Football Hand Drills

On the football field, wide receivers and running backs must be adept at using their hands to both catch and secure the football. A variety of drills exist to help practice and improve concentration, agility and catching skills. To make the drills more fun, each can be made into a contest to see who can catch the most balls, or run the longest without dropping the ball.

  1. Strip Drill

    • One of the most important skills for running backs is maintaining control of the ball after a hand-off. To help running backs secure the ball, line up two rows of players 1 yard apart from each other. The quarterback lines up at one end of the lines and hands the ball off to the running back, who sprints through the gap between the two rows of defenders. The defenders try to grab and tear the ball from the running back, as he sprints through the line. Once the running back reaches the end of the rows of players, he sprints another 10 yards. This drill encourages running with balance, while also breaking tackles and securing the ball while making contact with defenders.

    One-handed Drill

    • Two important skills for wide receivers are soft hands and concentration. To help practice these skills, players can practice the one-handed drill. Coaches position receivers in a line, and have each player run down the field. The quarterback throws the ball so that the receiver is able to make the catch one-handed with his outside hand. As players make the catch, emphasis should be placed on catching the ball with the hand, and then pulling it into the body. This drill also emphasizes the importance of watching the ball until it’s caught and is good practice for defensive backs who can intercept the ball while running away from the line of scrimmage.

    Two-man Tip Drill

    • Concentration is an important skill for wide receivers. The two-man tip drill can help wide receivers, running backs and defensive backs catch and secure tipped balls. Set up players in two rows, about 5 yards apart from one another. The coach lobs a pass to one of the receivers, who then tips the ball to the teammate lined up across from him. The players then attempt to tip the ball back and forth to one another as they run down the field. To make the drill more difficult, the players can try to change direction after each tip, or alternate hands with each tip. This drill helps improve concentration, while also addressing ball control.