tip. If you target the middle of the ball then it's likely to sail through your hands.Practice your routes and then practice them some more. That way your quarterback knows where you're going to be and can throw the ball there.Be sure to catch and control the ball before running with it. Once you have control tuck the ball under your arm away from any defenders.Develop good fakes like "head bobs" and "shoulder fakes." Leaving your defender in the dust will allow you more time to concentrate on the catch.Watch your mental thoughts. If you think about dropping the football, you likely will. Believe that you can catch each ball that is thrown to you. If you drop it, forget about it and concentrate on the next one.Don't get down on yourself when you fail to catch a ball. Analyze what you did right and what you did wrong. Did you follow your route correctly? Did you keep your eye on the football? Answer these questions honestly and make the necessary corrections.Protect the ball because you're going to get hit quite often. Focus on the catch and tucking in of the ball. If you find yourself free to run, do so once you have control.

You can also find many youth football receiving drills on the Internet some drills are free and some require subscription or for you to order a DVD. Free football drills allow you greater flexibility in trying a variety and see what works best for you and/or your youth football team. Always remember that drills should be age appropriate. The right passing drill for a 14 year-old boy will not suit an 8-year old and vice versa.

There are many football resources and communities like Weplay.com available to help with any questions you might have. Don't underestimate the passion of the community around you.

Youth Football Wide Receiver Tips

By Trevor Sumner who works for Weplay.com, a youth football community dedicated to providing parents coaches and athletes the tools and information to celebrate the love of the game. Weplay.com has one of the most comprehensive, free football drill libraries in its active football community.

How To Make Your Football Players Faster

Most football players can be taught and trained How To Run Fast!

Again, in case you forgot, true speed work is defined as 2-8 seconds of full speed, full intensity running with full (minimum of 3 minutes) recovery.

Foot Ball Drills

If your 'football speed workouts' don't fall under that category, then you are not training your football players to improve their ability to accelerate effectively or develop faster top speeds.

Because running fast is, without question, a skill. And there are certain elements of running that need to be developed in order to get consistent results.

And those results come from a focus on the following five areas, in no particular order.

Speed Fundamental #1: TEACH PROPER ARM ACTION

Ultimately the role of the arms is to stabilize the torso.

In doing so, it allows for greater power transfer and force application, factors critical to speed.

All arm action should take place through the shoulders. Cue athletes to keep the elbows locked at approximately 90 degrees. In front, the hands should not cross the midline of the body.

Hands should come to cheek height in front and clear the hip in the back. Also, focus on driving the elbow or the hand down and back, keeping the elbows close to the body throughout the entire range of motion.

You'll be surprised how difficult this is for many athletes.

Speed Fundamental #2: TRAIN FAST, RUN FAST

I don't care what sport you coach. If all your training is at a submaximal pace, then you are not going to develop faster athletes. It's just that simple.

This principle is not just for track sprinters. From soccer to football to lacrosse and everything in between, athletes need to train fast if they want to be fast.

I'm not saying a football player shouldn't do aerobic work, but they spend a great deal of time accelerating to a ball and to/from a defensive player.

To get where they want to go faster, they must have faster acceleration speed. And this comes from doing acceleration work at full speed with full recovery as I mentioned above.

For some people this is difficult to comprehend. 4 second sprints with 3 minutes rest seems like a waste of time.

Believe me, it isn't.

But if you're coaching true speed/power athletes like sprinters and football players, high intensity sprints with full recovery *must* be the *foundation* of training.

Aerobic work serves as recovery from speed work, it does not get them 'in shape' specific to the demands of football.

This is not even a debatable concept.

Speed Fundamental #3: BE PATIENT

I'm not just talking about being patient with your athletes as you break them down to build them up.

I'm talking about being patient within each repetition of speed work.

Speed can't be forced. Athletes must learn to override the voice in their head that says 'try harder, run harder, push, strain, hurry up'.

Instead they have to let the speed come to them.

During acceleration, ground contact time goes from long to short. But most athletes are in a big rush to get up and into their 'normal' full speed running technique.

