In this unusual time that finds us confined in the limited square footage of our homes, it is important for us all to find ways to continue to improve. Athletes have to stay conditioned and prepare for the start of the season (whenever that will be). It’s a good time to work your football drills.

Here is what you can do to get better during the current government mandated quarantine –

Coaches may consider using virtual conditioning practices via video conferencing tools such as Zoom, to connect and conduct a coach supervised at-home practice. We have heard success stories of coaches conducting these virtual practices around the country. The obvious benefit of this is that your team may continue to practice social distancing while getting work in!

Drills at home. We partnered up with Coach Brian at Exit 9 Strength in East Brunswick, NJ to focus in on at-home strength, speed and agility drills.

Wall Drill

Wall drills. Helps to break down running mechanics.

 

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Mini Hurdle Drill

Mini Hurdle drill. With an emphasis of picking up knees, hurdles allow us to add movement. Ensure good posture, with knees up and feet going.

 

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Lunge Drill

Walking Lunge drill. Here are a couple good running technique with lower body strength exercises.

 

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Air Squat

Air squat. Feet outside hips, toes forward, shoulders back and maintain good posture. Emphasize explosion on the way up.

 

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Change of Direction Drill

Cone to cone drills for athletes to learn change of direction.

 

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Our lives are collectively disrupted for the foreseeable future, this is most certainly true. Though just as this wave of panic and uncertainty has entered into our lives, it will pass. Stay hungry, keep training. Just because you are stuck at home doesn’t mean you should working to become stronger, faster, and more agile.

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Over the Shoulder Drill for Wide Receivers

The set up of the drill is very simple. We start with two lines and two Quarterbacks five yards apart. This makes for a very tight space but this tight space works to our advantage. When the Quarterback moves the ball the receiver takes off running down the line. The Quarterback lobs the ball over his outside shoulder so that the receiver can adjust to it and make the catch.

Like any drill, the secret to the effectiveness of the drill is in the subtle details of the drill. For the receiver there are a few key coaching points. The first one is that the receiver must stay on the line and allow the ball to bring him off the line to the outside. He can not start fading before the ball moves him out. This allows him to adjust to the ball in the air. The other key coaching point for the receiver is to start at a jog and adjust his speed to the ball. This gives his body the necessary feedback to correct his speed to ensure a catch.

For the Quarterbacks this is a perfect time to work on location and touch. By putting them so close it forces them to really develop their touch and ensure the ball is being thrown on a trajectory that allows it to drop in. This is much more difficult than it seems so this pre-practice period is a great way for their arms to calibrate to the current conditions.

Related Content: Wide Receiver Route Running Tips 

In order for the players to get the maximum number of reps there are a few minor details that allow the drill to flow. The first is that each player must get the ball that is thrown to them quickly. If the ball is not caught they must get it out of the path of the drill quickly because there will be another receiver coming quickly. Our players do a great job with this and it allows the drill to take place without any major risk. The second logistical detail that allows the drill to be efficient is that the receivers must return the ball back through the middle. By coming down the middle they take a shorter path and can give the ball directly to the Quarterback instead of cutting through the line.

The Over the Shoulder drill has been a great drill for us to get lots of reps catching and throwing the football. This is especially effective for throwing and catching the fade and developing the skills required to complete the deep ball.

Related Content: Wide Receiver Stalk Blocking Technique 

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10 Second Drill for Special Teams

The setup of the drill is very simple. The whole team should be on the sideline with the field in front of them. The coach who is running the drill will yell out a Special Teams unit and that group has 10 seconds to get on the field in the correct position. For example the coach may start out by yelling for the Kickoff Return team. That team then has 10 seconds to get in alignment for the kickoff return.

Related Content: Coaching Special Teams in Youth Football 

Once the team is able to get the starters onto the field quickly the coach can start to increase the difficulty. During a game the first unit for Special Teams is rarely an issue. The majority of times they are on the field and prepared to go. The most likely time for a problem is when a player is injured or otherwise can’t go out onto the field and his sub has to be notified to go in. The best way to prepare for this is to pull players out of the 10 second drill. So instead of just yelling out Kickoff team the coach will now yell Kickoff team and Johnny is injured. It is now on the Kickoff team to make sure that Johnny’s replacement is on the field and in the correct spot.

There are multiple ways to get the whole team involved in the drill. One of the best ways to give players an incentive to make sure the right personnel is on the field is to give a quick punishment exercise for the team. After a round or two the whole team starts to get involved in calling for the players to get onto the field which is what you need during a game.

