Making and effective Angle Tackle

The reason for angle tackles is simple, cover the shortest area to get to the tackle, but there is still a great need to practice this technique. Accomplish this drill in pairs, having one teammate act as the offense, or ball carrier, running in a straight line and the other as the defender coming in at any angle. It is great to take this in slow steps to show the defender in a fluid motion how to the quickest angle to take towards the ball carrier, plant his cleats squarely in the middle of the ball carrier, and to always remember safety and effectiveness by placing the head in front of the offensive player. A good tackle is now executed as the defender lunges at the opponent wrapping his arms around his opponent grabbing cloth and completing the tackle by pulling him down or pushing him off sides.

Receivers: Ball Security Drill

To insure a proper catch, a receiver must secure the football into a proper carrying position. 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 with your eyes from the first time you see it in the air until it is securely placed in a tight hold. Third, secure the ball tight and high against your ribs, forearm, and biceps. Many receivers can get into a bad habit of looking away from the ball before it is stored away properly. This error leads to incomplete passes or worse, a fumble. 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.

The Proper Way to Catch a High Football

As a receiver, or any player that is going to catch a pass, you know that not all passes are going to go right to the chest. As such you need to practice the high passes so that you know to react, here are some basics: The first and most important is that you extend your arms and keep your hands together in a diamond type shape to catch that football. When you try to catch the ball with your body there is a greater chance that it is going to bounce off and cause an incomplete pass. Important to look the catch through and tuck it away. If you are taking your eyes off for any reason you will lose focus and have a greater chance to miss the pass, or worse, fumble the football.

Conditioning: Five dot jump

Strength and reaction time is what makes a great football athlete. For this reason, coaches like this drill for its focus on speed and accuracy. Setting up this drill is very simple, you will need five markers placed about a foot apart in an x formation with one of the dots being in the center surrounded by four other dots in a square formation.

This drill begins with the player starting on two of the outer dots and jumps feet together to the middle dot and then out again to the edge dots separating their feet. Next the player will jump touching each dot with on leg only, and then switch using the other leg. Then continue around the dots with both legs together. The last step is the same as the first hop scotch method but this time when the player reaches the other side they will turn around on the two dots. Remember that speed and accuracy are important on this drill so coaches should start players off slow and then proceed to full speed constantly watching accuracy.