Some fundamentals of ball security

One of the fundamental aspects of running with a football is ball security. Nothing is worse for your offensive team then turning it over carelessly to the other team in a fumble. There are four points to protecting the football. The claw position is the first point, meaning that you grab the football clawing at the point of the football with your fingers. The second point is your forearm wrapped around the ball and shielding it from the defense. Third, pull the football in close to your bicep to protect it from opponents jabs and attempts to make you fumble. Last point is to hold the back of the football right up against the ribcage and as you run keep it high and tight. Practice holding the football and having defensive players try and knock out the football by any means possible. By reducing the risk of a fumble you will increase the offensive strength in effectively driving across the field and scoring touchdowns.

Gauntlet Drill for Ball Security

Ball security, preventing fumbles and turnovers is perhaps the most important skill the offensive team can have. Quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers should work on this skill constantly. That is why the gauntlet drill was created, to test and practice effective ball security. The drill starts with a player protecting the ball as best as he can while running through several opponents. Each of the defenders can line up in any way making the ball carrier run any sort of patterns with the ball, the point is to pose a challenge to hold onto the ball. To be effective with this drill have the ball carrier run the drill holding the ball in several different positions.

Strip Tackling

In order to win football games you need to have possession of the football. Forcing a fumble is one of the quickest ways that you can turn the tides and retain possession of the football. 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. Practice these movements slowly to start muscle memory and to correct bad habits.

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. The secret to this drill is having the ball constantly moving around and from hand to hand. 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. Changing the direction of the football ensures that they dont form a habit, and that they remained focused on the ball and controlling the movement.

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. They also should rotate which hand they are using to pick it up so that you can increase ball handling with both.