Related Content: Kickoff Fly Zone Drill 

The 10 Second Drill is one of the most simple drills in football but by doing it before the game you can help to ensure that your players will be prepared for any phase of the game that comes their way.

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Teaching Your Quarterback How to Throw on the Run | Flash Fire Drill

When throwing roll out passes there are three critical stages. The first stage is the Apex and Approach where the Quarterback gets his depth and begins to move his body towards the target. The second stage is the Load where the Quarterback is executing his mechanics and delivering the ball. The final stage is the Finish when the Quarterback releases the ball and follows through towards the target. In order to effectively throw a roll out pass all of these elements must work together to transfer power through the throw, we use the Flash Fire Drill to isolate and work on these components.

In the Flash Fire Drill two players are lined up about 20-25 yards apart, depending on their age and development level. On the coaches command the player with the ball will start jogging slowly towards his partner. When the coach says Flash the Quarterback will get the ball into his prepass position and continue in this position until the coach says fire. On the coaches “fire” he will finish the throw and keep coming towards the target for 3-4 steps.

Related Content: What to look for in a Quarterback 

There are a few key elements of each stage of the Flash Fire Drill. The first area to focus on is the Quarterback’s body positioning during the Flash section of the drill. When the Quarterback goes to Flash he must push his opposite shoulder back and load the ball onto his throwing shoulder. We refer to this as “staring down the barrel” and we tell our Quarterbacks that their non-throwing arm, from the shoulder to the elbow, makes up their barrel. At the same time they need to shorten their steps and rise up to their toes.

When the coach yells “Fire” the players will take the ball from their prepass position and deliver it to their target. In this stage the key element is that the Quarterback gets a full range of motion and continues their path towards the target. One of the best parts of the Flash Fire Drill is that it forces the Quarterback to be moving towards their target. This allows them to get their full lower body into the throw. By using their lower body to generate momentum Quarterbacks who lack arm strength are able to throw passes like the 16 yard comeback on a line.

Related Content: QB Passing Drills and Techniques

The Flash Fire is a great way to break up the throwing mechanics of throwing on the run and to teach Quarterbacks how to translate the power their lower body is generating into their throw. When done effectively this technique can allow any level of Quarterback to throw a 16 yard Comeback to the opposite side of the field before the defender can make a break on the ball.

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The In and Out Pre Practice Drill

Like many spread to run offenses a lot of what we do is based around the quick passing game. For us, we want to create short, simple routes that force the defense to get out of the box and open up running lanes for our ground attack. In order for this to be effective and not fall behind on the downs, we must be able to throw and catch simple short routes. This means that we must develop the muscle memory to throw and catch these routes by working on them everyday. We use the In and Out Drill as a great way to develop this muscle memory.

The In and Out Drill is the final piece of our pre practice routine. We start with the Settle and Noose drill, then we move to the Over the Shoulder Drill. Finally we finish with our In and Out Drill. We start the drill with the Quarterbacks space 5 yards a part and a line of receivers five yards outside of each QB. On the movement of the ball the receiver will run 5 yards and then break out. The Quarterback will deliver an accurate pass to him so that the receiver can catch the ball and accelerate upfield.

The Out Drill is a very simple drill but there are a few small points that make it both an effective and efficient drill. The first is the timing of the ball the Quarterback throws. We are trying to develop the skill to catch the ball quick out of a break, so the Quarterback wants to start his mechanics as soon as the receiver plants his foot on the break. This will help ensure the ball is getting there quickly and the receiver is getting his head and hands around.

Related Content: Wide Receiver Line Drills 

The next detail is the burst of the receiver. For an Out route to be effective the receiver must catch the ball and burst up field. To simulate this we will put a gate that the receivers must run through, if they do not accelerate through the gate they have 10 push ups. The final piece of the out drill is to have players return the ball by coming back through the middle of the drill. While this seems like a very small part of the drill it allows the receivers to stay out of the way of the players who are going in the drill and it brings the ball directly to the Quarterback. In addition, it creates a natural pathway for the receiver to switch lines without causing any major disruption.

The next progression is to work the In Drill. For this the receivers will go an extra five yards out and run an in breaking route. By moving them an extra 5 yards out we keep the angle of the pass similar to the angle of the pass in the game and keep the channel open for the receivers to return the ball to the Quarterbacks. Besides the receivers starting wider and breaking in instead of out, everything else stays the same.

