Practice – September 9, 2019 (2nd Day - No Pads)

6:00 - Dynamic Warm-Up Team Rules:

6:10 1. Ten Jumping Jacks  Have fun;
2. Walking Knee Hug 10/10  Work hard
3. High Knees 10/10  Show respect (parents, teachers,
4. Lunge 20 teammates, coaches, officials and
5. Punters 10/10 opposing team a.k.a. sportsmanship);
6. Buttkickers 10/10 and
7. Backpedal 20  Perfect practice (we play like we
8. Carioca 10/10 practice)
9. Lateral Lunge 10
10. Drum Major 10
6:10 - Blocking
6:25 3-Point:
 Feet: Feet shoulder width apart, weight on balls of feet
 Slide: Slide dominant foot back halfway through other foot
 Squat: Knees bent, elbows on knees, back is straight, head is up
 Hand: Dominant hand down; about 25% of weight on hand; eyes up
 Offhand: Elbow almost on knee with hand up ready to strike
 Players get in proper stance and take first, 6-inch steps straight, right and left and sprinting
for 5 yards

Drive Block:
 Defender holds a shield in front of the player
 Player gets in to a 3-point stance, and then comes back up to a 2-point stance
 On the count, the player drives into the defender staying
6:20 - Skill Positions Lineman (only red X’s for now)
6:35 Handoff Drill Center-QB Exchange:
 One or both coaches show the players  Get in a good two-point stance not
how to take a handoff quite arms length away from the ball.
 Set up two lines. the coaches that  Sink the hips to get in an athletic
actually played a skill position show position.
each player how to take handoff at half  Elbows on knees and reach out with
speed dominant hand to grab the ball. Don’t
 Set up three lines, the players line up in lean too far forward.
three-point stance 5 feet from the  Grip ball like a passer but with thumb
coach on laces and hand underneath
 The coach tells the player right or left.
The coach calls Down, Set, Hit and the Long Snap:
player runs to either the right or the  Get in a good two-point stance
left of the coach  Sink the hips to get in an athletic
 The coach hands the ball off and the position. Keep weight evenly
player sprints 10 yards past and tosses distributed. Do not put too much
the ball back to the coach weight on the toes or the heels
 Bend forward until stomach touches
thighs
 Reach hands out as far as they will go
and touch the ground. This is where
the football will need to be. It is
important to extend the arms out as far
 as they will reach to ensure the ball is
snapped the longest distance possible
 Elbows on knees and reach out with
dominant hand to grab the ball.
 Grip ball similar to throwing
 Must have a consistent release point.
Center should not release above the
knees. The higher the release the
higher the snap. Emphasize release
going through the calf muscles

6:35 - Offensive alignment - quick review

6:45 Defensive alignment -put them in position facing an offense; go over positions, gaps, etc.
6:45 - WATER BREAK - 5 MIN
6:50
6:50 - Tackling
7:05 [Breakdown Position – Don’t do unless a player is in wrong position
 Feet: Feet shoulder width apart, weight on balls of feet
 Squeeze: Make your chest big
 Sink: Bend knees not waist. This is where the power is.
 Hands: Out front]

Swoop - proper tackling position:

 Swoop is getting into a good Breakdown Position as the tackler approaches the ball carrier
with either the right or left foot leading
 Start 5 yards from a bag
 Player runs up, gets a wide base as he travels over the bag and gets into a good near foot
position at the end
 End with arms back and ready to draw.

Split into Two Groups

Shoot:
 Works on developing power and
explosion
 Athletes kneeling behind the bag. Give
the command Sink and then Shoot.
They will explode from the hips with
uppercuts and land on the bag.
 Coordinate shoot with upper cuts.
Uppercuts generate power and help
bring the hips, coordinating the upper
and lower body.
 Feet are flat with laces down and not
dug in for power.
 May need to teach the players to throw
themselves into the bag.
 Next, coaches stand a few yards on the
other side of the bag and hold fingers
up. The players have to call out the
number of fingers held up to ensure
they are keeping their heads up.
Uppercut:
 Rip drill - upper cut, wrap and drive.
Focus on the finish through the ball
carrier.
 Player gets in the Sink position. Asst.
holds bag horizontally in front of player
about chest level. Player steps through
and makes big uppercuts to grab the
bag. leverage side of foot and shoulder
connected.
 Accentuate uppercuts and hips. Then
drive for five finishing through-the ball
carrier.
7:05 – Gauntlet Drill
7:20  Line up 4-12 players facing each other in a line no wider than 1 yard apart from each other.
 Have the “running back” secure the ball about 3 yards back from the gauntlet to give him a
running start. He must run full speed through the lines of players with both hands over the
ball and with his hips lowered.
 The players facing each other are allowed to use just their hands to swipe, punch and rip
the ball out.
 Once the ball is on the ground it is a live ball, and everyone is encouraged to attempt a
safe recovery as long as they have pads on.
 Once through the gauntlet, the player runs to the cone, drops his hips, touches it and
returns the ball to the coach’s feet.

