Did you ever consider training your inside linebackers to read the offensive guard that they play over? In fact, by learning how to read the guard your linebacker will make quicker decisions, and react better to the ball. Linebackers can lose sight of the football and mis-direction can play havoc with your linebacker. As a youth football coach you need to train them to be readers and not guessers!
The key?
Train your linebackers on how to read the guard and take the guessing out of their game all together! Teach them how to read whether or not it's pass or run by the way the guard moves on the snap of the ball. Most of the time, the guard is in a three point stance. On a run play he will cross the line of scrimmage and block and on pass he will not cross the line of scrimmage and pass block. On a pitch he will usually pull to the play side and on a trap play he will pull to play side. When he down blocks expect a run to that side as well as another linemen down blocking on the middle linebacker from the outside.
By training your linebackers to read the guards it just gives them another tool in the chest towards effective linebacker play.
Cheers!
Friday, March 11, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Free Youth Football Plays
Consider your Personell when Reviewing Free Football Plays
As a youth football coach that has been coaching in football for many seasons one of the things that I like to do is to get on the internet and review free playbooks. The reason being is that I like to kind critique them to see if the average youth football coach would easily be able to interpret these football plays and be able to implement them as part of their own football systems. I think that for the most part the average youth football coach will be able to understand the concepts but for the new youth football coach that is just taking over a program for the first time some of these playbooks can be confusing. As well, they can be too technical at times and really, be too much for your youth football team to really grasp. Basically, the rule of thumb when reviewing free football playbooks is that if you as a football coach don't get it, then you can guarantee that your youth football players won't get it as well.
Personally, I think that less is better!
If you are looking at these free playbooks on line, they have to be suitable to the type of personnel that you have on your youth football team. You cannot ask your players to perform in a system that they don't have the tools to operate in. What you really want is a simple but effective system, something that is easy to teach, and something that your youth football players will thrive in.
Cheers!
As a youth football coach that has been coaching in football for many seasons one of the things that I like to do is to get on the internet and review free playbooks. The reason being is that I like to kind critique them to see if the average youth football coach would easily be able to interpret these football plays and be able to implement them as part of their own football systems. I think that for the most part the average youth football coach will be able to understand the concepts but for the new youth football coach that is just taking over a program for the first time some of these playbooks can be confusing. As well, they can be too technical at times and really, be too much for your youth football team to really grasp. Basically, the rule of thumb when reviewing free football playbooks is that if you as a football coach don't get it, then you can guarantee that your youth football players won't get it as well.
Personally, I think that less is better!
If you are looking at these free playbooks on line, they have to be suitable to the type of personnel that you have on your youth football team. You cannot ask your players to perform in a system that they don't have the tools to operate in. What you really want is a simple but effective system, something that is easy to teach, and something that your youth football players will thrive in.
Cheers!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Football Drills for Linebackers
Proper Drill Selection will enhance Linebacker Play:
Linebackers are the key tacklers in any youth football defence. They usually are the strongest football players fundamentally in your youth football defence. They are aggressive, read well, athletic, and have a knack for getting to the football, fighting through blocks to get to the ball carrier. When it comes to linebacker drills its important as a youth football coach to select proper drills that will enhance your linebacker's skills as well as eliminate weaknesses.
When you think of the linebacker position you think of stance, step, movement, block-shedding, tackling, pass rush, and pass defence. As well, you think of a football player that is tough enough to withstand a block and still get to the football.
An effective linebacker drill routine would cover all of these aspects. When selecting your linebacker drills, make sure that the drills you choose will cover all of the aspects of linebacker play. Movement drills and change of direction drills are very important towards effective linebacker play. As well, block shedding drills, and tackling drills need to be practiced regularly. As the linebacker position is a multi-task assignment it's important that you cover pass defence drills as well as pass rush type linebacker drills as part of your daily practice plan.
Cheers!
Linebackers are the key tacklers in any youth football defence. They usually are the strongest football players fundamentally in your youth football defence. They are aggressive, read well, athletic, and have a knack for getting to the football, fighting through blocks to get to the ball carrier. When it comes to linebacker drills its important as a youth football coach to select proper drills that will enhance your linebacker's skills as well as eliminate weaknesses.
When you think of the linebacker position you think of stance, step, movement, block-shedding, tackling, pass rush, and pass defence. As well, you think of a football player that is tough enough to withstand a block and still get to the football.
An effective linebacker drill routine would cover all of these aspects. When selecting your linebacker drills, make sure that the drills you choose will cover all of the aspects of linebacker play. Movement drills and change of direction drills are very important towards effective linebacker play. As well, block shedding drills, and tackling drills need to be practiced regularly. As the linebacker position is a multi-task assignment it's important that you cover pass defence drills as well as pass rush type linebacker drills as part of your daily practice plan.
