Understanding Elementary Football Coaching Routines

Tackling Fundamentals and Safety

Tackling is fundamental to football, and should receive proper attention at practices. Tackling can be fun and exhilarating, but done improperly and it can be dangerous. Some points to remember when tackling:

First, plant yourself in front of your opponent. You can do this by placing your foot between your opponent's feet. Also, and in coordination with your feet throw your arms back preparing to grab.

Second, thrust your other foot again squarely in front of your opponent and with all the momentum that you have brought to the tackle grab your opponent. As your feet plants your head should be making its first contact. To protect yourself never, ever try to tackle with the crown of your head, but instead keep your head back, and your head square. Tell yourself, or your players to imagine that they are biting the football.

Third, throw your hips up and hard as you drive the offensive player backwards. Setting yourself up for this last step will ultimately prove the success in the tackle.

Powerful Blocking Strategy: Double Teaming

In various plays whether you are on offense or defense you will want to have a strategic advantage over your opponents. A great technique that will give you an advantage on the line is double team blocking. In essence you take two blockers or linemen and have them go after the same person. If you ever need to get a running back through or perform a great blitz, remember this technique. The basics are simple for this technique: First, both players will need to step together, and put their hips together. They form a wall that the opponent cannot break. Concentrate on this wall so that the opponent cannot duck around or go through the double team. Work it fast and work it hard

A great Handoff Drill

Running backs should constantly practice the hand off. A simple drill for a hand off is to line up all of your running backs in two lines facing each other in what we will call line A and Line B. A player leaves line A with the football and runs at line B. At the same time that the first player leaves player B leaves his line towards player A, as they pass each other in the middle player A hands off the football to player B. At this moment another player leaves line A and accepts a handoff from player B. It should be a constant motion. Practice this drill every day to ensure that your running backs are effective on their hand offs.

Making a great hand off

Handoff skills can secure yardage on the field and increase your overall success. Let's look at a simple hand off between a quarterback and a running back to point out the fundamentals of this skill. The running back starts the hand off running towards the quarterback with his arms open creating a pocket for the quarterback to slide the football right into the running back's chest. When the running back receives the football he clamps down both arms hard on the football to protect it. As the running back runs off with the football it is important to stay low to increase agility and speed.


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