Key Coaching Points: Protect- protect the football Accelerate- keep feet moving accelerate through
contact Rip- rip at the ball
7:20 - Special Teams
7:30  Similar to the punt drill, ask the players who thinks they can kick off
 Split the receivers about 40 yards downfield into as many groups as there are kickers
 Have the kickers kick off and then sprint to the line of receivers
 Have the receivers either catch the ball or pick it up off the ground and then sprint through
the line of the kickers
7:30 Coach speak - Reminder of equipment - mouthpiece/single piece with strap/molded cleats/practice
pants / try on equipment
6:00 - Dynamic Warm-Up Team Rules:
6:10 1. Ten Jumping Jacks  Have fun;
2. Walking Knee Hug 10/10  Work hard
3. High Knees 10/10  Show respect (parents, teachers,
4. Lunge 20 teammates, coaches, officials and
5. Punters 10/10 opposing team a.k.a. sportsmanship);
6. Buttkickers 10/10 and
7. Backpedal 20  Perfect practice (we play like we
8. Carioca 10/10 practice)
9. Lateral Lunge 10
10. Drum Major 10
6:10 - Blocking
6:25 Stance, Starts & Steps (3 pt. Stance)
Split into 4 groups (or as many as there are coaches)

3 Point Stance - allows us to start low and with power

 Feet: Feet shoulder width apart, weight on balls of feet
 Slide: Slide dominant foot back halfway through other foot
 Squat: Knees bent, elbows on knees, back is straight, head is up
 Hand: Dominant hand down; about 25% of weight on hand; eyes up
 6-inch steps forward, right and left
 Second step, both arms up almost like a punch in the gut
 Sprint 5 yards forward, right and left

No Play - attempt to draw defense offsides in short yardage situation

 Players get into 3-point stance on coach’s cadence (Down, Set, Hit)
 No one moves until coach blows whistle (meaning penalty or time out called)
6:25 – Pepper Receiving Drill
6:40  First, the coaches that played a skill position talk about how to catch balls above your waist
and balls below your waist
 Divide the players into groups of 6 (or as close to 6 as possible)
 five players will stand in one line, and one player will face that line about 8-10 yards away
 There will be two footballs. The single player facing the line will have one football in the
player on the right and of the other line will have the second football
 The player facing the line will be the receiver
 The receiver starts to drill by throwing his ball to the second player in line. As soon as that
ball is thrown, the player at the end of the line with the ball throws to the receiver
 The receiver will catch the ball and throw it to the next player in line. Then he will receive
the next pass from the line and so on
 Once he is thrown to all the players opposite him, the receiver takes the ball and goes to
one end of the line
 The player on the opposite end of the line with the ball replaces the receiver
 Coaches need to make sure the receivers catching the ball using the proper technique
 There should be no lapses when there is not a football in the air
6:40 - WATER BREAK - 5 MIN
6:45
7:00 -
7:15
Offensive Alignment - Use Hole Mat
 - White formation - set up with cones
- 1 yd splits on line
- wingback 1 yd out/1 yd back
- Split end 12 yds out
- fullback - hand is 3 yds from QB - 3 pt. stance
- Tailback - reach out touch FB butt
Even holes right, odd holes left
7:15 - Tackling
7:30 [Breakdown Position – Don’t do unless a player is in wrong position)
 Feet: Feet shoulder width apart, weight on balls of feet
 Squeeze: Make your chest big
 Sink: Bend knees not waist. This is where the power is.
 Hands: Out front]

Near Foot (only once or twice):

 Get into Breakdown Position.
 Coach says right foot or left foot. Player moves near foot with a power step 6 inches and
shoulder in that direction towards the ball carrier.
 Arms go back like drawing guns
 Getting ready to strike with your near foot and near shoulder

Swoop - proper tackling position:

 Swoop is getting into a good Breakdown Position as the tackler approaches the ball carrier
with either the right or left foot leading
 Start 5 yards from a bag
 Player runs up, gets a wide base as he travels over the bag and gets into a good near foot
position at the end
 End with arms back and ready to draw.