Related Content: Wide Receiver Stalk Blocking Drills 

The result is an efficient drill that gets receivers lots of reps catching passes coming out of the break. If the short passing game is a large part of your offense than both of these drills should be considered staples of your program and work as a great pre-practice drill or offseason drill to get a huge amount of catches in a short period of time.

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Practice Tracking and Tackling the Ball Carrier with the Sideline Drill

Drill Set up

The basics of the drill are that two players lie on the ground head to head with their feet going in opposite directions. The players should be lined up about 7-10 yards from the sideline and their should be a cone 5 yards behind each player. The coach will start the drill by tossing the ball to either player. Whoever gets the ball is the ball carrier and the other player is the defender.

When the Coach throws the player the ball both players will run around the cone on their side of the field. The player who got the ball is the ball carrier and has the option to beat the defender to the sideline or cut the ball back at any time. The player who did not get the ball is the defender and will work to track the ball carrier and make the tackle. This can be a fit up tackle or a hip tap depending on the level of physicality you want the players to have that day.

Related Content: Burst and Buzz Tackling Drill 

There are a couple of key points for the defender when doing this drill. The first thing they have to do is get around their cone and get their eyes on the ball carrier. It’s critical that as the come around the cone they start to survey the scenario and determine the leverage they must work with to make the play.

Normally the defender will make it to the cone first because he does not catch the ball. The ball will cause the ball carrier to struggle standing up and will slow him down enough that the defender will be in front. This means that the defender, if he does not adjust, will be outside of the ball carrier and open up the lane for the cut back. To avoid this we work with our defenders on coming forward to gain leverage and start tracking the inside hip. When players get cut back on several times they learn the lesson that they have to adjust to the ball carrier to get depth and they can’t just run out of control. This shows up on the field as defenders learn they need to be patient in getting their leverage and approaching the tackle.

Related Content: Open Field Tackling Technique 

By changing up who gets the ball this tackling drill is easy to make fun. As a coach it’s important to show players that they can have fun while still working on the essentials of the drill and working their fundamentals. The effect is that you get players bought into a drill that is teaching and working the fundamentals that they need to master.

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Teach your Defenders how to Maintain Leverage with the Vice Tackle Drill

The setup of the drill is pretty simple. There is a ball carrier and two defenders space about 15 yards apart. On the whistle the ball carrier has the freedom the run and try to break contain of the defenders. The defenders must work together to keep their leverage and make the tackle.

The tackle can be defined differently depending on the amount of pads that players are wearing. If players are not wearing any pads or just helmets, this can be defined as the ball carrier being forced between the two defenders. If the players are wearing pads then this can consist of a wrap up. The main part of the drill is not the tackling segment, it is the players working up to be in a position to tackle.

One of the key elements for this drill is to teach the defenders the importance of their hips. Ball carriers are always looking to get defenders hips over committed so they can break clean. To this end, the defender’s must keep their hips turned out so they can protect against the defender trying to break to the outside. The best way to do this is by keeping their inside foot in front. This allows them to adjust to any break the ball carrier makes to try to get outside of them. The result is that the ball carrier is forced back to the team mates and the defender has maintained outside leverage.

Related Content: Burst and Buzz Tackling Drill 

In this drill the ball carrier plays a critical role. He must provide a good look for the defenders by juking and making moves to throw off the defenders. We have always like to use the fastest young players for this. It’s a fun role for them and allows them to highlight their ability to make plays.

The Vice Drill is a great drill to teach players about leverage and working with their teammates to make a tackle. These are skills that have become even more important in the modern game with all of the perimeter screen passes that are thrown.

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Special Teams: Kickoff Fly Zone Drill

In the Fly Zone Drill there is one blocker and one coverage player and a gate down the field. The goal of the coverage player is to get through the gate and the goal of the blocker is to keep the coverage player from getting through the gate. What makes this drill so effective is that each player is getting a live competition rep on a skill set that is very difficult to practice.

Related Content: Coaching Special Teams in Youth Football 

Similar to a game scenario kickoff, the coverage player is at an advantage. The blocker must not only run backwards and get set up but he also needs to come forward and engage the coverage player. The coverage player must use this to his advantage and press the blocker by using his speed. The coverage player has three option to beat the blocker. His first option is to beat the blocker to the point and rip past him. We define the point as the place where the blocker can only stop the coverage player by hitting him in the back. If the coverage player can’t beat the blocker to the point he will step hard off his point side foot and rip through the back of the blocker. With either of these options it is critical that he resets himself and re-establishes his relationship with the rest of the coverage team.

