Let's face it, if you're looking for the perfect offence that you can implement for your youth football team, there are points you need to consider. I'm not saying that there aren't any good youth football offence's out there that aren't successful. What I'm saying, and have been saying, is that football player personnel and the coaches' knowledge and ability to teach the offence is the key to any youth football offence. Whether you want to run out of an I-formation, single wing, or double wing offence you need to consider what type of players that you have on your roster and go from there.
As a coach there are a lot of youth football offence systems that you can select from and there is good information available for you to obtain, but in the end, your player personnel will determine what kind of youth football offence you will be able to run successfully.
Things to consider would be your player's athletic ability and the number of athletes you have on your roster, the type of offensive linemen you have, your quarterback's ability, your experience, your size, etc.
These are static factors you cannot change and need to consider in implementing your youth football offence. The main point is don't expect them to flourish in an offence that they don't have the tools to thrive in. Build an offence that takes advantage of their strengths!
Cheers!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
Football Tackling Mechanics
Tackling in youth football is one of the key fundamentals that must be practiced and mastered by youth football players in order for them to safely play with confidence, avoid injury, and be effective football players. Teaching tackling mechanics in practice is a key component towards developing football tackling skills. Probably, the biggest key to tackling is teaching proper body position or body mechanics to the youth football player prior to any contact. It's extremely important that the player know and practice these body mechanics at the youth football age level so as to develop solid tackling fundamentals as their bodies grow and they progress to each football level.
1. Stance: prior to contact, the feet should be about shoulder width apart and slightly staggered with one foot slightly ahead of the other. For reference purposes, the toe of the trailing foot should line up with the front arch of the leading foot. Again, feet are shoulder width apart.
2. Knees and Butt: prior to contact the knees should be slightly bent and the butt down. This sets up the body in a coiled fashion ready to explode up and through the ball carrier on impact
3. Back: should be vertical with a slight lean forward with chest out. Again, this puts the body in a position to explode up and through the ball carrier on impact.
4. Neck and Head: should be cocked back with the neck bulled ready for contact. In fact, the most important element of tackling to avoid injury is making sure the players head and neck are always back. Do not let a player have full speed contact if they drop their heads on contact! Practice this element of football tackling until head position is in the right place. The head is never a factor in tackling!
5. Arms; the arms should be cocked back and bent slightly forward at the elbows with hands out and ready to grab the cloth of the ball carrier on impact.
The body now is set into what is referred to as the "breakdown position". The tackler is taught to set up his body into the breakdown position just prior to contact. This puts the body in the right position to safely and effectively tackle. With this in mind it's time to teach the tackler the mechanics of tackling. The tackler is now taught that as he pursues to the ball carrier, that just before impact he is to set in the breakdown position and explode up and through the ball carrier by extending his knees and rotating his hips forward with the point of contact being the chest plate of his shoulder pads just under and up though the chest plate of the ball carrier while the arms explode up and around the torso of the ball carrier and grabbing the jersey. The tackler is taught to keep his feet moving on impact with the head back and the neck bulled until the ball carrier is taken to the ground. Again, the head is never part of the equation when it comes to tackling.
These elements of tackling must be practiced each week and are one of the key fundamentals of playing football. Good tackling fundamentals will give your player confidence and will enhance other areas as well of your football team.
1. Stance: prior to contact, the feet should be about shoulder width apart and slightly staggered with one foot slightly ahead of the other. For reference purposes, the toe of the trailing foot should line up with the front arch of the leading foot. Again, feet are shoulder width apart.
2. Knees and Butt: prior to contact the knees should be slightly bent and the butt down. This sets up the body in a coiled fashion ready to explode up and through the ball carrier on impact
3. Back: should be vertical with a slight lean forward with chest out. Again, this puts the body in a position to explode up and through the ball carrier on impact.
4. Neck and Head: should be cocked back with the neck bulled ready for contact. In fact, the most important element of tackling to avoid injury is making sure the players head and neck are always back. Do not let a player have full speed contact if they drop their heads on contact! Practice this element of football tackling until head position is in the right place. The head is never a factor in tackling!
5. Arms; the arms should be cocked back and bent slightly forward at the elbows with hands out and ready to grab the cloth of the ball carrier on impact.
