NFL Plays and Tips - Learning the Importance of Practice

Conditioning: Five dot jump

Conditioning drills are effective in training and helping athletes be strong and reactive. This drills intention is to help quickness and accuracy on the field which will reduce errors and increase the chances of great plays. In order to execute the drill you will need a place with five dots, either marked on the grass or on a mat, forming an x shape much like the dots for the number five side of dice.

Foot Ball Drills

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 the player will jump touching each dot with on leg only, and then switch using 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. Players will need to increase their speed and accuracy to be effective with this drill.

Running with the Ball: The Gauntlet Drill

There is nothing more important for offense to learn great ball security. This is especially true for a running back or wide receiver as they will carry the ball more often than others on the field, but it is a good idea for all positions to practice a little ball security. That is why the gauntlet drill was created, to test and practice effective ball security. This drill is set up with one ball carrier, there objective is to run through a group of opponents that try to knock the ball out. The opponents can line up in any scenario, the most common being two lines and the ball carrier must run through them. Run each of the gauntlet drills slow and then speed them up as each player gets better at effective ball security.

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. 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. Start the drill slowly, and reward for a strong tackle that effectively tackles and makes an attack to dislodge the offensive players grip on the ball.

Practicing the Hand off

Because hand offs are such a vital part of a running offense, running backs should practice hand off skills every day. One great hand off drill starts by having two separate lines of players facing each other: line A and line B. At the coaches signal player A leaves line A running with the football towards line B. At the same time a player leaves line B, and when they meet in the middle Player A hands off the ball to Player B. At this moment another player leaves line A and accepts a handoff from player B. This drill should perform in a seamless motion. This is a great drill to help running backs practice hand offs, and should be run every day.

NFL Plays and Tips - Learning the Importance of Practice

ChargersProShop is the official online store for the San Diego Chargers and their Chargers Jerseys. Its products include jerseys, authentic game worn merchandise, Chargers Shirt, Hats, and More! Shop Now!