The third option for the coverage player is when he can’t avoid the blocker. In this situation he will use the butt and press technique to get past the blocker. When the coverage player uses the butt and press he will build up his speed and get his pad level below the blocker. As he hits the blocker he needs to shoot both hands into the blockers chest plate, extend and continue to drive the blocker back. Once he has located the ball carrier he can rip through to the correct side and get back into his coverage relationship.

While the coverage player has the advantage of speed the blocker has the advantage of leverage and numbers. The hardest part of covering a kickoff is the vast amount of space the coverage unit has to account for. If the coverage unit has 8 players in active coverage (1 kicker and 2 safeties) by taking out one coverage player they take out 12.5% of the coverage unit. This opens up space for the return man. The main idea is that this block doesn’t have to be the world’s greatest block, if he can simply occupy the coverage player he can take away 12.5% of the coverage unit.

Related Content: Punt Coverage in Youth Football 

The coaching points for the coverage player are relatively basic but difficult to master. The first point that must be stressed is that the coverage player must get to the point first. By getting to the point first he gives himself leverage over the coverage player. Once the blocker gets to the point he must come forward. If he remains stationary the coverage player has all the advantage of momentum and can use the butt and press technique. Instead the blocker must get to the point and then come forward. As he is coming forward he wants to attack the inside jersey number of the coverage man and drive him further outside than he wants to go. While it’s ideal to drive the coverage player outside to the sideline, the major goal is to cover him up so he can’t fill his lane.

While Fly Zone can be a physical drill there are ways to minimize the contact while still getting the coaching points in. The best way to take away the major hits is to remove the option for the coverage man to butt and press. If he is only allowed to avoid the blocker the amount of collisions will be decreased drastically.

The Kickoff is the most dynamic play in football. Everytime the ball is kicked each team is in a position to gain or lose upto 80 yards of field position. As a coach, if you expect to win Special Teams, it’s important that you give your players the skills necessary to dominate the play.

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Burst and Buzz Tackling Drill

One of the trademarks of any great defense is to have all eleven defenders flying to the ball. This means that as soon as the ball has declared a side, all eleven players need to take off and get to the ball using a path that will keep them in a position to make a play. By having all 11 defenders close to the ball the defense is in a position to adjust to any instance where the ball pops out or a tackle is missed.

The only problem with defenders flying to the ball is that if they are not under control they will never make the play. Instead, as they approach the ball carrier they must start to come to balance so they can adjust to any change of direction that the ball carrier attempts. The best drill to teach this process of coming to balance is the Burst and Buzz Drill.

Related Content: Eye Opener Tackle Drill 

The Burst and Buzz Drill is designed to simulate an explosive movement towards a ball carrier followed by the defender coming to balance. There are a variety of ways to do this drill but we will start with the version that is best to work the teaching progression.

In the basic Burst and Buzz Drill players will be aligned on the sideline on a line. On each line at the first hash there will be a bag held by a team mate. On the coaches first whistle the defenders will take off on a sprint. It is critical that players work to get up to full speed so they learn how to decelerate. When they begin to approach the bag they must work to decelerate by dropping their hips and coming to balance. When they have fully stopped they need to buzz their feet. This helps to teach them to stay under control and work their hips down. On the coaches second whistle they will execute the tackle on the bag.

Related Content: Practice Tracking the Near Hip with the Approach Drill

To build the drill and get players to develop the drill in a more dynamic environment the coach can add multiple times where the defender must come to balance. This is a simple change to the drill and lets players double or triple the number of times they go from a full sprint to a balanced position. To do this players should line up on the sideline on one of the five yard line marks. On the coaches whistle they will sprint across the field. On the second whistle they will come to balance and chop their feet. The next whistle the coach blows will tell them to accelerate out. The coach can blow the whistle and have players come to balance as many times as he thinks is necessary.

The Burst and Buzz Drill is a great way for players to work the transition of closing on the ball to adjusting to the ball carrier’s moves. Too many times defenders work hard to get in a position to make a play on the ball but come in out of control. By teaching players how to come to balance these players now have a chance to make a play on the ball and be rewarded for pursuing the ball.

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Practice Tracking the Near Hip with the Approach Drill

The setup of the drill is very easy. To setup the drill all you need is four cones spaced out in a 10 by 10 yard square. The players should align with the ball carrier on one cone and the tackler on the cone that is next to them. To execute the drill the ball carrier will run across the line towards the cone at about 50%. While the ball carrier is running at the cone across the square the defender should be closing in on him. The key is that the defender needs to stay within balance and keep his eyes on the near hip of the ball carrier. When he gets to the ball carrier he needs to tap off with two hands and finish the drill.

