Drills for Football Receivers

The most successful pass receivers possess some of the same traits: speed, good hands, agility, good route-running skills and the ability to provide sound blocking in the running game. Once the players master fundamentals in each aspect through drills in practice and game experience, they will be more valuable to their football teams.

  1. Speed

    • The average distance a receiver runs on a play is 15 to 20 yards, which means he will rarely achieve top speed. Hence, acceleration is of the utmost importance. An effective method to improve leg strength and shorten strides, which increases foot contacts with the ground to improve acceleration, is the use of weighted sleds. Players can use standing starts, sprinter starts or use a three-point stance. Receivers must not overweight the sleds, which should be loaded with 10 to 15 pounds. Players should do four sets at both 20 and 50 yards.

    Catching the Football

    • It's important for a receiver to catch the ball with his hands, not his body.

      Drills for catching the football are typically used as warm-ups, which allows players to execute the drills at half speed. In one drill, the receivers are split into two groups 10 yards apart, and the coach stands between the groups. The first player in either line takes off jogging on the coach's command. Once the player has gone 10 yards, the coach throws a high, arching pass that the receiver must run under and catch. The player must concentrate and catch the ball with his hands, not his body.

    Agility

    • Receivers should work on their footwork with side-to-side or front-and-back motions. Each drill requires a football, which is tossed back and forth between two players. In the side-to-side drill, players line up facing each other on the goal line 5 yards apart. On the coach's command, the players move laterally toward the other goal line. The players toss the ball to each other until they have reached a set distance. The front-and-back drill has the same concept, except one player starts on the goal line facing the other on the 5-yard line. The player on the 5 backpedals, while the player on the goal line runs straight ahead. When they reach the set distance, the players switch roles and head the other direction.

    Route Running

    • Drills for route running teach the receiver specific routes within a coach's offense, and allow the quarterback to get in rhythm with his targets. A good route can result in a smooth transition to the open field, where the receiver will easily gain more yardage after the catch. A simple drill uses cones set up in a way that shows exactly where and how the receiver is expected to cut on a particular pattern. Once the receiver hits the cutting point, he should look for the ball.

    Run Blocking

    • Receivers are most likely to be called upon to block defensive backs, which makes positioning the most important aspect of sustaining a successful block. The mirror drill, in which two players line up 6 to 8 yards apart between a set of cones, is one of the most effective. One player serves as the defender, who will try to get the upper hand by changing directions between the cones as the receiver mirrors his motion. The defensive back will come forward to try to get past the receiver one or two times, but should step back once the receiver makes contact.