Share Ideas For Drills

[jefferson youth fb 0]

I’ll start,

Bull in the middle.

Put the team in a circle about 8-10 yards around, with one player in the middle. The coach is walking around inside the circle with the ball. Randomly toss the ball to a player in the circle. The player with the ball has to run right to the center man who is trying to tackle him. When the play is over, the player with the ball stays in the middle and the other player takes his place in the circle.

Try to match skill and size when you give a player the ball. This is a good offence and defense drill.

We have a lot of fun with this drill. The coach can really get the kids pumped up. We get them chanting and yell, “Who wants it” “Who can take him”

The kids love this one, and the coach’s can see the players one-on-one.

[CoachSteve 0]

I always like Bull in the Ring in my playing days. However, I believe many youth sports leagues have banned it for safety issues. Of course, the way you are running it, the guy in the middle can watch the ball to the man. When I played, there was no ball - the coach stood outside the ring and called out a number. The guy in the middle had to have quick feet and keep on the move to make sure he saw the player coming at him.

We have a bit of a variation to this.....The Arena....Kids line up in a circle with a LoS down the middle. The coach stands on the rim of the circle straddling the center line. He puts two players in the middle and they have to drive block each other attempting to get the other man out of the ring. If after a few seconds nobody is pushed out, they go again. Give 'em a couple of tries before putting in two more. Now, the kids who are the circle have to cheer for the kid who starts on their side. So, anyone to the left of the coach has to cheer for the kid on their side of the LoS and visa versa. They MUST cheer. It gets the kids pumped up and the coach can force a few things with this drill. Face it, not all kids are friends off the field but in this drill, the coach can force players to root for their teammate on their side of the line rather than their best friend who might be on the other side of the line. Also, the coach can create desired matchups (strong against strong) to force improvement in players. It just does no good to have your best OL going against your smallest db. We have a lot of fun with that drill and it pumps the kids up. When the kids are just not hitting and are flat at practice, we circle 'em up and we see a very fast improvement in the crispness of practice.

[coachbreck 0]

I hate bull in the ring. I have seen two diffenent neck injuries back in my playing days because the guy in the middle dropped his head and got crushed by a big hitter both times.

I know bull in the ring is popular and can bring out some toughness in timid players but it can go the other way too.

We have a challenge drill called Jimmie drill there is an o-lineman and a d-lineman lined up between two bags a side is called and a running back has to hit that hole. D-lineman tries to shed the block and make the tackle it's a very intense drill and alot of fun. Plus it's more of a game situation drill. We only run it earlier in the season to find our tougher players.

We run a circle tackling drill called the five star we use 5 tackling dummies each bag has a player holding it and you have a starter. You skip a bag to your right and tackle the next bag. The guy holding that bag skips a bag and tackles the next one ect. Kind of hard to explain but the kids like it and you can even do it before the kids go full pads. You can keep them going at the drill as long as you want and can even use this as conditioning because there is alway someone going full speed and it never stops til you blow the wistle.

I hope that made sense. I always have a hard time trying to explain drills.

[CoachSteve 0]

Makes perfect sense - I assume the player who tackles a bag has to pick it up and hold it for the next guy who comes around. I assume it goes something like this:

---S-1

5--------2

4--------3

Where the numbers are the player/bag combo and S is the starter. Starter tackes 1 and the holder goes onto bag 3. S picks up bag one to hold. The drill continutes from 3, to 5, to 2, to 4.....

Does that sound right? I love it!!! Thanks!

BTW - Read what I wrote about bull in the ring - I said i loved it as a player but forgot to say I hate it as a coach for exactly what CoachBreck said.

[coachbreck 0]

Yep, you got it Steve. Everything you explained is exactly right.

[jefferson youth fb 0]

I tried this at the end of the season last year so it is not really tested. It did help the coaches see the players one-on-one.

Line up drill

Line up the 1st string, Offensive line on the ball with a QB (no backs). Every one else on one side. One kid from the sideline on an end (man on man coverage). QB calls a play and takes the snap (2-3 steps back and stands there). Defense has to get to the QB for a tag. Next play he (defense) moves over one man. One defense player goes right down the offensive line.

Depending on your # of coaches and players:

One coach can work with the O line where there is no defense player or QB & C with snap…

One coach can watch the defender…

One coach to keep line moving…

If we do this drill with too many kids we let the defender get to the center and put in another kid(keeps the kids moving and not so board)

FYI We were 7-8-9 year old last year, this year we move up to 10-11-12

By the time the defense gets to the other end he is ready for a break…

[coachjones49224 0]

Hey Guys, I run a drill we call it Oklahomas (not quite sure if it is the correct name). I have two playeersl lay flat on thier backs helmet to helmet offensive player and a defensive player. they line 5 yards frome the goal line, i blow the whistle and they both pop up, and the offensive player has to cross the goal line. it can get pretty competitive with one another. so i try to keep it to mininum. sometimes ill add blockers, one time i had 8v8 and that got real interesting. it kinda teaches them move on the on the field when it gets chaotic. it also teaches them to team tackle and it gives good 1-on-1 practice.

[CoachSteve 0]

I love Oklahoma's as you describe them.

There is another drill commonly called an Oklahoma as well - two O-linemen and a back going head to head with 2 D-linemen and an LB between a couple of cones. That is great stuff too.

------lb

----

---DL--DL

C------------C

---OL--OL

--

------B

Where C is the cones. Back has to run to one of the three holes and the Defense has to make the play.

[patscoach 0]

I love Oklahoma's as you describe them.

There is another drill commonly called an Oklahoma as well - two O-linemen and a back going head to head with 2 D-linemen and an LB between a couple of cones. That is great stuff too.

------lb

----

---DL--DL

C------------C

---OL--OL

--

------B

Where C is the cones. Back has to run to one of the three holes and the Defense has to make the play.

We call 'em Black Bear drills. I add a QB and center (for exchange), direct the RB to the side I want him to go on, simulating a dive play. It keeps more kids involved. Gotta get a first down or the defense (winners) call out a small consequence. If offense gets the 1st down, they call out the consequence. We run it when the DB's and WR's are doing their thing.

[CoachSteve 0]

that is a good variation. typically, when we run them though our QB's and receivers are off doing something else. Often, the backs too....I sometimes have to run this with an LB carrying the ball. If I have a lot of kids, we have one coach run the drill over here and another coach run the drill over there. It is a great drill and sits very nicely between individual skills and full plays in the progressions.

[coachjones49224 0]

Hey guys, 1st day of practice will start for me on Monday the 15th. I don't think i'll be able to sleep tonight, cause i'm so excited.

I forgot about a drill we run every now and then, we call it "Circle Chase". Everyone forms a giant circle and lays flat on thier stomach (try to keep your faster kids together and have them start the drill), have a player stand up and start running around the circle and over the players laying down. As soon as he/she crosses over the player they jump up and try to catch them before making it back to thier starting spot. this repeats with the remaing players as they make it back to thier spot.

it teaches them agilty and pursuit.