ALL Drills
All Bag & Board Drill (double-wing wishbone blocking)
Purpose: Procedure: To develop proper wishbone blocking technique and develop a Finish It Off attitude You need up to 5 boards and 5 bags Have players hold the bags in front of them, with their feet shoulder width apart and the bottom of the bag on the ground. These are the DL. Line up the boards directly behind the DL, then have the same number of offensive players line up across from the bags, 2 yards away. Offense gets in a good 3-point stance, and fire off in a double-wing blocking technique and drives the bag beyond the end of the board using drive steps The DL should offer mild to moderate resistance The coach should check for a good stance throughout the drill, and ensure that the bag pops up on contact AND is driven back at the same time
All Bird Dog Drill
Purpose: Procedure: To go over blocking assignments and proper first step Set up 11 cones or players in a defense your opponent will play Line up the offense to execute a play and on the QB cadence, they only take the first step on their assignment. They hold that position until the coaches check them. This allows you check each player to ensure they understand their blocking assignments and first step. Run reps to both sides, but do so multiple times You can rep the line only as well.
All Bird Dog Drill variation
Purpose: Procedure: To go over blocking assignments. Set up 11 cones or players into a 4-4, 5-2 or 6-3 defense Line up the offense to execute a play and then each offensive player takes a knee. On the snap, each offensive player points to whom he is blocking, or points to where he is going They hold that position until the coaches check them. This allows you check each player to ensure they understand their blocking assignments and first step. Run reps to both sides, but do so multiple times You can rep the line only as well.
All Fit In Drill
Purpose: Procedure: Teaches proper form and hitting position. Start with a blocking dummy and two cones. The offensive player will run inside the cone to one side of the dummy The defensive player must keep his shoulders square to the LOS, fill the hole, and fit into the RB using good form: o His head in front o Hips down o Shoulder pad into the hip o Wrap the ball carrier
All Form tackling (no pads)
Purpose: Procedure: Teaches proper form and hitting position. Runner stand erect, hands together behind back, head up. Small jump up, and let tackler lift and carry you. Tackler - Hit position, 1 foot from runner, Lock, lift, drive for 5, arch back and keep eyes to sky
All Form (angle) tackling (with or without pads)
Purpose: Procedure: Teaches proper form and angle tackling position. Line up a defender facing the ball carrier about 5 yards apart. Put a cone about 3 yards to the right and left of the linebacker and have the running back attack the inside of the cone. Defender should make the tackle on the running back with his head in front and hit with his inside shoulder. He should make contact with his shoulder at the hip of the ball carrier and run his feet through on contact. Make sure the defender is wrapping his arms around the ball carrier. Repeat Drill with Ball carrier going other direction
All Form (angle) tackling
Purpose: Procedure: To develop proper tackling and pursuit techniques on a ball carrier facing at an angle. You need 1 or more heavy bags and 3 cones set up in a triangle as shown below. The cones can be 3 to 10 yards apart. Set up one row of ball carriers, and another row of tacklers The ball carriers will carry the shield and on the snap, will run in a diagonal line towards the third cone. On the snap, the tackler will take a good angle and make a good form tackle on the bag. The coach should emphasize: o Hit (breakdown position; knees bent, tail back, arch in back, neck against helmet, eyes up) o Fit (shoulder to numbers, helmet to side of the ball, eyes to sky, upper body between ball carrier and goal line) o Lock (At instant of contact, wrap arms around ball carriers thighs and squeeze him with your arms pressing in ward, lift his butt of the ground) o Lift (forward thrust of hips and driving your shoulder pads into his chest will create lift) o Drive (use legs, upper body holds tight, move ball carrier up and back)
All Form (angle, 5-cone) tackling
Purpose: Procedure: To develop proper tackling and pursuit techniques on a ball carrier facing at an angle. Set up 5 cones in a diamond (the 5 cone in the center of the diamond) with each cone two yards from the center cone. Line up one ball carrier and one defender, each standing directly behind his point cone On the snap, the ball carrier runs for either gap. Once he passes his point cone, he can continue towards his chosen gap, or cut back to the other gap The tackler must mirror the ball carrier, keeping his shoulder square and taking a good inside angle, keeping his head in front of the runner The coach should emphasize: o Hit (breakdown position; knees bent, tail back, arch in back, neck
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o o o o
against helmet, eyes up) Fit (shoulder to numbers, helmet to side of the ball, eyes to sky, upper body between ball carrier and goal line) .Lock (At instant of contact, wrap arms around ball carriers thighs and squeeze him with your arms pressing in ward, lift his butt of the ground) Lift (forward thrust of hips and driving your shoulder pads into his chest will create lift) Drive (use legs, upper body holds tight, move ball carrier up and back)
All Form (bag) tackling