Cheers!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Key Mechanics of Tackling in Football
Tackling in football is one of the main components of the game. Proper tackling or form tackling in youth football is a core fundamental that must be practiced each and every practice at the youth football level. A team with good football tackling fundamentals is a team with confidence!
As a youth football coach there is several key elements of form tackling that you must emphasize prior to contact drills. Body position is probably the most important element of tackling in youth football. They have to be taught how to set up their body in order to safely and effectively tackle with confidence. So let's begin.
First of all it's important that they have a good tackling stance. What I mean by tackling stance is that they have a good foot base with feet about shoulder width and slightly staggered. The knees are bent with the butt down with a straight back. The head is tilted back with the neck bulled and the arms cocked back and bent slightly at the elbows. Get them to set up their body position for tackling over and over again until they get it. Once they understand their football tackling body position, its important now that you explain to them the mechanics of tackling, that is, how their body moves and explodes on contact so that they are effective tacklers. Explain to them that with their bodies in tackling position that they are like a coiled spring and all of its energy ready to explode up and through the ball carrier.
At this point it's important as a youth football coach to explain to them their point of contact. That is, what part of their body will contact the ball carrier first when tackling. We teach them at the youth level to make contact with the chest plate of their shoulder pads with the head back and neck bulled. The head is never in the equation as far as contact is concerned and is always, always, tilted back! You cannot emphasize this enough! We also emphasize a "chest on chest" contact during football tackling, again, with the head back. We do not teach shoestring type tackling as we believe that it teaches the youth football player to drop his head and expose the football player to more chance of being concussed or neck injuries. We believe that with good form tackling practiced over the season that if they are fundamentally sound in the mechanics of form tackling that they will be effective tacklers regardless of size.
Now, with these elements in mind the mechanics of tackling would fall in this sequence:
Stance and body position followed by a simultaneous explosion of hip rotation and leg extension driving up and through as the chest makes contact with the chest of the ball carrier, the head is back, and neck is bulled. As contact with the chest plate is made, the arms drive up under the arm pits of the ball carrier, the tackler locks in maintains his base while chopping his feet, driving his legs, with the head back until the ball carrier is taken down.
Coaching in football requires that you communicate effectively with your players. It's important to take the time and explain each element of tackling and body position to your football players so that they understand why they are being instructed to do things a specific way. If they understand the reasons for it the probability of them doing it increases.
Cheers!
As a youth football coach there is several key elements of form tackling that you must emphasize prior to contact drills. Body position is probably the most important element of tackling in youth football. They have to be taught how to set up their body in order to safely and effectively tackle with confidence. So let's begin.
First of all it's important that they have a good tackling stance. What I mean by tackling stance is that they have a good foot base with feet about shoulder width and slightly staggered. The knees are bent with the butt down with a straight back. The head is tilted back with the neck bulled and the arms cocked back and bent slightly at the elbows. Get them to set up their body position for tackling over and over again until they get it. Once they understand their football tackling body position, its important now that you explain to them the mechanics of tackling, that is, how their body moves and explodes on contact so that they are effective tacklers. Explain to them that with their bodies in tackling position that they are like a coiled spring and all of its energy ready to explode up and through the ball carrier.
At this point it's important as a youth football coach to explain to them their point of contact. That is, what part of their body will contact the ball carrier first when tackling. We teach them at the youth level to make contact with the chest plate of their shoulder pads with the head back and neck bulled. The head is never in the equation as far as contact is concerned and is always, always, tilted back! You cannot emphasize this enough! We also emphasize a "chest on chest" contact during football tackling, again, with the head back. We do not teach shoestring type tackling as we believe that it teaches the youth football player to drop his head and expose the football player to more chance of being concussed or neck injuries. We believe that with good form tackling practiced over the season that if they are fundamentally sound in the mechanics of form tackling that they will be effective tacklers regardless of size.
Now, with these elements in mind the mechanics of tackling would fall in this sequence:
Stance and body position followed by a simultaneous explosion of hip rotation and leg extension driving up and through as the chest makes contact with the chest of the ball carrier, the head is back, and neck is bulled. As contact with the chest plate is made, the arms drive up under the arm pits of the ball carrier, the tackler locks in maintains his base while chopping his feet, driving his legs, with the head back until the ball carrier is taken down.
Coaching in football requires that you communicate effectively with your players. It's important to take the time and explain each element of tackling and body position to your football players so that they understand why they are being instructed to do things a specific way. If they understand the reasons for it the probability of them doing it increases.
Cheers!
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