Teaching The Handoff

Setup:

You’ll need two cones, one football, and to separate your players into two groups, one at each cone, facing each other.

Purpose:

To develop the correct technique for receiving handoffs.

Execution:

Have each group lineup on the left side of the cone. The player at the front of the line with the football will start to walk across to the other line, with the football clamped down tight. Once he nears his teammate, he will take the ball out of the pocket, and handoff to his teammate, who will be walking forward presenting a pocket of his own.

Again I must reinforce how important it is to walkthrough the first couple times you run a drill. Letting the players run loose immediately will cause them to ignore the fundamentals, and will hurt them in the long run.

Coaching Tips:

If your players are unfamiliar with how to take a handoff properly, there are a couple things for them to keep in mind when forming the pocket. First, they’ll want to put their hand straight out and forward, as if they’re reaching for a high five. Next they want to spread their fingers wide, and rotate their hand so that they’re thumb is planted square in their chest. Their elbow should be up at shoulder level, providing a nice big target for the quarterback.

Next, he’ll extend his other arm, palm up, at roughly waist level. Then he’ll separate his fingers, and rotate his arm, bringing his pinky into his stomach, and point the thumb out and down, with his palm still up in the air. By forcing that thumb down he’ll lock his elbow in, creating a great big pocket area for the quarterback to place the ball. The last step is simple – just clamp down with both arms securing the football!