This is the equivalent of shifting the gears of a sports car as quickly as possible. It will not maximize performance.

Athletes need to be patient. Spend more time on the ground as they overcome inertia and accelerate. Stride length and frequency should increase naturally, as a result of efficient force application, strength and mechanics. They should not be forced.

Athletes should reach triple extension with each stride, fully completing the action of driving down (and back).

Instead I see athletes trying to shift gears too quickly. This results in reaching a slower top speed earlier in the run.

Since an athlete can only maintain top speed for 1-2 seconds before deceleration begins, impatience during acceleration will cost them speed and time with every step they take.

Speed Fundamental # 4: GET STRONGER

If you work with athletes, particularly teenaged athletes, then time spent developing physical strength in the weight room should be a fundamental part of your program.

Athletes who do not focus on strength development have a very low glass ceiling that will prevent them from making significant gains in speed.

It's just common sense - the stronger you are, the faster you can propel your body forward.

But this doesn't mean going into the weight room and lifting like a bodybuilder.

When I go in the weightroom I see athletes doing pointless training.

Here are some examples of lifts that, for our purposes, are a waste of time:

- anything on a machine such as hamstring curls, leg extensions
calf raises, Smith Machine squats, etc.

- single joint movements such as bicep curls

- chest flies, tricep extensions, etc.

While these are all great movements for looking good at the beach, I cringe when I see in-season athletes doing these lifts as part of their training. And I see it more often than not, sadly enough.

If you want to know exactly how to develop strength in your football players (even your pre-teen athletes) that will transfer to the football field or track, I recommend going to either of my websites listed below and check out the NFL Speed Training DVD's! by San Diego Chargers running back LT and the Denver Broncos D-Back Champ Bailey!

Speed Fundamental #5: STEP OVER, DRIVE DOWN

The ability to apply force to ground and, more specifically, mass specific force, is the primary mechanical consideration you must spend your time on during each speed session or drill session.

Athletes have a variety of issues adversely affecting their lower body mechanics.

But the vast majority of them stem from lack of physical strength and the inability to recover the heel underneath the hips, step over the opposite knee and drive the foot down into the ground so that it lands beneath the hips and not out in front of the center of mass.

If there is one topic of discussion that I get the most questions about it is the concept of 'step over, drive down'.

If there is one topic of discussion I get the most emails from satisfied customers about, it is the positive results gained from teaching athletes how to 'step over, drive down'.

And this is the case at every level of sport.

I've written about this extensively in the past. So if you're interested in reading more, check out my football websites and read the football coaching or football training articles.

How To Make Your Football Players Faster

Todd Krueger is a former 8th round draft pick in 1980 with the Buffalo Bills and also played with the Houston Oilers and Minnesota Vikings and the Arizona Wranglers in the USFL. He runs a football coaching website at http://www.footballtools.com and quarterback training website at http://www.playqb.com There you will find low cost football coaching products such as NFL Football Playbooks, Youth Football Practice DVDs, Quarterback Training DVDs, Football Scouting Software, Football Playbook Software, Free Quarterback Drills, Football Special Teams DVDs, Football Workout DVDs, Football Practice DVDs, and a free football newsletter and a free quarterback newsletter.

Practice Time - Pee Wee Football Defense

If defense wins championships, how come so many youth football teams do not spend much time on team defense? I watch year after year as teams ignore working on team defense except when they scrimmage.

Much like the last post, I think we need to clarify what we mean when we ask this question. Not only overall defense, but individual and team defense needs to be practiced.

Foot Ball Drills

Just like my answer under the offensive question, the defensive side of the ball directly influences many of the daily routine skills and drills. Every single stretch and exercise helps your defense in one way or another.

The way we run, our agility through the pads are based on a good linebacker stance. We have the players learn to shuffle their feet and keep their heads up so they can see the play develop.

We work on form tackling the pads every day. 90% of my practices will contain some form of either the Angle Tackle Drill or Open Field Tackling.

When the season is underway and we have scouting reports to go on, we will spend extensive time running a "scout offense" against the defense teaching all of our upcoming opponents tendencies and special plays.

