American Football Training Drills

Football is one of the most popular sports in America and is played by many adults and children. There are a number of basic football drills that anyone can practice which require minimal preparation. Here are several simple, straightforward drills that are designed to strengthen some of the most important aspects of a player's particular position.

  1. Quarterback Drills

    • Improve improvisation and scrambling skills with a handful of quarterback drills. Have your quarterback run back and forth in a 10-yard space and toss footballs without stopping to a stationary coach or player standing 15 yards away. A variation on this drill, which helps throwing-on-the-run skills, is to have two quarterbacks run in a circle, 15 feet away from each other, and toss a ball back and forth without stopping. Or have the quarterback drop back from the snap four to six steps and intentionally throw on the wrong foot.

    Running Back Drills

    • Improve running back skills with several drills designed to sharpen a player's ability to handle the ball, avoid fumbles, and better his running skills. To improve ball protection skills, have a running back take the handoff and try to break through a group of six defensive players holding tackle bags. The six defensive players should stand opposite each other in two rows of three and try to knock down the running back or force a fumble. Or have the defensive players try to strip the ball from the running back instead of trying to hit him with the tackle bags. To improve a running back's ability to handle stumbling or being tripped, have him run with a ball, and every five yards, have him place his hand on the ground as if he had just stumbled. The running back should then switch the ball from one hand to the other, then continue this action every five yards, for at least 20 to 30 yards.

    Wide Receiver Drills

    • Improve a wide receiver's skills by practicing drills designed to strengthen his ability to juke and battle defenders, as well as catch hard-to-reach passes. To improve a wide receiver's ability to both leave and lose a defender, as well as improve catching skills, have the receiver and a defender stand opposite each other, 10 yards apart. At the whistle, the receiver runs at full speed toward the defender and attempts a spin or juke move to get past him. After the receiver breaks free from the defender, toss a ball that is out of reach, forcing the receiver to either dive or fully extend his body in order to catch it. Repeat this drill with a shorter starting distance between the two players each time, until the two are standing directly in front of each other. Another variation is to have the receiver try to catch the ball with only one hand.