The interval cycle of running at 100% for 30 seconds followed by a short rest period of 15-25 seconds, followed by more 100% running not only increases endurance, but actually increases strength and speed!

I know a lot of coaches like those long runs at a moderate pace, but these short, but intense, bursts take LESS time and are MORE effective.

Conditioning Tip #2:
Another solid tip I like is placing a football on top of a tackling dummy during tackling practice.

When the ball hits the ground, the players will yell “ball”.  The tackler must then get up and dive onto the ball.

This drill teaches them great awareness that the play is not always over after the tackle is made, and reinforces the notion of getting that ball back in your teams’ hands (be it offense or defense).

Leap Frog Game Concept
We have all the lineman line up normally in a 3 point stance on the goal line to the far left sideline. on the whistle the farthest left lineman will pull to the right.

The remaining lineman explode 2 steps forward and reset. The pulling lineman will take his place at the end of the line on the right side. Once they each pull to the right twice, they move to the far right sideline and pull to the left twice.

We are able to watch both that the pulling lineman takes a proper first step and then doesn’t belly into the backfield. Secondly we are getting the other lineman to explode forward.

This also works well with a five man sled. The coach running the drill will be at the end of the sled with a flutter bag. The pulling lineman initially does not line up on the sled, pulls right or left for a kickout block on the coach.

After a quick drive block on the sled, the five lineman will slide left or right and the pulling lineman will take the open spot.

For our younger guys we will line them at least 2yds from the sled as to not have the puller run them over (unless he doesn’t explode to the sled).

Team Unity
You can have your players do different things together off the field such as group sessions. You can also have your players do this before or after practice for 15 minutes depending on your practice time line.

What I mean by group sessions is to have different position groups hang with the other(OL & DL, RB,TE & LB, CB & WR, QB & S or however you choose to group them) for a period of time getting to know each other better.

Depending on time line, you can either have groups rotate or continue the next day or practice with different groups. Each player must tell the group something about themselves as far as something new they learned in practice that day or the day before, tell them something new they learned in school that day or week, and something new they learned about life in general that day or week.

Make asking them what they want to do in life as fast as a career at every session question; keeping those who know already thoughts and goals fresh and those that don’t know yet constantly thinking about it.

As the season goes along and you get into the games you can have them speak briefly on their thoughts of the game etc. Have a coach or two monitor the session giving positive feedback for motivational purposes and constructive criticism when necessary to get them better on or off the field. Make your team feel like a family.

The better they know each other the better they will play with each other.

Snap Count Drill

I’ve had great success by starting all drills with a snap count and a football being snapped. This greatly reduced off sides and illegal procedure penalties. We also end all drills with a whistle being blown. We believe that by making drills more game-like it will carry over into games.

Wrist Bands

Here are the “pros” of using wrist bands to simplify play calling for the entire team (7&8 yrs).  Each player has a wristband with play assignments and built in snap counts for each play. Only the QB, FB,and RB need the name of the plays listed, a lineman will have only his blocking assignment, and snap count.  Play calling & retention of assignments made simple.

Contests

My QB boys set the big garbage cans out in the field and have a contest to see how many of their throws can hit the garbage cans.  Simple but effective!

I will take a 50 foot rope and weave it like a spider web under the bleachers and have the line men fire off the football. The idea is to stay low so your shoulder pads don’t catch the rope. It keep the players involved to cheer their teammates on so no one gets ‘yolked”.

Begin by running maybe 4 40′s–then divide your team into two or more groups–usually linemen and backs. You begin running 40′s again but this time whoever finishes LAST sits out.  If one or more players tie at the last position, neither sits out.  At first the players that sit out first try to figure out the reason I was doing it that way.  They soon realize that players that are more motivated will bust their hump to stay in and not be last.

You don’t want to criticize the players that go out first, that’s not the purpose — you are only praising the ones that are still running.  You will soon be down to two or three players and the ones that are out are encouraging them on.  You don’t have to make a big deal our of being the last one in, just the process will make a great impact with your team.

The next time you run this football drill, say to the players that if you ran 5 sprints before you went out last time, maybe this time you can run 8 or 10 maybe before you go out.  You will start seeing your team working harder to not be last and trying to all be winners.  That’s the purpose!!

With equipment being so expensive and many leagues supplying only minimal amounts I found an inexpensive way to make step-over curbs.These are excellent conditioning tools.

I used pool noodles to make the curbs.  I placed 4 on the bottom, 3 in the middle and 2 on top.  I then wrapped them with tape to maintain the pyramid shape.  They worked great for footwork drills and if a player tripped over and it was damaged, insert a new pool noodle.  They also worked well for gap drills.  For younger players you could go 3 on the bottom and two on top if you wanted to.

One thing I use to bring my team together, is “the ask the coach day” the first day of the month I huddle up the team and let them ask me anything for two hours, time goes flying, and the kids ask, get to know me and clear out doubts. (I let my guys ask me about anything, sometimes about non football related issues).

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I have the quarterbacks walk the balance beam used by the gymnasts. At first they think it will be easy and fall off after three or four steps. Then I get one of the girls to show them how “easy” it is. She will run the length and somersault off.

After a couple of weeks they get used to it and make it across without looking down (though I will not let them try the somersault).

I find it helps them keep their balance when an opponent is trying to sack them and has prevented lost yardage.

It has been so successful that I plan on starting the running backs and receivers on this drill too!

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Get your center set, the guards should be almost a yard from the center and the tackles should be just over a yard from the guards. If the defense accounts for it, you have your running lanes “ready-made”, if they don’t account for it, your linemen have the easiest block in football (the down block). Then your running back can bounce it outside for a big play.

Also, I like to line my running back up between the guard and tackle, this allows him to have more time to look at the hole develop and build up a head of steam, or on counters, it really gets the flow going the way you are faking.

Try it; I promise it works. It has worked for me in little league and high school.

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Games are typically played on Friday nights, so the bulk of practice work is done Tues-Thurs.  Use Mondays to condition, work some special teams and watch film on the upcoming opponent.  At the end of each Monday session, meet with the seniors to outline objectives for the coming week.

Discuss what has been doing well, what needs to be improved upon, how to reiterate team goals in practice, how to hold one another accountable for those goals, how to make sure there is proper focus for the coming week, etc.  In short, make sure that the seniors know the challenge that awaits them that week and what they’ll need to establish in practice for us to be successful.

This is an effective tool because it’s placed some of the responsibility of leadership onto the shoulders of the seniors.  Sometimes players reach a point where they tune coaches out since coaches are constantly reiterating the same messages.  When these messages come instead from teammates, they tend to strike a chord.  Plus, it allows the coaching staff to focus more on implementing each week’s game plan and less on making sure the practice tempo and team attitude is at the proper level.

As an added benefit, it provides a sense of ownership to the seniors, who come to realize that this is their football team and they have to take responsibility for how it conducts itself.  All in all, Senior Meeting helps with organization, tempo, leadership and effort.

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Place a basketball between the knees of the player. The player has to shuffle side to side between cones that have been placed 10 yards apart. This all but forces the player to keep feet from crossing. I use this with my offensive lineman in pass protection drills as well.

Here’s a quick drill for your defensive lineman:
When in a 3 point stance, raise the opposite leg (from the hand that is down, i.e. from a right handed stance, the right leg goes up) as high as you can, and when getting off the football, use that lifted leg to drive your momentum forward, while staying low, and throwing the hands–since defensive line is about two things – getting off the ball violently, and using your hands violently.

Most young players will need to go from two hands down, but high school age and older should be able to utilize this football drill effectively.

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