As a general rule, at least 70-80% of our practice time is going over our defensive gameplan or working on some defensive skill or concept.

Teaching the players to trust each other and not to try to make every play can be a challenge with the little kids. It is second nature for the kids to just run after the ball carrier and try to make the tackle.

It takes time for the players to understand that their individual responsibilities are most important in a team setting. You cannot roam over the field and have a successful defense if the individual assignments are being ignored.

Outside containment is the hardest responsibility to teach the young players. When the plays appears to be heading the other way, it takes great discipline to stay home.

I am always on the lookout, when scouting an opponent, for the players who do not stay home. I know I can run reverse and counter plays for big yardage against him.

In conclusion, take the time in practice to make certain the players are well schooled in the defensive scheme you have choosen to use this year. If your opponent cannot score, they cannot win.

Practice Time - Pee Wee Football Defense

Jim Oddo has been coaching youth football, basketball and baseball for over 23 years. Jim has had success teaching kds ages 4 to 14 years old. Find over 400 FREE articles and great ideas on becoming a successful youth football coach at http://footballplaybooks.info. In addition to coaching ideas, there is a variety of systems and schemes available as Youth Football Playbooks.

Football Playing Art Starts on the Practice Field With Some Great Drills

Learning the Plays from the Playbook

Learning a play is critical because when an individual learns a play and executes it properly, it benefits the whole team. Because football plays can be intricate, it is important that you understand and follow the coach's instructions. As you start to practice the play make sure to slow it down, there is no sense in practicing errors. As always, when learning a new play don't hesitate to ask for individual help to master the techniques needed. Are you done with the play after practice? No wayt thing that you can do after practice is visualize your plays. Sleep on them, and you will learn them twice as fast.

Foot Ball Drills

Basics to football hand offs

Learning the basics in a handoff is essential to a strong offense. We will explain this in a common scenario between a quarterback and a running back. A running back at the start of a hand off should give the quarterback a target by opening up his arms that are in front of his chest enough to allow about one and a half footballs in. When the running back receives the football he clamps down both arms hard on the football to protect it. As the running back leaves from the handoff he needs to stay low to react quickly and again to protect the ball.

Dehydration is an enemy to football success

Sufficient water intake on and off the field for athletes should be a concern for both the coaches and the players. Each athlete should bring or have a water bottle provided, and they need to use it often. Always remember that if you prevent, punish, or otherwise use water as a motivational tool it is very counterproductive, and there are many other motivating paths that you can take. These safe practices will help keep players energized and healthy.

Conditioning Drill: Up Downs

Up downs is an excellent conditioning drill that will improve reaction time and endurance. Players will start this drill by running in place as fast as they can, keeping their knees high as possible. From time to time the coach will signal to the players, by whistle or a command, to get down - meaning that they drop down do a push up and get back up as quickly as possible to run again. As up downs require endurance and strength, players are encouraged to start in slow short burst and work up to longer and more intense sessions.

Football Playing Art Starts on the Practice Field With Some Great Drills

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Soccer Skills - How To Improve Your Weaker Foot

Improving your weak foot takes a serious amount of time and hard work for results to start to show. There's no doubt that the best players in the world have almost equal ability with both feet. They can perform dummies, tricks and pass efficiently with both feet giving them more options and opportunities when they have possession of the ball. Being able to use both feet is a skill that every modern footballer needs to have.

There is no real secret to improving your weaker foot other than hard work in your soccer training. As a player you need to be able to dribble with both feet giving you the sense of unpredictability against defenders. It allows you to beat defenders either using your left or right foot. To improve your weaker foot ball control you can do simple drill is such as little cuts, any kind of touches on the ball with your weaker foot is improving it. To accelerate the process of improving your weaker foot you need to perform dribbling drills such as little cuts around any kind of objects. To perform this you dribble the ball touching the ball with the inside of the foot with your weaker foot then with the outside of foot with the weaker foot and repeating this is in a continuous motion. You can then create a variations such as 2 touches with the inside foot and 2 touches with the outside of the foot. Another one is two touches with the inside of the foot and one touch with the outside of the foot. There are many variations to this drill and is your hard work that will make these drills pay off.

