Football requires an intense commitment to learn your team's plays and know your opponent before you step on the field. You have to study your playbook, know your individual assignments and understand what your teammates are going to do on each play. You also must understand what your opponent wants to do and come up with a game plan to get the best of your competition.
Know Assignments
In football, all players must know their assignments and their teammates' assignments. A lineman must know who he is blocking and what direction the play is going. He also must know who the lineman next to him is blocking and the type of block that must be delivered. Football is contingent on all players executing their assignments properly. Your teammates must have the same level of understanding and effort as you do.
Know Your Opponent
Study your opponent's strengths and weaknesses. Football that is played at the high school level and above offers players the opportunities to learn the opponents' styles by studying them on film or videotape. Your coach will determine a game plan based on your team's strengths and your opponent's weaknesses, but it is your job to figure out how you can exploit the player on the opposite side of the line of scrimmage.
Eliminate Distractions
Football requires full concentration to play your best. While you are playing the game, you must eliminate thoughts of anything that may distract you. You may have a key exam coming up two days after the game and you know you have to study. Or you might have a tight deadline for a project at work. But for the three hours of the game, you must concentrate on your football assignment and not your classroom assignment.
Visualize Success
Before you go out on the field, figure out what it takes to be successful and then close your eyes and picture yourself doing everything you need to do to play the game well. If you are a receiver, picture yourself running the perfect pass route, getting open and receiving the ball cleanly. If you are a quarterback, picture yourself stepping up in the pocket, finding the receiver and delivering the perfect pass to your teammate. The first step in performing well on the field is picturing yourself doing it, according to Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young.
References
- "Inside the Helmet"; Peter King; 1993
- "Play Football the NFL Way"; Tom Bass; 1991
- Steve Young; Hall of Fame Quarterback; Salt Lake City
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