The body now is set into what is referred to as the "breakdown position". The tackler is taught to set up his body into the breakdown position just prior to contact. This puts the body in the right position to safely and effectively tackle. With this in mind it's time to teach the tackler the mechanics of tackling. The tackler is now taught that as he pursues to the ball carrier, that just before impact he is to set in the breakdown position and explode up and through the ball carrier by extending his knees and rotating his hips forward with the point of contact being the chest plate of his shoulder pads just under and up though the chest plate of the ball carrier while the arms explode up and around the torso of the ball carrier and grabbing the jersey. The tackler is taught to keep his feet moving on impact with the head back and the neck bulled until the ball carrier is taken to the ground. Again, the head is never part of the equation when it comes to tackling.
These elements of tackling must be practiced each week and are one of the key fundamentals of playing football. Good tackling fundamentals will give your player confidence and will enhance other areas as well of your football team.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Football Coaching Tips: Offence and Defence
The game is changing! Football players are bigger, faster and stronger now and are more committed to their sport than ever before. The equipment, the facilities, the weight-rooms and gymnasiums are much better facilities than they were twenty years ago. As well, information regarding proper nutrition, diet, and training plans are much more readily available today than they were in the past. The athlete now trains year round and there is an endless amount of football resources around complimented by spring and summer football leagues and good football systems.
Better athletes with better coaching, and more opportunities to play football, equals a higher brand of football played today than in the past.
With that in mind the challenge for a football coach today is immense. You need to be on top of your game, you need to be organized in both your practice plans and systems and know them inside and out. As a football coach you need to make a commitment to the game, like your football athlete does in the weight room and gym, to be the absolute best that you can be otherwise the game and its evolution will pass you by very quickly.
The players will expect that from you as well as their parents who will be quick to criticize a disorganized practice or poor football systems. It's absolutely necessary for you as a football coach to have everything in place and your football house in order; it will save you a lot of grief! So organize yourself, be better, and attend a local coaching clinic. One of the things you'll notice is that even the most successful coaches still attend coaching clinics; it's just another way despite their on field success for them to stay on top of their game
Cheers!
Better athletes with better coaching, and more opportunities to play football, equals a higher brand of football played today than in the past.
With that in mind the challenge for a football coach today is immense. You need to be on top of your game, you need to be organized in both your practice plans and systems and know them inside and out. As a football coach you need to make a commitment to the game, like your football athlete does in the weight room and gym, to be the absolute best that you can be otherwise the game and its evolution will pass you by very quickly.
The players will expect that from you as well as their parents who will be quick to criticize a disorganized practice or poor football systems. It's absolutely necessary for you as a football coach to have everything in place and your football house in order; it will save you a lot of grief! So organize yourself, be better, and attend a local coaching clinic. One of the things you'll notice is that even the most successful coaches still attend coaching clinics; it's just another way despite their on field success for them to stay on top of their game
Cheers!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Linebacker Keys: Effective Block Shedding Technique
To be an effective inside linebacker it's important to get to the ball on every play from the line of scrimmage. For the most part there will be blockers along that path to the ball and it's important that the linebacker has a good block shedding technique in order to take on blockers, shed them, and get to the ball. As important as tackling is in football, it's also very important for linebackers to learn effective block shedding techniques.
One of the most effective block shedding techniques is called the two point punch.
In the two point punch the linebacker when engaging a blocker would strike the blocker with his two hands on the blockers shoulders and fully extend his arms in what we refer to as "locking out". The strike to the shoulder area should be quick and with authority causing the blocker to lose momentum. The extension and locking out of the blocker is another effective technique to keep the blocker off the linebacker and gain separation.
Finally, to complete the block shedding process the linebacker would use a "rip technique" whereby he would disengage his backside arm, push on the play-side shoulder and rip across the front of the blocker with his backside arm and leg to completely shed the blocker and get to the football. The two point punch block shedding technique would be practiced in your group work segment of your practice plan within your linebacker group.
Cheers!
One of the most effective block shedding techniques is called the two point punch.
In the two point punch the linebacker when engaging a blocker would strike the blocker with his two hands on the blockers shoulders and fully extend his arms in what we refer to as "locking out". The strike to the shoulder area should be quick and with authority causing the blocker to lose momentum. The extension and locking out of the blocker is another effective technique to keep the blocker off the linebacker and gain separation.
Finally, to complete the block shedding process the linebacker would use a "rip technique" whereby he would disengage his backside arm, push on the play-side shoulder and rip across the front of the blocker with his backside arm and leg to completely shed the blocker and get to the football. The two point punch block shedding technique would be practiced in your group work segment of your practice plan within your linebacker group.
Cheers!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
