Proper Catching Leads to Great Ball Security
To insure a proper catch, a receiver must secure the football into a proper carrying position. The points of a proper catch are: First, opening up your hands with an open triangle. Second, keep your eyes on the ball through the entire catch. Third, secure the ball tight and high against your ribs, forearm, and biceps. The problem is that receivers have a tenancy to start looking down the field before they have the ball properly secured. This increases fumbles and turnovers. In order to increase catching and ball security effectiveness have two receivers pass to each other, when one of them catches the ball make sure that they slow the motion down pausing when they catch, follow through, and secure the football.
Catching the ball low
Great plays are made through dedicated practice of the fundamentals. Making the plays means that you have practiced the non-optimal situation and know how to react to them. Perfect and not so perfect scenarios should constantly run at football practice. One not so perfect scenario is a low passed catch. First, keep your hands down low in a scooping or shovel position; you can even cross your pinkies. This ensures that the ball will not slip through your fingers. Second, keep your knees bent low and in extreme cases you should be flat on the ground or diving. Third, once the ball touches your hands scoop it up into your chest and tuck it away into a secure position. Use your hands and not your body. Keep your eyes right on the ball. Last, concentrate on catching it first and then worry about the defense, and scoring some more yards.
Protecting the football as you run
You cant run with the football until you have learned some basic ball security measures. Football teams have lost many games because a couple of players were lax in there ball carrying and fumbled the football. Basic ball security can be broken down into four steps. First grab the football with your carrying hand with the tips of the football being covered with your fingers. Second, wrap your forearm completely around the football. The third point is securing the other point of the football with your bicep making sure that it is right up against it. Fourth, pull the football up and tight against your ribcage closing the gap on the football from all four sides. As a player, you will want to make sure that you are well practiced in this skill, and as a coach you should dedicate some time to ball carrying skills. As your ball carrying continues to improve you will insure less turnovers and greater success on the field.
Tackling Fundamentals and Safety
Learning how to perform a proper tackle is fundamental to the game of football. Tackling can be fun and exhilarating, but done improperly and it can be dangerous. When you tackle your opponent remember three important steps:
First is to cut off your opponent by placing yourself directly in front of them. An excellent technique is to plant your foot in the middle of your opponents. Also, at this time thrust your arms backward to prepare for the next step.
Second, push your other foot keeping your knees low and bent, and in sync with your feet throw your hands up hard around the offensive player. At this point you are well planted in front and your head should be in direct contact. Never, ever, ever tackle with the top of your head down, keep it up and square against your opponent. A great way to insure that you are in the right position is to practice touching your facemask to the football of the opposing player.
The third and last step is to bring your hips up and drive the opponent backwards and towards the ground. The more momentum that you bring to the table on steps two and three the more effective your speed will be in this last step.
To insure a proper catch, a receiver must secure the football into a proper carrying position. The points of a proper catch are: First, opening up your hands with an open triangle. Second, keep your eyes on the ball through the entire catch. Third, secure the ball tight and high against your ribs, forearm, and biceps. The problem is that receivers have a tenancy to start looking down the field before they have the ball properly secured. This increases fumbles and turnovers. In order to increase catching and ball security effectiveness have two receivers pass to each other, when one of them catches the ball make sure that they slow the motion down pausing when they catch, follow through, and secure the football.
Catching the ball low
Great plays are made through dedicated practice of the fundamentals. Making the plays means that you have practiced the non-optimal situation and know how to react to them. Perfect and not so perfect scenarios should constantly run at football practice. One not so perfect scenario is a low passed catch. First, keep your hands down low in a scooping or shovel position; you can even cross your pinkies. This ensures that the ball will not slip through your fingers. Second, keep your knees bent low and in extreme cases you should be flat on the ground or diving. Third, once the ball touches your hands scoop it up into your chest and tuck it away into a secure position. Use your hands and not your body. Keep your eyes right on the ball. Last, concentrate on catching it first and then worry about the defense, and scoring some more yards.
Protecting the football as you run
You cant run with the football until you have learned some basic ball security measures. Football teams have lost many games because a couple of players were lax in there ball carrying and fumbled the football. Basic ball security can be broken down into four steps. First grab the football with your carrying hand with the tips of the football being covered with your fingers. Second, wrap your forearm completely around the football. The third point is securing the other point of the football with your bicep making sure that it is right up against it. Fourth, pull the football up and tight against your ribcage closing the gap on the football from all four sides. As a player, you will want to make sure that you are well practiced in this skill, and as a coach you should dedicate some time to ball carrying skills. As your ball carrying continues to improve you will insure less turnovers and greater success on the field.
Tackling Fundamentals and Safety
Learning how to perform a proper tackle is fundamental to the game of football. Tackling can be fun and exhilarating, but done improperly and it can be dangerous. When you tackle your opponent remember three important steps:
First is to cut off your opponent by placing yourself directly in front of them. An excellent technique is to plant your foot in the middle of your opponents. Also, at this time thrust your arms backward to prepare for the next step.
Second, push your other foot keeping your knees low and bent, and in sync with your feet throw your hands up hard around the offensive player. At this point you are well planted in front and your head should be in direct contact. Never, ever, ever tackle with the top of your head down, keep it up and square against your opponent. A great way to insure that you are in the right position is to practice touching your facemask to the football of the opposing player.
The third and last step is to bring your hips up and drive the opponent backwards and towards the ground. The more momentum that you bring to the table on steps two and three the more effective your speed will be in this last step.
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