What Skills Should a Good Quarterback Have?

Whether it's in Pop Warner football or the National Football League, everything on offense starts with the quarterback. The quarterback directs the offense and shouts instructions to his linemen for better protection. He also directs the movement of wide receivers and tight ends, and sometimes has to change a play at the line of scrimmage, just seconds before it happens. To become a good quarterback, you need to develop some key mental and physical skills.

  1. Leadership

    • An effective quarterback must demonstrate leadership. While this might seem hard to quantify, leadership is shown by taking responsibility for everything the offense does and projecting confidence with every play. As a quarterback, you must make sound decisions on the field for your team to be successful. When things aren't going well, show leadership by motivating your teammates to keep fighting and not give up. You also can show leadership by having a strong work ethic. Show up to practice early and be the last one to leave. Study film sessions to improve your play.

    Accuracy

    • To be an effective quarterback, you need to have accurate passing skills. In football, a quarterback's accuracy is measured by how often he completes passes to his receivers. A high completion percentage is the result of a quarterback knowing where his receivers will be and making the right adjustments to beat a defense's coverage. Accuracy is also determined by how well you can throw passes to areas where your receivers can catch the football in stride and run for a long gain instead of throwing directly at them for a short completion.

    Decision Making

    • A key skill for a quarterback is the ability to make quick decisions. When you come to the huddle and give your offense the play, you have about 30 seconds on the play clock to get into formation, call out the play and receive the football from the center, who crouches in front of you and "snaps" it directly into your hands. From the moment the ball is snapped, you're faced with a number of decisions. You can pass to an open receiver, hand the ball off to a running back or force a pass into coverage. You also must try to avoid being sacked by defensive players pursuing you. To make the right play, you must develop the ability to read the field and react in a matter of seconds. Reading the field involves knowing how to identify a defense. For example, a quarterback must quickly assess how deep the defensive backs are playing and if the linebacker is set in a blitz formation, which will impact how quickly he has to release the ball.

    Communication

    • To become a good quarterback, you must know how to communicate with your teammates, despite their different personalities. If your wide receiver is a prima donna and is always demanding the ball, you have to know how to placate him without alienating the rest of the team. If you're quiet and shy, you won't be able to express what you need out of each of your players on offense. Because you're the leader of a diverse group of people, socializing with your teammates can help build effective communication and trust that is vital in pressure situations. In addition, your relationship with your coach will largely be determined by how well you listen and incorporate his instructions.