Foot Ball Drills

To improve passing with your weaker foot you simply have to do use your weaker foot. This can be done by either grabbing a mate and simply passing the ball in different styles to each other learning and maintaining skills with your weaker foot. Or if you do not have the opportunity to grab a friend you can always find a wall and practice passing the ball and receiving the ball with the wall. It's important when using the wall that you pick a consistent spot and try to hit it on a consistent basis. It's crucial that you learn not only to pass the ball along the ground with your weaker foot, but to learn to chip the ball and practice your long passes. It's crucial that you do not become a one footed player as this will make you predictable.

Soccer Skills - How To Improve Your Weaker Foot

This article has only scratched the surface of what you can learn to learn more goto Football Smart and for more on dribbling and skills goto Ball Skills

Conditioning - Five Dot Jump

Conditioning is meant to increase speed, endurance, and reaction time on the football field. 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.

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 the player will jump touching each dot with on leg only, and then switch using the other leg. Then continue around the dots with both legs together. The last step is the same as the first hop scotch method but this time when the player reaches the other side they will turn around on the two dots. Because this drill is intended for accuracy and speed, it is recommended that players start out slow and deliberate and then speed up to their maximum time.

Foot Ball Drills

Conditioning: The Quick Jump

Conditioning in football is meant to help you react quickly on the field moving in a variety of directions. This practice drill is intended to increase reaction speed and the ability to quickly change directions. The drill takes place in small four corner area that you can draw out or use the lines of the field. Once a players positions themselves in one of the corners they will proceed to jump from one corner of the area to other in either a patterned function or randomly. Coaches should encourage one foot jumping to increase further strength and reactions on the field.

Traditional Driving Block

Simple drives are important for linemen to practice and perfect. The drive block is the most fundamental and should be practiced often. When you want to remove an opponent effectively you will use the drive block again and again. It starts with the lineup, when you are facing your opponent notice which way they are aligned, if they are off to the right then you will drive them to the right if the play is occurring on the left side of the field. When driving start with your play side foot. Move quickly and in a speed bursting motion, make solid contact with your opponent to drive them off in the direction that you want.

Strength and conditioning: Up Downs

Out of all of the football conditioning drills up downs is one of the most popular. This drill starts by having the players run in place as fast as they can encourage them to get their knees up as high as they can. From time to time the coach will signal to the players, by whistle or a command, to get down - meaning that they drop down do a push up and get back up as quickly as possible to run again. This drill is an excellent workout and should be worked in slowly at first and then increased in intensity and length over time.

Conditioning - Five Dot Jump

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10 Football Coaching Tips For Kids You Can't Do Without

Football coaching for kids can be just as demanding and hard work as it is for professional managers. No matter whether you are an experienced football coach or first time manager of a kids' team, you can benefit from these 10 tips to become a better soccer coach.

1. Use Soccer drills

Foot Ball Drills

Soccer drills are the foundations that help to teach the players the basics of the game. Skills such as dribbling round cones, passing games, running and fitness exercises are great for developing techniques and awareness.

2. Encourage players to think for themselves

Letting players think for themselves can help them learn from their mistakes, and take the glory when they get things right

3. Develop their life skills as well as football skills

Football coaches have a moral responsibility to help to develop players' life skills as well as their football skills. Accepting that they won't always score or win, and that referees are always right, will help the young player develop as a person. Being courteous and professional on the pitch can transfer into being a pleasant and polite person off the pitch.

4. Let the children play football

It's better to watch them play than to lecture them, and make football practice boring. Watching players progress and seeing how they cope in situations, is a very rewarding aspect of football coaching.

5. Make attainable goals

Children respond well to challenges. You can make something more exciting by making it competitive. Weekly, monthly or season long targets are a good idea and can be set for the team as a whole or for individual players.

6. Be Age-aware

Be realistic about what you expect from your players. Young and inexperienced players will make mistakes, and there is no point in over-training, or exercising them to the point of exhaustion.