Related Content: Using Yoga Balls to Practice Tackling

After going once where the ball carrier is going on a straight line the coach can give the player the ability to add some complexity to the drill. As the ball carrier is jogging along the line he has the ability to drop his hip. If the ball carrier drops his hip at all the tackler must come to balance and stop his pursuit. This trains the tackler to watch the near hip of the defender and respond to any change. When the hip drops on a ball carrier, normally some sort of move is coming. By practicing tracking the near hip and coming to balance when it drops, the tackler is preparing to adjust to any moves from the tackler.

Related Content: Practice Tackling with the Eye Opener Drill 

The Approach Drill is a simple drill that allows tacklers to get their eyes fixed on the correct positions and respond to a limited stimulus. By working on this limited skill the player’s minds begin to focus on their specific task and what they need to do to maximize their skill set.

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Practice Tackling with the Eye Opener Drill

The two critical components of the tackle that the Eye Opener Drill focus on are the unloading of the hips and shooting the arms through. These are two critical components of the tackle because they stop the ball carrier’s forward momentum while also ensuring that he doesn’t bounce or spin out of the tackle. When these two elements are combined effectively they can create a picture perfect tackle that stops the ball carrier in his tracks and does not allow him to gain the extra yard in contact.

The problem with these two components of the tackle is that they are the hardest elements to practice. They must be done simultaneously so timing them up takes multiple reps. These reps can be hard to come by because it involves the body on body contact that can wear players down over the course of the season. To focus on these two movements while limiting the contact we use the Eye Opener Drill.

The Eye Opener Drill starts with two players facing each other with four cones spaced a yard apart to their side. One player will be the defender who is making the tackle and will be in an athletic position while the other player will be the ball carrier who will simulate holding the ball in one hand. On the go command the offensive player will step sideways to the first gap. The defender will take a drop step and then approach the ball carrier and shoot his arms while unloading his hips. After he has unloaded his hips he will drop back behind the next cone while the ball carrier steps to the next open space for the next rep. The players will continue down the line until they have gotten four reps done.

Related Content: Using Yoga Balls to Practice Tackling

There are a few critical components for the defender to focus on for this drill to be truly effective. First, the defender must shoot their arms at the same time as they throw their hips. The best way to see this as a coach is to stand on the cones and watch the players hips. The defenders hips should follow a natural upward swing as they engage in contact and make contact with the ball carrier. One way to help the players understand this is to tell the ball carrier to give a small hop so the defender can get the ball carrier off the ground. It’s important that the ball carrier just takes a small jump, just enough that he break the inertia of the ground. This jump will allow the defender to lift the player and get his hips through.

The second major component of the drill is the defender shooting his arms. We tell our players we want them to shoot their arms through to the shoulder blades of the ball carrier. This allow them to get their arms all the way through while also allowing the hips to come through the tackle.

The Eye Opener Drill is one of the best drills for getting players to understand how to make effective contact using their hips and arms while not getting players hurt and banged up.

(See Also) How to Tackle with Proper Technique 

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Set and Punch Drill for Offensive Linemen

The basic set up the drill is very simple. One lineman will get in a stance while three bag holders and a fourth linemen will line up outside of him. On the coaches cadence the lineman will take a drop step and punch the first bag and then continue down the line to punch the remaining bags. As he punches the third bag the fourth lineman, who does not have a bag, will start attacking outside of him to simulate a defensive end trying to run the hoop to get to the Quarterback. The lineman who is going will push him further than he wants to go to protect the pocket.

Related Content: Run Blocking Technique for Youth Football 

There are a few key coaching points that the coach must keep an eye on while the lineman is doing the drill. The first is that the player is keeping a good posture and keeping his hips low and chest up. As the practice goes on linemen begin to lose their posture and start allowing their knees to get more straight and begin to bend at the hip. This puts them in a position where they lack power, can’t see the defender, and have a shorter punch: so it’s critical that the coach stays on them to keep their posture throughout the drill.

The next coaching point involves the weight of the lineman’s feet. As he goes through the drill it’s critical that he has the majority of the weight on the front foot and isn’t allowing his weight to shift back to his kick foot. If he gets into a position where his weight is sitting on his back foot defenders will be able to beat him to the inside and get a more direct line to the quarterback.