Purpose: To develop proper tackling technique while hitting a soft target in a controlled hitting environment. We need to emphasize the importance of keeping the head up and making a good hard tackle You need from 1 to 5 heavy bags, and two players per bag One row of players will hold the bags, with their arms extended The other row players (the tacklers) will line up three yards away, facing the bags. On the snap, the tacklers will attack the bag and perform a good, clean tackle. The coach should emphasize: o Hit (breakdown position; knees bent, tail back, arch in back, neck against helmet, eyes up) o Fit (shoulder to numbers, helmet to side of the ball, eyes to sky, upper body between ball carrier and goal line) o Lock (At instant of contact, wrap arms around ball carriers thighs and squeeze him with your arms pressing in ward, lift his butt of the ground) o Lift (forward thrust of hips and driving your shoulder pads into his chest will create lift) o Drive (use legs, upper body holds tight, move ball carrier up and back)
Procedure:
All Form (butt, bench and fury) tackling
Purpose: To develop proper tackling and pursuit techniques on a ball carrier facing at an angle, and who has a blocker. Set up 4 cones in a diamond At one cone, set up an offensive blocker, with a ball carrier behind him At the opposite cone, line up one defender, with the extra players behind their
Procedure:
cone On the snap, the blocker attacks the defender. The defender should take on the block, extend his arms (keep the blocker off your body!), and prepare to shed On the second whistle, the ball carrier runs directly towards one of the cones. At that point, the defender should shed the blocker in the opposite direction, and make the tackle
All Form (lateral movement #1) tackling
Purpose: To develop quick and proper footwork, to stay balanced while avoiding obstacles and proper tacking technique Set up at least three shields or heavy bags on the ground in a line, each about 1.5 to 2 yards from the others Line up one player as the defender at the end of the line, and a coach (or another player) at the other end of the line with a bag The defender can either face forward and shuffle over the bags on the ground, or he can face the bags and high step over the bags on the ground On the snap, the defender makes his way over each bag, gets in good position, and tackles the bag at the end of the line.
Procedure:
All Form (lateral movement #2) tackling
Purpose: To develop quick and proper footwork, to stay balanced while avoiding obstacles and proper tacking technique Same as #1, except well use a live ball carrier and add a cone to the end of the line instead of a heavy bag Line up the ball carrier about two yards farther outside the bags then the defender On the snap, the ball carrier runs towards the cone, and the defender will perform the same side steps over the bags, and make the tackle before the ball
Procedure:
All - Form (pick a hole Drill) tackling (with or without pads)
Purpose: Procedure: Teaches proper form and hitting position. Line up three agility bags about 3 yards apart. Have the defender line up on the end of one bag and the ball carrier on the opposite side of the bag. On coaches cadence the ball carrier will run with his shoulders perpendicular to the line of scrimmage and attack one of the three holes. The defender must shuffle until the back has committed and then attack the hole and wrap up the ball carrier and run through contact. The defender should reverse the momentum of the ball carrier and cause him to go backwards.
All Form (reach tackle) tackling
Purpose: To develop proper tackling technique when the ball carrier has made a move to the side (cutting away from) of the defender. Line up two players, both facing the same direction One player will be holding a heavy bag. The bag represents the ball carrier. The other player is the defender. The defender is offset from and about one yard behind the ball carrier On the snap, the ball carrier will back peddle, dragging the bag with him. As the bag is dragged past the defender, the defender should dive sideways at the bag, aiming to put his chest into the body of the bag. As contact is made, the defender should wrap and roll. The defender MUST get his upper body into the bag, as arm tackles often fail. Also, when rolling the bag to the ground, the defender wants to roll his body over the top of the bag, twisting the bag to the ground.
Procedure:
All Form (shed, recover, tackle) tackling
Purpose: To develop an aggressive attitude and the ability to recover from a blow and make the tackle quickly. Set up 4 players (two with shields, one with a heavy bag) and the coach (or another player) about 2 to 10 yards behind the player holding the bag. One player is the defender, the two holding the shields are offensive blockers, and the heavy bag is the ball carrier. On the snap, the defender heads towards the first shield and delivers a blow, trying to knock the blocker back and off his feet. His head should be in front, and proper form must be maintained. After contacting the first shield, he sheds, then heads towards the second shield and delivers another blow Once e clears the second shield, he gets into good tackling position and tackles the heavy bag. The bag should be wrapped and lifted properly, driven backwards and the defender should land on the bag As soon as the tackle is made, the coach drops or bounces the football on the ground. The tackler must get up and recover the fumble. The coach should emphasize: o Hit (breakdown position; knees bent, tail back, arch in back, neck against helmet, eyes up) o Fit (shoulder to numbers, helmet to side of the ball, eyes to sky, upper body between ball carrier and goal line) o .Lock (At instant of contact, wrap arms around ball carriers thighs and squeeze him with your arms pressing in ward, lift his butt of the ground) o Lift (forward thrust of hips and driving your shoulder pads into his chest will create lift) o Drive (use legs, upper body holds tight, move ball carrier up and back) o When recovering the fumble, the defender SHOULD NOT land stomach or chest first on top of the ball. Rather, fall along side of the ball, cradle it with both hands and bring it into your midsection, wrapping your body around it. Make the official come to you to get the ball.