7. Don't concentrate solely on winning

Whilst it's great to win, it's better to ensure that the players are enjoying themselves, and learning. A team may learn more from losing than winning. The team spirit and confidence is as important when a team is losing as it is when winning.

8. Communicate efficiently and effectively.

The right amount of communication with the players is vital - saying too much is just as bad as saying too little. Try and keep comments for before and after the practice session, rather than every time a player makes a mistake.

9. Use technology

Training methods have come on in leaps and bounds over recent years. Computer and internet based training courses mean that there is a wealth of resources available instantly, rather than having to rely on what out of date books are available at the local library, or by making notes whilst watching matches on TV.

10. Enjoy the game as much as the players do

There is a danger that you will become so engrossed in the game, and focussed so much on doing well and winning, that you will lose sight of the important aspects. If training sessions look like a chore to you, it will to the children too.

Why not see if you can improve your football coaching with these tips?

10 Football Coaching Tips For Kids You Can't Do Without

Want to be an even better coach? Why not use the football drills and football coaching [http://academy.evertonfc.com/freetour] methods used by a Premier League football club? Learn how your players can benefit from proven training methods, and you might uncover the next Wayne Rooney!

Increase Your Athletic Potential As a Football Player - Build Strength, Power, Speed, and Agility

Football has specific demands that need to be addressed when training. As you are working to become a better player focus on training the following areas.

* Explosive acceleration and fast sprinting speed.
* Muscular endurance and strength in the lower body.
* Muscular balance and high levels of neuromuscular coordination.
* Body awareness and agility, the ability to know where your body is, and be able to move it.
* Good flexibility to avoid injury, football players are prone to poor hamstring flexibility.
* Correct balance between your quadriceps and hamstrings, as well as strength imbalances between your left and right leg.

Foot Ball Drills

Set Your Goals:

*****Get better- Work harder
*****Standout from the rest in all competition
*****Become the best you can through effective training
*****Raise your personal bar of excellence with each routine
*****Leave nothing on the field- give everything you have.

Follow a football training conditioning program. There are four components necessary to prepare for football season:

Strength, Power, Speed, and Agility.
Fundamentals, speed, strength, agility, power, and endurance are what coaches are looking for in their high school football players. If you can build these areas to their maximum potential then you will be noticed by coaches and recruiters.Use the football drills to improve your ability and talent. Then learn to incorporate the benefit of the drills into your game. Develop the ability to showcase your talents and skills on demand.

Strength training is important to prevent injury and to improve your athletic performance. It is strength training that will make you a stand out player... continuous, effective, sport-specific training. If you have the desire to play at the next level, know that it will require hard work , determination, and a great strength training program.

Power, on the other hand, may be viewed as quickness in running or jumping. Power is displayed in the speed of your motion.
When training to increase your power focus on the speed of the lift as well as the amount of weight that you lift. Now, this may seem contradictory to those of you who were always taught to lift weights slowly. However, the important difference with power training is that you lift explosively but WITH control. Controlling the weight is essential to proper power development.
The theory is that moving a heavy weight very fast requires more power than moving that same weight slowly. If you are looking to develop serious power and improve your athleticism there are many power routines that you can incorporate into your workout. Understand that these routines are different from training for muscle mass or bodybuilding.

Speed training is equally important for football players. The secret to speed training is to apply power to good running mechanics. Knowing the proper sprinting technique is crucial.
Maximum velocity isn't achieved until 30-35 meters into your run. So for a sport like football where you are more interested in shorter sprints, maximum speed may not be the number one goal of your speed training.
Acceleration becomes the desired outcome of your training. However, training to improve maximum speed also will improve your acceleration, power, coordination, and dynamic flexibility.

Agility is the ability to change direction quickly, as well as accelerate and decelerate at a moments notice. Football is an examples of an "open-skill" sport. This means there is ever changing movement required from the athlete.
When one player is covering another the critical factor becomes which player can move faster into a superior position. The competitive edge goes to the player with the most agility.
Think of agility as applying speed, accelerating, decelerating, maintaining balance, maximizing power and changing direction while your surrounding environment continues to change.
You can improve your agility through drills. However drills will only be effective if you have a foundation of strength, power, and speed already in place.

