Secrets to a good hand off

Learning the basics in a handoff is essential to a strong offense. Lets look at a simple hand off between a quarterback and a running back to point out the fundamentals of this skill. A good hand off starts with the running back giving a target to the quarterback, this can be done in the running back keeping his arms flat against his body, one arm low and the other high creating an open square or target around the chest for the quarterback to slide the ball in. When the quarterback slides the ball into the arms, or the pocket as it is called, the running back closes his arms around the ball to protect it. As the running back leaves from the handoff he needs to stay low to react quickly and again to protect the ball.

How to overpower on the line of scrimmage

Football is all about strategy and fining, or making weak spots in your opponent. Use the proven technique of double teaming to get great results on the field!It is basically putting two linemen on one. This technique is effective for punching a hole through the line and getting a running back through, or it also works great on a defensive blitz. To execute this properly have both linemen step together at the same time and lock their hips together. This forms an impenetrable line in the middle and as each lineman is on the edge of the opponent it will be very difficult to go around. Concentrate on this wall so that the opponent cannot duck around or go through the double team. Also, this maneuver needs to happen quickly and efficiently.

Points on tackling safely and effectively

Learning how to perform a proper tackle is fundamental to the game of football. If executed poorly not only will you not succeed in stopping the offensive team, but you could possibly injure yourself in the process. Some points to remember when tackling:

First, plant yourself in front of your opponent. An excellent technique is to plant your foot in the middle of your opponents. Also, and in coordination with your feet throw your arms back preparing to grab.

Second you want to bring your other foot into the mix, and at the same time throw your arms up and around your opponent. Now is the time that injuries can happen. To protect yourself never, ever try to tackle with the crown of your head, but instead keep your head back, and your head square. A great way to insure that you are in the right position is to practice touching your facemask to the football of the opposing player.

The third and last step is to bring your hips up and drive the opponent backwards and towards the ground. The squarer you are in the first step the easier it will be to perform the third step.

Hand off drill

Running backs should constantly practice the hand off. A simple drill for a hand off is to line up all of your running backs in two lines facing each other in what we will call line A and Line B. At the coaches signal player A leaves line A running with the football towards line B. At the same time a player leaves line B, and when they meet in the middle Player A hands off the ball to Player B. At this moment another player leaves line A and accepts a handoff from player B. It should be a constant motion. It is an effective drill to teach handoff skills and help running backs achieve higher accuracy and consistency.