Purpose

If you find that your players are constantly overcommitting and allowing large cutback lanes, this is a great drill to teach them how to stop and contain the ball carrier.

Set Up

  • Set up four cones, two about ten yards apart, with two lines facing each other. The other two cones will be set half way between the first cones, and somewhere between 10-15 yards apart.

Football Drills

Execution

  1. One line begins with the ball in their hands, and on your hike, they will take off, sprinting for one of the outside cones. The player in the defensive line will sprint after the ball carrier, making sure not to overpursue.
  2. When the offensive player feels like they have a good angle, they will change directions, cutting back and trying to get back around the defensive player. By taking a slightly deeper angle and not overcommitting to the outside run, the defender should be able to tag the ball carrier.

Coaching Tips

I prefer to run this as a non-contact drill, letting players focus on technique and containment rather than worrying to much about getting a big hit on the ball carrier.

These are great drills for non-contact days, as you can help to instill your defensive principles without the wear and tear that will occur from constantly having full contact practices.