Touch football is a derivative of standard American football in which the individual is tagged rather than tackled to signal he is down. The game requires more finesse, resulting in a safer method of play with a decrease in injuries. This method of football is popular among children and nonprofessional adult players.
Breakdown Touch Drill
This drill teaches you how to breakdown and change direction so you can touch, or down, shifty offensive players. The offensive player and defensive player will be lined up on opposite sides of a cone and spaced 5 yards apart. The offensive player will run at the cone and will break either right, left, or give a fake to one direction and go in the other. The defensive player must run up to the cone quickly and then square up with the offensive player just before they reach the cone. Keep tapping your feet and halt forward movement. Watch the offensive player's hips. When you see the hips move either left or right, break toward them and touch them with your hands. The key is learning how to decelerate, create a base of power to break with, and watch the hips.
Route Running Drill
One of the primary skills of touch football is the ability to create separation between yourself and a defensive player when going out for a pass on offense. The key to this is learning to run routes properly so you can make quick cuts for easier separation. The passing route tree runs through some of the most basic routes. The routes are numbered for easy recall and are as follows: a one is a 5-yard cross or in, a two is a 5-yard out, a three is a 10-yard cross, a four is a 10-yard out, a five is a 10-yard hook or in, a six is a 10-yard hook or out-turn, a seven is a post, an eight is a post-corner, and a nine is a go route. This drill requires a quarterback and receiver. The quarterback will call the route number and you, as the receiver, need to be able to remember which route to run, get proper depth with the route, and make a sharp cut at the break. For instance, if the quarterback calls a six, you must sprint for 10 yards, then plant your left foot and make a sharp cutback toward the line of scrimmage. The pass will reach you just as you break.
Blocking Drill
In touch football, you are typically allowed to rush the passer after a certain count. However, a center might be present to prevent the defender from reaching the quarterback. This offensive blocker is not allowed to touch the player but can stand in front of the defender. The blocking drill is set up by having a defender stand directly in front of the blocker. Then, on the defender's first movement, the offensive blocker can shuffle his feet so he stays in front of the defender. The key is to make the defender run horizontally and not toward the quarterback. The defender can juke left or right to try and dodge the offensive blocker. The offensive blocker should watch the hips of the defensive player to decide which direction to shuffle his feet.
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