Strength and conditioning: Up Downs

Up downs is an excellent conditioning drill that will improve reaction time and endurance. Players will start this drill by running in place as fast as they can, keeping their knees high as possible. From time to time the coach will signal to the players, by whistle or a command, to get down meaning that they drop down do a push up and get back up as quickly as possible to run again. As up downs require endurance and strength, players are encouraged to start in slow short burst and work up to longer and more intense sessions.

Low Ball Catching Techniques

Making the plays means that you have practiced the non-optimal situation and know how to react to them. Perfect and not so perfect scenarios should constantly run at football practice. Here are some secrets to making this catch. First keep the pinkies together down low to make a shovel. This ensures that the ball will not slip through your fingers. Locking your pinkies prevents the football from falling through your hands. Once you have the football in your hands scoop it up and tuck it away. Third, once you have caught the ball, tuck it away as soon as possible. Keep your eyes right on the ball. And always see the ball through, meaning that you are watching it into the tuck.

Proper Catching Leads to Great Ball Security

When a receiver catches the ball they need to immediately put it into a secure ball carrying position. The points of a proper catch are: First, opening up your hands with an open triangle. 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. This error leads to incomplete passes or worse, a fumble. In order to increase catching and ball security effectiveness have two receivers pass to each other, when one of them catches the ball make sure that they slow the motion down pausing when they catch, follow through, and secure the football.

Around the world: Improved Ball Handling

This drill is used to increase players ball handling skills on the field. In this drill players will be constantly moving or passing the ball from one hand to the other. 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.

The best thing that a coach can do is call out body parts that the players will have to move the ball around, or even calling a reverse command were the players will need to change the direction of the football. 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. The player will drop the ball and quickly pick it up again. 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.