At this level, you may experience linemen standing up before making a block. This is a particular problem on run plays but also impairs pass blocking.

We use a football drill to correct this. We have players get in the wrestling position (on all 4s) and then on the snap count, reach forward to hit a blocking pad with their hands while their knees remain stationary.

This drill has worked wonders for our team. The players get used to the feel of making contact in a low position and then in live situations have much greater strength and control over their opponent.

A similar football drill can be used for backs who run straight up. This helps them get used to making low contact with their body when carrying the ball.

Technorati Tags: football, Football fundamentals, football drill

Get two cones and set them 5 yards apart.
Have one offensive lineman and one defensive lineman face each other with about two feet of open space between them.
Line Coach stands behind the offensive linemen facing the defensive linemen.
Line coach blows the whistle and directs the D linemen in any direction within the cones.
O Linemen have to mirror the D Line never allowing the D linemen to get over to one side without being covered.

We also do arm extension drills with our offensive and defensive linemen by making them go to their knees and then hit the sled with their arms.  It forces them to learn to use their arms and keep separation on defensive and punch on offense. By being on their knees they have to use their upper body.

Technorati Tags: football drill, football lineman drills, offensive linemen

Ends fire off the line drives through TE and tackles dummy waist high and wraps with both arms.( from right side and left side )

Outside LB blitz and tackles dummy waist high and wraps with both arms. (from right side and left side )

CB Blitz and tackles dummy waist high and wraps with both arms.(from right side and left side )

Try this football coaching tip for linebackers who need to get through the “wash” and make a tackle.  I have several stand up dummies that I place about a yard a part on both sides of the football.

There is a running back who runs to one side or the other and the linebacker must fight his way through the bags, relocate the running back (hopefully he never lost sight), then break down and make the tackle.

I stress good angles and breaking down once you’ve reached the ball carrier.  All too often I see kids fly right by a tackle looking for the big hit instead of securing the tackle.  It’s something we stress every day.

Technorati Tags: football tackling drills, football drill, backfield tackling, football coaching, football

This works great for older kids as well as younger.   Get a 2″x12″ – 8 ft. long.  Place it on the ground longways.  Put a line of kids at one end of the “plank”(defensive linemen) and another line at the other end of the “plank”(offensive linemen).   Make a mark at the middle of the plank with a can of paint.    Have the kids go 1 on 1 blocking the defensive player.  The painted line is the line of scrimmage.

This drill will teach the offensive line to keep a wide stance by staying off of the board. Excellent fundamental football blocking drill.

Another thing we are using is the medicine ball to create drive and lift. Using an appropriate size medicine ball the players squat keeping their hips down, their chest up, and they pick up the ball and drive it straight up from their feet.  They should create enough torque that their feet leave the ground on the lift although you are not teaching them to jump. This builds all the needed muscles needed to make a hit.

Technorati Tags: football drill, football coaching, football

D-line positioned in front of the O-line. I select one O-line to be in the quarterback position. He cannot move or ran away, has to stay in the pocket. That gives the other football players the feeling of the QB and help them understand that they need to keep the pocket as much as they can without quitting.

If an O-lineman let a D-lineman pass through and break the pocket, that O-lineman takes the position of the QB. One by one all O-lineman have to take the QB spot to get the feeling.

Another thing I like to do is scrimmage my offense and defense against each other.  Then I switch it around and let them play opposite teams.

This shows them that the neither the offense or defense is better that the other; and, that both are necessary in order to be successful.  Not to mention, it can get interesting when I let them call their own football plays.

Technorati Tags: football training drills, football drill, quarterback, football

We play tug of war during football practice but differently than the usual way. We have two harnesses for the parachute system and we have added webbing to make it stronger. The two lineman put on the harnesses and are tied together with a four foot rope between them. Each player gets in a 3 point stance and fires out on the whistle. The player who pulls the other pass the line to gain, which we set at 5 yds in front of each player, wins and moves to the next round.

This teaches the players to stay low and drive forward on an angle to be able to pull the man behind to the line to gain. This football activity has helped our offense to fire down field and knock the opposing lineman off the ball, while helping our defensive front to get into the offenses backfield to attack the ball carriers and blockers.

Technorati Tags: football coaching tips, football drill, lineman, football practice, football

Offensive Line Drill
Set up 2 offensive lines against 2 defensive lineman with a running back. The offensive lineman and back are looking at the football coach. The coach will will pick which gap to run through–up the middle or outside. The offensive line will have to block accordingly. Confine the area to about 5 or so yards wide. It’s also a good workout for the D line in that they need to shed the blockers.

Motivational  Tip
This is for the big guys on OL that hate to run or can’t too well. I tell these players  ” You know I hate to run; the beautiful thing about football is all you have to do is run for five seconds (I pause and look at them and smile) and ask “can you run for five seconds?”  They all say yes. Then they play each snap hard and stay on their guy.

Technorati Tags: football coaching tips, football drills, football, fumble, football coach

1. Make a 40 yard field, 4 players on the middle of the field.
2. Have the 4 put there back to the other players.
3. Have the other players on the 1 yard line with there backs also to the 4 players.
4. Hand 3 footballs to 3 players on the 1 yard line.

When the football coach says “go” all players turn around.  The players with the ball and also the other players have to run to the other side of the 40 yard field.  The 4 in the middle have to react to who has the football and tackle.  If your a ball runner who gets tackled their in the middle now.

Keep going until there are 5 players left on the 1 yard line.  Then you can have 1 ball runner with 4 blockers or whatever you want.

Technorati Tags: football tackling tips, football drill, football coach, football

I found that the more visual things are, the more they remember.  Motivation for competition is no different. I went out and purchased a gold practice jersey. Our team practice jerseys are navy blue.

At the end of practice the gold jersey is awarded to the player who makes the greatest impression on the football coaches.  They get to wear the jersey the entire next football practice. The confidence level and focus in practice has increased.

It is a tangible goal that the players can see. The positive feedback from parents was a bonus we didn’t even think about.  Parents are impressed and trust the coaching staff more.

Technorati Tags: coaching youth football, football coach, football practice

Was I in for a surprise! One of my colleagues with years of experience with youth football suggested that I do my offensive and defensive team work right in the beginning of football practice.  I had a hard time keeping the kids attention but this idea really worked.

Now, I teach the kids new plays and new defenses in the beginning of football practice and they do football drill work toward the end.  I have their attention in the beginning and end.  They love it.

They get the “boring” talking stuff done early in practice when their attention is best and get a chance to hit eachother later on.  It really has worked well for me.

Technorati Tags: youth football coaching, football drills, youth football, football, football practice, football drill