Procedure:
All Form (two-line attack) tackling
Purpose: To develop an aggressive attitude and confidence in the players to deliver a blow and make a tackle Set up 3 to 15 players (depending on how many shields and bags you have) in 3 lines The players at the bottom of the graphic are the defenders, the players in the middle are the blockers (line them up 5-yards from the defenders), while the players holding the bags (line them up 10-yards behind the middle line) are the ball carriers. On the snap, the defenders drive into the blockers (who offer medium resistance), driving them back 5 yards. At that point, they shed the blocker, and tackle the ball carrier (bag)
Procedure:
All - Form tackling (with or without pads)
Purpose: Procedure: Teaches proper form and hitting position. Pair up players facing each other. Start with defender facing ball carrier with right shoulder in mid section, head to the left side with bowed neck and right foot slightly staggered. On Cadence, defender should step with right foot through the crotch of the ball carrier. The defender should wrap arms vertically behind the ball carrier and clinch wrists together at lower back. These are a form rep activity and should only be done at about half speed. Repeat with both shoulders
All - Form tackling (no pads) with shield
Purpose: Procedure: Teaches proper form and hitting position. At least one player holding shield, backpedal upon contact, offering moderate resistance Tackler - Hit position, 1 feet from runner, Lock, lift, drive for 5, arch back and keep eyes to sky
All - Form tackling (with pads)
Purpose: Procedure: Teaches proper form and hitting position. Runner stand erect, hands together behind back, head up. Small jump up,
and let tackler lift and carry you. Tackler - Hit position, 1 feet from runner, Lock, lift, drive for 5, arch back and keep eyes to sky
All - Form tackling (with pads) with shield
Purpose: Procedure: Teaches proper form and hitting position. At least one player holding shield, move forward into contact, offering moderate resistance Tackler - Hit position, 1 feet from runner, Lock, lift, drive for 5, arch back and keep eyes to sky
All - Form tackling (with pads) from backpedal with shield
Purpose: Procedure: Teaches proper form and hitting position. At least one player holding shield, move forward on snap Tackler starts by backpedaling 5 yards, then reverse direction, and make tackle
All - Form tackling (with pads) from up/down with shield
Purpose: Procedure: Teaches proper form and hitting position. Same as above, but tackler will backpedal 5 yards, do one hit it, pop up, then move forward and make tackle
All - Horizontal Tackle (aka Cat & Mouse) Drill
Purpose: Procedure: Teaches quickness, and proper hitting/tackling form Setup two cones no more than 2 yards apart. Position two players flat on their backs lying helmet to helmet but not touching (6 inches apart). One player will be the ball carrier (holding ball) and the other the tackler. On the coachs whistle or cadence, the players rise and the ball carrier run a straight path at the defensive player who must execute a good form tackle. Coaches should make sure that proper technique and form is used in this tackling drill.
All - Machine Gun Drill
Purpose: Procedure: To teach proper foot work, to shed a block, then make a tackle Place one tackler on one line, 10-15 yards from the remaining players, who are lined up single file; the last player in line carries a football.
On the whistle, the first player in line sprints to the tackler and makes contact. Tackler gets set, absorbs the hit, and then sheds the block. As soon as the first player makes contact, the second player in line starts sprinting towards the tackler. The tackler must shed the first block, re-establish good position, and then shed the second block. This continues until the last player, whom the tackler must meet, and bring to the ground. Coach should look for good form here (head up, wrap arms, get low, etc.)
