Football practice is where your players learn the fundamental skills, including tackling, ballhandling, footwork and avoiding tackles that will help them be better performers out on the field. Organizing a quality practice is essential to getting the most out of your players during practice time, and requires preparation, knowing your team and understanding the game itself.
Step 1
Determine what areas your team needs to improve upon based on past results and performance. Some areas could include defense, passing routes, man-to-man, or zone coverage and special teams. Make a practice plan based on these areas of focus. Consult with your assistant coaches to find out what other areas you should focus on.
Step 2
Gather your team before practice and talk about the areas of focus you will be working on and what you're going to be looking for during practice. Encourage players to work hard and focus on getting better, not just going through the motions.
Step 3
Lead the players in stretches and basic warmup exercises to help prevent injury and get their bodies ready for vigorous physical activity.
Step 4
Divide your team into the proper areas based on position or offense/defense, depending on what types of areas you're focusing on during practice. Have assistant coaches run drills and give instructions while you move back and forth between groups to make sure things are being done correctly.
Step 5
Introduce any new offensive or defensive schemes, and spend ample time explaining them and how they will help your players improve as a team. Give players the opportunity to ask questions about things they don't understand. Run through the plays slowly, then in real time with and then without pads.
Step 6
Use drills to teach individual techniques, including ball handling, tackling and catching. Divide players into their positions so all players are practicing techniques that apply to their specific positions.
Step 7
Have players do basic stretches and cooldown exercises to help them recover from the practice. Have ample water on hand during the practice to help them re-hydrate.
Step 8
Close practice by gathering the team again and talking about the high and low points of what you observed during practice, what you're going to focus on next practice or details about your next game.
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