Sunday, April 4, 2021

Advancing Middle School American Football Position Habits :

Advancing Middle School American Football Position Habits
Practice can help turnovers

There is a golden rule in football defense, get the ball to the offensive team as quickly as possible. Win your games by training your defense to use a strong tackle that strips the ball from the opponent. A great way to practice is have two players line up, one as the defense, the other with the football as the offense. 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. This drill is most effective if you start it slow focusing on the motions needed to be effective, and then speed up over time.

Proper Catching Leads to Great Ball Security

To insure a proper catch, a receiver must secure the football into a proper 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, secure the ball tight and high against your ribs, forearm, and biceps. The problem is that receivers have a tenancy to start looking down the field before they have the ball properly secured. Taking your eye off the ball increases incomplete passes, fumbles, and turnovers. 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.

Some fundamentals of ball security

You can't run with the football until you have learned some basic ball security measures. There is nothing worse than almost getting a first down or even a touchdown and fumbling the ball, for this reason there is a great need for ball security. A great way to teach tight ball security is with four points. The claw position is the first point, meaning that you grab the football clawing at the point of the football with your fingers. Second, wrap your forearm completely around the football. The third point is securing the other point of the football with your bicep making sure that it is right up against it. The final point is keeping the football high and tight against the ribcage. Run a couple of drills were the ball carrier runs through a pack of defenders to practice. By reducing the risk of a fumble you will increase the offensive strength in effectively driving across the field and scoring touchdowns.

Around the world: Improved Ball Handling

This drill is used to increase players ball handling skills on the field. Players will move the football from one hand to another hand around differing parts of their body. The drill is simple and starts by having the player pass the ball around their head, torso, arms, knees, and even between their feet from one hand to another in constant motion.

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 don't form a habit, and that they remained focused on the ball and controlling the movement.

When the coach calls and end to the drill the players will drop the ball several times (at least 7). This means that the player will drop the football and retrieve it again quickly. They also should rotate which hand they are using to pick it up so that you can increase ball handling with both.

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