Drills for Football Fullbacks

The football landscape has changed in recent years. Spread offenses have blossomed from the high school ranks and into college. Several teams do not even list fullbacks on their roster. Fullbacks, though, are some of the most versatile players on the field. In some offensive systems the fullback is the primary ball carrier, and in others he is a blocker who rarely touches the ball. As a general rule, fullbacks will at some point in every game have to carry the football, execute run and pass blocking, and catch a pass. All of these aspects of a fullback's game require him to master several skills.

  1. Ball Carrying Drills

    • Three simple drills must be mastered in order to carry the football between the tackles, where the fullback runs. A simple hand-off drill should become second nature when it is performed often. You should run at the designated hole and form a large pocket for the quarterback to give you the ball. The elbow closest to the quarterback should be up. As you receive the ball you will lean forward, covering the ball with both arms and squeezing it into your midsection as you run. The strip drill involves you jogging while carrying the ball and a partner behind you trying to punch or rip the ball away from you. You must hold onto the ball at all cost. Finally, running through a Blaster simulates breaking tackles. All you have to do is lower your shoulders and run through the pads while holding onto the ball.

    Blocking Drills

    • Picking up blitzing linebackers is the job of the fullback in pass protection. A teammate will be running from five yards away and you must redirect him away from the quarterback. If you are able to, you can cut the legs out from under the blitzer in a devastating cut block. Practicing lead blocking is similar to this, except you will be attacking the defender instead of waiting for him. You should be able to run full speed into the defender. If they try to dodge you, then just push them the direction they want to go until they are out of the hole. Cut blocks are still an option on outside running plays.

    Pass Catching Drills

    • You will not be running any deep routes, but typically a coach will simulate a snap and you will run from your position in the backfield on a pass route, typically either a swing, flat, or angle route. A fullback who can catch the ball out of the backfield can be a dangerous weapon, so on your own time before practice pair up and just play catch with a teammate. Developing your catching ability makes you more valuable to the offense.

    Option Drills

    • The option is a philosophy in which the fullback should get more carries than any other player. Not only will you be focusing on your ball-carrying skills, but you must learn to take a different kind of handoff. The soft squeeze is a difficult skill to master. Harold Raymond, author of the Delaware Wing-T drill book talks about the soft squeeze. The quarterback will put the ball in your midsection as in a regular handoff, but depending on what the defense does he may pull the ball out and keep it, so you cannot clamp down on the ball as you normally would. Squeeze the ball softly until you pass the quarterback, then clamp down if you still have the ball.