All - Mirror Drill
Purpose: Procedure: To teach proper foot work and proper position when trailing a ball carrier. Start with two players and four cones The first 10-15 yards, the offensive player can sprint and jog, but must do both in this span During the first 1015 yards, the defender will trail by one yard. He must shuffle when the OP jogs, and shuttle when the OP sprints. He must be able to stop and break down at any time, so keep good form During the second 10-15 yards, the OP must stay behind the LOS but is free to stiff arm, spin, juke, or whatever. Each time he makes a move, the DP must fit into him in good form. The OP must then run through the last two cones, and the DP must make a good form tackle
All - Pad Drill
Purpose: To review a play using contact w/shields and bags to develop timing and coordination in the offense. Equipment: 3 to 5 bags and 4 to 5 shields along with cones for the backside. The coach sets up a defense using players and cones on the defense. All interior tackles will have blocking bags (B) and all play side defenders that dont have bags will have shields. Any player that does not have direct contact in the play can be replaced by a cone or just stand there with out a pad. The defense does not move their job is to provide moderate resistance when being blocked. The coach sets up using the most common defenses faced or the upcoming opponents defense. The offense lines up and executes a play at full speed. You should have a coach for the play side blocks, backside blocks, and the backs executing the play or misdirection. This allows you check each play and player to ensure they understand their assignments and are executing them correctly. You can rep one play to either sides, or a set of plays to one or both sides. You can rep the line only as well.
Procedure:
All - Pursuit Drill
Purpose: Procedure: Teaches defensive personnel proper pursuit angles and provides conditioning. The defense huddles on a selected line of scrimmage. Align two cones, one on each side of the field on top of the numbers. Position a running back on each hash mark, five yards behind the selected line of scrimmage. The coach calls out the defensive play. The defense lines up accordingly in proper stance and alignments. On the cadence, the coach either drops straight back and throws the ball deep or turns and simulates a toss sweep. If the coach drops straight back, the defensive line rushes and the secondary and linebackers drop to respective zones. The coach throws the ball deep, and the defender intercepts the football at its highest point and returns it up the near sideline. The remaining defenders set up a wall leading the ball carrier into the end zone. If the coach simulates a toss sweep, the ball carrier on the hash mark sprints around the cone and down the sidelines.
All Shoulder-on-Shoulder Bang Drill
Purpose: Teaches players the protective value of their shoulder pads and to build confidence in hitting due to that protection. Divide players into two lines, facing each other, on all fours, about 1 yard apart. On the snap, the players will spring at each other making contact shoulder pad to shoulder pad, trying to bump the other player back.
Procedure:
All Two Bags Down-block Drill
Purpose: Procedure: To develop a good down block technique You need four players, two cones and two bags or shields Line up the cones in a horizontal line about five yards apart Line up two defenders, each with a bag/shield directly outside the cones Line up the offensive players about one yard away from, and one yard to the outside of the defender
On the snap, the offensive players take an open step (a short side-step with toes pointed at about 45 degrees) with the foot nearest the bag The offensive player should drive the bag towards the coach and past the cones.
All Two Bags Down-block Double Team Drill
Purpose: Procedure: To develop a good double-team down block technique You need six players, two cones and two bags or shields Line up the cones in a horizontal line about five yards apart Line up two defenders, each with a bag/shield directly outside the cones Line up the offensive players about one yard away from the defender The head-up blocker is called the seal man, and his job is to seal the defender from getting to the LOS. The outside blocker is called the post man, and his job is to drive the defender off the LOS and into the second level, putting an obstacle in front of the backside linebacker. On the snap, the seal man takes a drive step, keeping his head to the INSIDE (the side nearest the cone), otherwise he risks getting hit in the head by the post man. The post man takes an open step (a short side-step with toes pointed at about 45 degrees) with the foot nearest the defender The offensive player should drive the bag towards the coach and past the cones.
All Two Bags X-block Drill
Purpose: Procedure: To develop a good X blocking technique You need four players, two cones and two bags or shields Line up the cones in a horizontal line about two yards apart Line up two defenders, each with a bag/shield directly inside the cones. They can line up head-up or shaded to one side of the offensive players or the other. Line up the offensive players across from the defenders Coach designates one of the offensive players as the inside blocker, and the other as the outside blocker On the snap, the outside blocker down blocks the defender lined up on the inside blocker by taking an open step (a short side-step with toes pointed at
about 45 degrees) with the foot nearest the defender At the same time, the inside blocker takes a drop step (a short, slightly backwards step, where your toes are pointed at a 45 degree angle), allowing the outside blocker to step in front of him, then he continues and carries out a down block on the defender who lined up across from the outside blocker.
All West Point Drill
Purpose: To develop team-building in small groups, with a controlled environment for tackling, blocking, and ball carrier and pursuit skills. Use cones to mark off a 5-yard wide by 10-yard long field. You need three OL, one QB (a coach can play QB) and one RB on offense. On defense, you need two A-gap DL, two B-gap ILB (playing 4-yards off LOS), and one S (playing 9-yards off LOS). The offense gets four tries to score, getting one point each time. After four tries, the two sides switch. The OL can block anyway they want, using drive blocks, double teams, pulling, etc. The defense can use stunts, blitzes, etc.
Procedure:
