Coaches of youth football teams have the unique challenge of teaching children how to play football and preparing them for the games. To reduce the risk of injuries, the players must first learn the proper techniques and how to play intelligently and safely. Coaches must also teach the rules and fundamentals while doing it in a way that will hold the kids' attention. Running drills that are both fun and educational will make practice more enjoyable for everyone involved.
Chase Drill
The chase drill teaches players how to tackle and strip the ball away from a runner in front of them. To begin, separate your team into two single-file lines. One line consists of ball carriers and the other consists of defenders. The first ball carrier should begin about 3 yards in front of the defender. When the whistle blows, the player with the ball should run at half-speed while the defending player gives chase and attempts to grab the ball carrier. Make sure the defenders focus on the tackle before attempting to cause a fumble by stripping the ball away. If the defender fails to get a firm grasp on the ball carrier, he may be able to escape the tackle and lead to a huge play.
Circle Drill
The circle drill teaches young quarterbacks how to throw the ball on the run. This prepares the quarterback to throw the ball while under pressure or during plays that require them to roll out of the pocket. To perform the drill, separate the quarterbacks by about 10 yards and instruct them to jog in a circle while playing catch. After several minutes, blow the whistle and instruct the player to continue playing catch but to jog in the opposite direction. Stress the importance of squaring the shoulders and hips in the direction of the target before throwing the ball.
Hit-and-Go Drill
The hit-and-go drill teaches defensive linemen how to rush the passer. In order to rush the quarterback effectively, a lineman must shed the offensive blocker, stay low and attempt to get to the passer. In this drill, the defensive player uses a hand punch to hit the offensive player in the chest before driving through to the quarterback. When the whistle is blown, the defensive player uses his right hand to drive into the chest of the offensive lineman while using his left hand to knock him to the side. Once the offensive lineman has been knocked out of the way, the defensive player drives toward the quarterback, lowers his shoulder and delivers a hit to the midsection. To avoid injury to the quarterback, most coaches use a tackling dummy in place of a quarterback.
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