Increase Your Athletic Potential As a Football Player - Build Strength, Power, Speed, and Agility

I have been coaching athlete's for over 40 years and I would like to share some of my experience and knowledge with you. If you would like to get more information about developing your competitive edge as an athlete please visit http://www.strength-training-coach.com

Joe Ross

Youth Football 2008 - Our Second Practice of the Year

It cooled down to 88 degrees or so, so much nicer day today and even a 5-10 mph breeze. We are not in pads yet and started off with our normal dynamic warm ups of jumping jacks, high knees form stance on cadence, butt kickers from stance on cadence, lunges and a quick yell breakout. This took us about 7 minutes, as the kids picked up well from where we left off yesterday, About 90% of our kids are in a perfect stance on every drill now, we expect the other 10% to be there by weeks end.

We have about 73 kids split into 3 teams, age 7-9, 10-11 and 12-13, about 40% are first time players. I'm head coach of all three teams.

Foot Ball Drills

We did our usual angle form and fit tackle drill, doing 1 rep every 6 seconds or so. We did 8 minutes of this, By weeks end the dynamic warm up and angle form tackling fit will combined be 10 minutes long as angle form is on a jog and part of the dynamic warmup period.

Next was the snap progression drill. This drill helps us understand the players natural quickness, body control, agility and willingness to work through contact. That drill of course is in the book and goes from stance to seating the ball to running to the correct hole and 10 yards to running the hole squeezing between two coaches holding/pushing hand shield dummies together and the last progression adding a gauntlet.

Our first break included a review and "quiz" of the hole back and hole numbering using the touch method in the book. Coaches had already made many of their line/backs decisions after our first practice and evaluation period, but the snap progression and gauntlet helped them decide on the kids that were sitting on the fence.

The line worked on our 2 step offensive lineman drill. We worked at least 8 minutes just on the first step and added the second step in about 5 minutes, working both in unison for about 3 minutes after freezing on the first step. We then moved on to dummy fit using the 2 steps and then on to the 2 steps with dummy fit adding the drive for 5 yards. Next the line worked our crab blocking progression. Last we walked though the base blocking rule going through it in a progression. Even the youngest kids seemed to do real well, when we did our "quiz" we were getting about 95% correct answers. Lastly we grouped each o-line up and formed them into what we think will be their positions, got into the correct splits and did group 2 step drills in formation with backups rotating every snap. We were going on cadence and getting a new snap in about every 7 seconds.

Meanwhile the backs were going a modified gauntlet drill with a shield squeeze at the end. We worked 10 yard pass catching progression starting with stationary above the waist catches, then 10 yard below the waist catches, all using the progression in the book with ball seating and running the ball back to the QB. They moved on to splatter blocking drills and then deer hunter to get some conditioning in.

During one break we discussed the base defense, the importance of defense and our base scheme. (5 minutes).

We ended a good practice with a more detailed discussion on our sportsmanship standard, using lots of real world examples and asking the kids what they though sportsmanship meant.

We had a few players try and test the "ready focus" communication method/standard and we had 5-6 have to take a short run for that. We had zero problems with it day 1, but kids always test limits. It is always best to take care of that all in the first week, 5-6 violations is right at the norm if not just below. We expect zero problems with that by the end of the first week.

All of these drills are detailed in words and diagrams/pictures in the book "Winning Youth Football a Step by Step Plan", or the DVDs.

On Thursday we will be in full pads, stay tuned for more.

Youth Football 2008 - Our Second Practice of the Year

Dave Cisar-

Dave is a Nike "Coach of the Year" Designate and speaks nationwide at Coaches Clinics. His book "Winning Youth Football a Step by Step Plan" was endorsed by Tom Osborne and Dave Rimington. His personal teams using this system to date have won 94% of their games in 5 Different Leagues.