Shoot:
 Works on developing power and explosion
 Athletes kneeling behind the bag. Give the command Sink and then Shoot. They will
explode from the hips with uppercuts and land on the bag.
 Coordinate shoot with upper cuts. Uppercuts generate power and help bring the hips,
coordinating the upper and lower body.
 Feet are flat with laces down and not dug in for power.
 May need to teach the players to throw themselves into the bag.
 Next, coaches stand a few yards on the other side of the bag and hold fingers up. The
players have to call out the number of fingers held up to ensure they are keeping their
heads up.

Uppercut:
 Rip drill - upper cut, wrap and drive. Focus on the finish through the ball carrier.
 Player gets in the Sink position. Asst. holds bag horizontally in front of player about chest
level. Player steps through and makes big uppercuts to grab the bag.
 Leverage side of foot and shoulder connected.
 Accentuate uppercuts and hips. Then drive for five finishing through-the ball carrier.

Uppercut Progression: Physio Ball

 Next progression is to use a physio ball. Bounce ball towards player from maybe 5 yards
away. Tackler upper cuts and grabs it. Then drive for five. Maintain leverage depending on
 which side the ball goes. We are a shoulder tackle anything based on leverage. Bouncy ball
low. Bounce the ball high.

 Final progression is an angle tackle. Bounce the ball at a 45° angle making sure the player
tackles with the proper near foot and shoulder.

Near Foot/Near Shoulder:

 “Ball carrier” is 5 yards from tackler. They approach each other at 1/2 to 3/4 speed. The
tackler steps into the ball carrier with the correct foot and same side hand (indicating
shoulder). He puts his hand on the ball.
 Trains the player to get in the near foot swoop position to get ready to hit with their near
foot in and near shoulder.
 Go right and left to train the body to use the same foot and shoulder in game situations.

Near Hip Drill:

 This may be the most important drill we do because it establishes leverage. And leverage is
critical to our tackling principles.
 Set up three cones in a triangle. One cone is about 3 yards deep. The other two cones are 5
yards apart from each other.
 The ball carrier starts at the point of the triangle. The tackler starts three or 4 yards behind
the opposite line of the point. The ball carrier goes either right or left along the line of the
cones. The tackler shuffles as he approaches and makes contact with a near foot and near
shoulder. Eyes are on the near hip.

Run and Gather:

 This teaches players to maintain and dominate their leverage.
 Two players start about 10 yards apart. The offense of player runs to either the right or the
left. He runs, slows down, runs, slows down. The defensive player takes an angle of pursuit
and gathers every time the offense of player slows down.
 Tacklers eyes are glued on the near hip. When the ball carriers have breaks down, the
tackler gets in a mirror for Swope position.
 When the ball carrier continues to run, but the tapper comes out of Swope and runs to
close the distance.
 Tackler is always in a slight trail position to maintain cut back leverage.

2-Man Tackling Drill:

 Two players set up about 10 yards away from the cone and about 4 yards away from each
other with the cone centered between them. They close the distance and end up with near
foot leverage on the Cone.

2-Man Rabbit:
 Similar drill but with an actual person caring a ball. Each defender must track his own in
your hip and maintain proper leverage. And the offense of player starts with the cone was
on the fire drill. He runs right or left or both shuffling back-and-forth making the defenders
pursue.

Form Tackling:
 A form tackle through the near pec of the ball carrier, upper cuts and drive for five.

Pop Up Tackle:
  Players 5 yards away. Assistant or other players holding a bag out at arm’s length. Keys are
a shoulder strike through the near pec, wrap up and drive for five. Make sure they finish
through the drill.

Tight Angle Drill:

 Slight offset in the drill so players can declare their leverage.
 Hit with the near foot up in the near shoulder.
 Similar to the last drill, but instead of using a dummy you are using someone carrying a
shield and walking at an angle.
 Bag holders want to keep the back tight to their near pec because that’s where the strike is
going to happen.
 Eyes should be up on contact to make sure the head is up.

Angle Tackle:
 Coach is 10 yards away carrying a bag at arm’s length away with their inside arm. The
tackler is about 10 yards away. The coach moves at a 45° angle.
 The tackler does a form tackle on the bag through the near pec and drives for five.
 Tackler should maintain a slight drill position to eliminate cut back.
 Emphasize both sides equally so we are well-balanced hitters.

Sprint Tackle:
 All the same elements we just had but the person carrying the bag has it close to their
body to give resistance. Strike through the near pec and drive for five.

Thigh and Drive:

 This is a shoulder tackle through the thighs of the ball carrier. Eyes to the thighs, wrap and
drive for five. Strike through the mid-thigh of the ball carrier. The action is straightforward
as opposed to the down-up movement of the form tackle.

Kneeling Drive:
 Athlete from a near foot kneeling position wraps and drives it for five. They put a sticker
on the bag for the point of contact. If there is no mark, use athletic tape.
 Coach should be situated in front of the bag and to the side of the athlete, because when
they strike the bag it will go backwards. And the coach wants good vision of what happens.
 Even though it is a dummy, it is still an angle tackle with eyes to thighs. And the eyes are
looking up.

