Tackling Fundamentals and Safety
Tackling is fundamental to football, and should receive proper attention at practices. If you, or your players dont take tackling seriously you will not stop the offense and could also cause injuries. When you tackle your opponent remember three important steps:
First, you need to stop the opponent quickly so make sure to place yourself directly in front of the opponents path. An excellent technique is to plant your foot in the middle of your opponents. At the same time you want to bring your arms back in anticipation for the next phase.
Second you want to bring your other foot into the mix, and at the same time throw your arms up and around your opponent. At this point you are well planted in front and your head should be in direct contact. The one golden rule in making a safe tackle is to never, ever lead with or try to tackle with the crown of your head. Tell yourself, or your players to imagine that they are biting the football.
Third, at this point you have successfully grabbed your opponent and all thats left is to lunge your hips forward and bear all of your momentum against your opponent. The more momentum that you bring to the table on steps two and three the more effective your speed will be in this last step.
Receivers: Ball Security Drill
Catching the football properly and effectively is fundamental to a strong offense. A great catch can be broken down into three steps: First, keep your arms extended out in front of your body with your hands out forming an imaginary triangle with your fingers and thumbs. Second, follow the ball through with your eyes. Third, tuck the ball away security, keeping your eyes on the ball, so that it is in a high tight position. Many receivers can get into a bad habit of looking away from the ball before it is stored away properly. Taking your eye off the ball increases incomplete passes, fumbles, and turnovers. To overcome this habit set up a simple drill where two players pass the ball to each other stopping at each critical step: the catch, the follow through, and the tuck.
Around the world: Improved Ball Handling
Without a solid foundation of ball handling players will be easy prey to a solid defensive team. This drill is meant to help players control and develop their ball handling skills. Players will move the football from one hand to another hand around differing parts of their body. The drill starts by having players hold the football above their head and start to pass it around their head, moving to the chest, under the arms, around the waist, knees, and completing with passing it through the legs.
Coaches can mix up the drill by shouting out body parts that the players will have to start circling with the football; they can also reverse the direction that the ball is traveling by calling, reverse. This change of motion will keep players from falling asleep, and ensure that you are developing handling skills and not just muscle memory.
At the very end of the drill the players will do several simple drops. For example, the player drops the ball and retrieves it quickly. It will also help to change the hand that the players uses to pick up the ball to ensure both hands are learning this technique.
Forcing the Fumble
The faster your defense is at getting the ball back into the offensives hands the more likely you are to win a game. Win your games by training your defense to use a strong tackle that strips the ball from the opponent. This drill practices with two players. Have the defender move up on the offensive player, trust his arms back and then forward with his fists clenched. 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 offenders football. Start the drill slowly, and reward for a strong tackle that affectively tackles and makes an attack to dislodge the offensive players grip on the ball.
Tackling is fundamental to football, and should receive proper attention at practices. If you, or your players dont take tackling seriously you will not stop the offense and could also cause injuries. When you tackle your opponent remember three important steps:
First, you need to stop the opponent quickly so make sure to place yourself directly in front of the opponents path. An excellent technique is to plant your foot in the middle of your opponents. At the same time you want to bring your arms back in anticipation for the next phase.
Second you want to bring your other foot into the mix, and at the same time throw your arms up and around your opponent. At this point you are well planted in front and your head should be in direct contact. The one golden rule in making a safe tackle is to never, ever lead with or try to tackle with the crown of your head. Tell yourself, or your players to imagine that they are biting the football.
Third, at this point you have successfully grabbed your opponent and all thats left is to lunge your hips forward and bear all of your momentum against your opponent. The more momentum that you bring to the table on steps two and three the more effective your speed will be in this last step.
Receivers: Ball Security Drill
Catching the football properly and effectively is fundamental to a strong offense. A great catch can be broken down into three steps: First, keep your arms extended out in front of your body with your hands out forming an imaginary triangle with your fingers and thumbs. Second, follow the ball through with your eyes. Third, tuck the ball away security, keeping your eyes on the ball, so that it is in a high tight position. Many receivers can get into a bad habit of looking away from the ball before it is stored away properly. Taking your eye off the ball increases incomplete passes, fumbles, and turnovers. To overcome this habit set up a simple drill where two players pass the ball to each other stopping at each critical step: the catch, the follow through, and the tuck.
Around the world: Improved Ball Handling
Without a solid foundation of ball handling players will be easy prey to a solid defensive team. This drill is meant to help players control and develop their ball handling skills. Players will move the football from one hand to another hand around differing parts of their body. The drill starts by having players hold the football above their head and start to pass it around their head, moving to the chest, under the arms, around the waist, knees, and completing with passing it through the legs.
Coaches can mix up the drill by shouting out body parts that the players will have to start circling with the football; they can also reverse the direction that the ball is traveling by calling, reverse. This change of motion will keep players from falling asleep, and ensure that you are developing handling skills and not just muscle memory.
At the very end of the drill the players will do several simple drops. For example, the player drops the ball and retrieves it quickly. It will also help to change the hand that the players uses to pick up the ball to ensure both hands are learning this technique.
Forcing the Fumble
The faster your defense is at getting the ball back into the offensives hands the more likely you are to win a game. Win your games by training your defense to use a strong tackle that strips the ball from the opponent. This drill practices with two players. Have the defender move up on the offensive player, trust his arms back and then forward with his fists clenched. 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 offenders football. Start the drill slowly, and reward for a strong tackle that affectively tackles and makes an attack to dislodge the offensive players grip on the ball.
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