To Sign up for his free tips and drills newsletter or to view 325 free youth football coaching tips go to: Youth Football Practice

A Video Taste of Dave's teams:

Youth Football Practice [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-699579089183056593&q=youth+football&ei=6CJRSJ-gEJOg4ALIt5W8DA&hl=en]

Defensive Backs Football Training - Stripping the Football

Today we are seeing more defensive backs stripping the football from receivers. It has become a football skill unto itself, requiring corners, line backers and safeties training and practicing drills to hone their ball stripping football skills.

More coaches are teaching the art of stripping the football, running practice drills with the defensive players, teaching them how stripping the football is done. A stripped football, is a down used, with no gain. When the defenders are successful at stripping the football from the receiver, the ball comes out. Giving the defensive unit an opportunity for a possible take-away.

Foot Ball Drills

More often than not D-backs are not in position to bat the ball down, leaving them two options; make the tackle or stripping the football.

Training the D-Back for stripping the football requires two basic sets of football skills. Mental and physical training are the essential football skills needed to be successful at stripping the football.

Football Skills for Stripping the Football:

Football skills for stripping the football begin with the proper mind set and attitude. The defender must approach the receiver with his mind set that he is going to strip the football from the receiver's hands. In order to be successful at stripping the football from the receiver, the back must first understand the fundamentals of catching the pass.

Learning the pass catching mechanics are essential and can be achieved by studying DVDs and videos dedicated to teaching pass catching football skills.

The defensive player will learn the basic positions a receiver may hold his hands prior to making the catch. If the ball is in front of the receiver are his hands above or below the shoulder pads, if behind the receiver are his hands above or below the shoulder pad, is the receivers back to the defender. These are important football skills defensive backs need to develop.

Next, the D-Backs training should show them which arm to attack. If the ball is thrown over the receivers left shoulder, the left arm is the point of attack, just as if the ball arrives over the receivers right shoulder, attack the right arm. In each case if the ball is caught going over the left shoulder, the defensive back uses his left arm to attack and if the ball is over the right shoulder he attacks using his right arm.

Practice Drills for Stripping the Football:

The first ball stripping practice drill should start with the receiver and the defender being stationary. In some parlances this defensive back practice drill is called a reach-and-pull.

The " reach-and-pull' technique is where the receiver stands back to the defensive back holding the ball on either side, the defensive back reaches out (left arm to left arm, right arm to right arm) and pulls the arm holding the ball downward stripping the football from the receiver.

Next is a walk through practice drill followed by running the stripping the football drill.

Ball stripping practice drills should be run about 3/4s speed and should not be exercised as a full contact practice. The focus of the drill, is to give the defensive back training on how to successfully strip the football from the receiver. Which arm the defensive back should attack and the football skills needed to strip the football from the receiver's hands.

In this drill the receiver and defensive back typically face the sideline, the defensive back about 10 yards away from the receiver. At the coaches signal the receiver starts running about 3/4s speed directly towards the side line. The defensive back takes off angling towards the point where he will intersect with the receiver as the ball arrives.

Once the receiver has run a few yards the coach throws him the football. The defensive back if he has timed his run and has taken the proper angle should be at the receiver the same time the ball arrives.

Using his attack arm the defensive back should be reach out and pulling the ball carrying arm down, dislodging the football. With his other arm, he should be hitting the receiver in the back with his fore arm and grabbing a hand full of jersey. Then if the defensive back is not able to dislodge the ball he is in position to make the tackle.

Who ever is throwing the ball to the receiver must throw the ball behind, high, low, left and to the right of the receiver giving the defensive back training on all the angles passes are caught.

In conclusion stripping the football requires both physical and mental football skills. Knowing which arm to attack, which arm to attack with and being able gage where the ball and receiver will meet and intersect with them all the while running at full speed.

A defensive back good at stripping the football doesn't happen by luck, it takes diligence and a strong practice work ethic.

Defensive Backs Football Training - Stripping the Football

We have several defensive training back videos on how to take the ball away use this link to view one of them. http://www.scoretouchdowns.com/product/827008383191

Please visit our defensive back section and see if we have the training video you need at http://www.scoretouchdowns.com/page/398204258 Copyright 12/25/2008 Andrew Berkey & ScoreTouchdowns