Progression: Player
 The advanced version of CYO and Drive is that a player is able to tackle a person. You don’t
need equipment.
 Lasso the legs with a good squeeze
 Cheek to cheek and bring the player down

Progression: Pads
 You can do the same drill with pads

Standing Drive:
 Same as the kneeling drive but from a two-point position.
 Same emphasis. Eyes up, near foot and drive for five.

Progression: Player
  Standing drive tackling drill versus a player.
 Close proximity, limit contact and can be done with or without pads.
 Tackler takes the ball carrier to the ground.

Next progression, same drill with pads

Two Step Drive:

 Now it is a two-step thigh and drive with a dummy.
 It is a near foot swoop with the new your shoulder

Running Drive:
 Like an earlier drill, the coach picks an angle.
 Coach holds the bag with his arm extended to the inside.
 Whether it is tight or wide, tacklers still must work their leverage. Track the near hip, near
foot swoop, hit with near shoulder and work eyes to the thighs, drive for five.
 Bag holders must be away from the bag.

7:30 Coach speak - Reminder of equipment - mouthpiece/single piece with strap/molded cleats/practice
pants / try on equipment

Drive Block:
 Get in 3-point stance, then back up into 2-point stance by pulling their down hand elbow back
 First-step is 6-inches and very quick
 Second step is the power step. When the player makes this step, he delivers a blow with the hands
 With the blow, the player is hitting the defender in the chest with his thumbs up, focus on keeping the
elbows in
 Next, bring face into the defender’s numbers and slide head hole side
 On the third step, the player rolls their tail in, when they do that it stands them up. if they are low enough
it will stand up the defender
 Pump legs with a wide base

Reach Block:
 Again, get in a 3-point stance and then pull back to a 2-point stance
 You want face, step and hands like the drive block, but you step down the line, slide your head to the
outside and get the outside arm under the defender’s outside armpit then start swinging your butt to the
outside and drive
 Then roll the tail and push
 Coach holds the bag with his arm extended to the inside.

Down Block:
  If the defender is quick or is further down the line, the offense of lineman may want to take a more
narrow stance
 Step straight down to underline the line, aim facemask for the outside number to get head across, bring
outside hand to defender’s outside armpit.

Fit Drill:
 Defensive player straddles a half bag and holds a shield horizontally while crouching
 Offensive player is in a two-point stance with his hands punching the shield and is facemask right behind
them
 Coach gives the command “Feet,” and the player starts chopping his feet quickly and with a wide base
 Coach gives the command “Drive,” and the player drives off the ball
 Defender gives some resistance just
 Look for a lot of quick, short steps as a player drives the pad

Drive Drill:
 Just like the fit drill but at the end of the bag, the coach gives the defender a direction (either right or left)
 Defender breaks off at a 45° angle and that direction to simulate the escape of the defensive lineman
 As he does that, offensive player attacks with his near hand and near foot in that direction to torque the
defender

Punch Drill:
 Offensive player is on his knees; the defense of player is holding shield to his chest directly in front of him
 Offensive player brings his hands together as he punches up with thumbs up from a low to high position
 The hip roll becomes natural with this movement
 An explosive movement right through the heart of the defender
 Three reps and rotate

Punch to Fit Drill:

 Offensive player starts in a 3-point stance; the defensive players holding a bag at about eye level
horizontally
 On the call, he takes two steps and punches the bag
 Always coach stance; and look for two quick, short explosive steps
 You can’t overstate the importance of the second step; the key to a block is that time between the second
step landing and contact and how quickly you can get your feet moving

Head Up Drive Block:

 The offensive player is in a 3-point stance; the defender is straddling a half bag, holding a shield and
crouching
 The player executes a drive block with a powerful punch, a low base and quick, wide feet

Lead Step Shade Drill:

  Offensive player is in a 3-point stance; you can do this with or without a defender
 With a defender, the defensive player is shaded in the offense of player holding a shield and straddling a
half bag
 Without a defender, lay the half bag at about a 45° angle to the line of scrimmage and shaded on the
shoulder of the offensive player
 Offensive player takes a lead step to the shade side and drives

Angle Move Drill:

 Offensive player is on his knees; the defense of player is playing on him with a shield
 Defensive player picks aside and tries to shoot the gap
 Offensive player should take short, quick steps and adjust to the angle
 Direct off the first step and block angle

Double Team Fit Drill:

 Get hip to hip
 It is the uncovered lineman’s responsibility to get his hip next to the post man’s hip