Related Content: Best Offensive Line Drill for Youth Football 

The final coaching point is on the run by portion of the drill. Many times defenders will take a wide path to get to the Quarterback. Where linemen can get in trouble is if they set too far outside and open up space for the defender to beat them inside. When a defender takes a path that is too wide all the lineman needs to do is take a vertical set and flatten the defender’s path so it takes him further away from the Quarterback. This will leave space for the Quarterback to sit in a clean pocket and make the throw downfield.

One of the best parts of this drill is the efficiency. When it is running properly there should be only about 5 seconds between the end of one rep and the start of the next one. This, combined with the technical aspects of the drill, make it a great drill to work in the pre-practice section as players begin to warm up.

(See Also) Skip Pull Technique 

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Teaching Defensive Back Stance and Backpedal with the Throttle Drill

The Throttle Drill is a great drill to teach defensive backs to stay low in their backpedal and maintain great posture and position throughout the drill. In the drill the players will be working on their backpedal across various speeds. The key to this drill is that the players must keep their body in the same position the whole time they do the drill.

Related Content: Press Coverage Technique | Bump and Run 

The Throttle Drill is done with as many lines as needed all in a great stance with their eyes on the coach. On the Coaches command, we normally move the ball to signal the start of the drill, the players will start to backpedal with their eyes on the ball the coach is holding. The ball represents the throttle and can change their speed. So as the coach moves the ball down, the players will slow down their backpedal, and the further up the coach moves the ball the faster they will backpedal.

This is a great drill in teaching players how to stay in a great stance throughout their backpedal. When teaching defensive backs, one of the major issues is that they tend to sacrifice their technique as the backpedal quicker. The effect is that their hips get higher and they can not make the break that is required to react to a receiver’s cut as quickly as the should be able to. By slowing down the backpedal and then speeding it up players can work on adjusting their speed while keeping their body position in mind.

Related Content: Defensive Back Stance 

There are a million different backpedal drills that coaches can find to work with defensive backs. The key to using these drills effectively is to have a specific reason for why you are doing it and make sure the players know the skill they are developing. When players know the skill they are developing it allows them to focus their energy into making sure that portion of the drill is excellent.

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Drill # 1: Stance 

It all starts with a proper stance. A receiver’s ability to explode off of the line of scrimmage depends almost entirely on his stance. In addition, a good stance will also allow a receiver to beat press coverage.

Drill Setup

Line up all the players across the field. Have them work on their receiver stance.  Make sure the coaches are fixing any stances that aren’t correct.

Related Content: Beating Press Coverage 

Technique Focus 

• Outside foot back is what we teach. The receiver can have any foot back, whichever is conformable.
• Shoulders square. The receiver should not lean, that will give away which way he is going. Shoulders straight, head turned watching the football.
• Weight more so on the front foot. If most the weight is on the back foot, the WR will get knocked off balanced against a press defender.  This will also allow your receiver to explode off the ball.
• Hands should be up and cocked, ready to beat any press defender.

Drill # 2: Stalk Blocking 

A receiver’s job goes beyond running routes and catching passes. A receive must consistently be able to block defenders in space. Many times receivers will be called on to even crack block. We tell our receivers that if they aren’t willing/able to block then they won’t be playing much receiver. Receiver stalk blocking is very important because youth football is very run heavy. There are instances when you can just run off a defender, but most of the time receivers will need to block.

Drill Setup

The coach and receivers are 5 yard apart. On the whistle the receiver releases up-field at the coach holding the pad. Once the WR is 2 yards from the CB he must get under control, breakdown and watch the midsection of the receiver. The wide receiver then stalks the CB/coach holding the blocking shield. The receiver must drive his route up the field until the CB realizes it’s run.

Related Content: Stalk Blocking Technique for Wide Receivers 

Technique Focus

• Come off the ball hard, make defender think it’s pass.
• As the receiver closes the distance to the DB he must get under control and focus on the midsection of the DB.
• Feet need to be active and chopping.
• It’s like guarding someone in basketball, you should always follow them and keep them in front of you.
• Hands should be inside, keep feet active.
• Once the defender starts to evade the block, engage the defender and just take him anyway he wants to go.

Drill # 3: Route Running and Dropping Hips 

Drill Setup

You will need several cones. The types of routes you want your receivers to practice will be determined by the route concepts in your playbook. Your players need to be practicing the route that they will have to run in the game. Don’t waste time on routes you will not be using.

Technique Focus

This is an excellent drill video that goes through how to run several different routes. It gives good examples of foot work and how to drop the hips and explode into your break.

Related Content: Wide Receiver Route Running 

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