DURING THE COURSE of a game, players are confronted with different situations that they must immediately recognize and react to. Drills performed during practices should teach players to react automatically in actual game situations. Developing basic fundamentals, techniques and skills for the game are contingent upon improving the players’ vision, recognition and reaction abilities.
Drills can be categorized into four key areas: individual, group, team and conditioning. They can also be devised to teach players their position responsibilities.
Good, organized drills help develop the players fundamentals, techniques and skills relative to their positions. It’s the position coach’s responsibility to create actual game situations through drills.
Learning is increased through application. Never put a player in a situation he cannot handle. If the coach wants the players to perform a certain way in a game, then the coach must drill in practice how he wants them to do it. They’ll learn more readily from performing tasks in drills than by the coaches’ words alone.
Failure to learn is usually the fault of the system used to teach — not the player’s ability.
Teaching Drills
The position coach must decide on the objective of the drill and then select and devise drills that meet that objective. If the coach wants to teach the base block to offensive linemen, for example, he must first drill the fundamentals or essential parts of the block. Each fundamental part — such as stance, vision, steps, hand placement and leg drive — can be drilled separately. Fundamental precision leads to proper technique.
After the fundamental parts have been taught, technique drilling can be started. This involves teaching the fundamentals of the block in unison with each other.
Drilling for skill development or performing the block well, is taught after fundamentals and technique have been practiced. The coach should continuously emphasize fundamentals and proper technique during skill-development drills.
The planning of specific drills necessary for success also has an element of time as a factor to be considered. Organization and preparation are essential in utilizing the amount of time constructively.
The teaching of a drill should follow a progression of:
Instruction. The coach explains the drill and demonstrates how it is done.
Walk Through. Players perform a walk through of the drill to develop an understanding how and why it’s done.
Perform The Drill. The drill is run at game speed.
The progression within the drill is important and it consists of the following components:
1. Proper Stance. The players stance should be individually designed by the coach to keep the player in step with the opponent at the start of the play. Different situations may merit an adjustment of the stance.
2. Initial Movement. Develops a player’s vision and recognition. Initial movement in a drill for a defensive back, for example, could depend upon the action of the quarterback or the release of the receiver off the line of scrimmage.
3. Stimulus. Develops a player’s reaction. Stimulus in a drill for a defensive back can be the flight of the ball in the air. A stimulus should cause a reaction by the player.
4. Completion. Completion would be a follow through of the reaction created by the stimulus. For instance, running with the football after the interception has been made. In all cases, the drill ends on the whistle.
When coaching drills, consider these principles:
Set up the drills on the field before the players arrive.
Use field markers (cones) to contain the drill within an area. This improves the effectiveness of teaching.
Learning requires an appropriate physical environment.
Inform the players of the purpose of the drill.
Emphasize safe techniques to reduce injuries.
Keep drills to a minimum of 3 reps per player depending on the size of your squad.
Defensive drills start on movement and end on a whistle.
Offensive drills start on a cadence and end on a whistle.
Perform quality control. Make sure the players are doing the drill correctly.
Challenge individuals to a point of forced improvement.
Follow up on the drill. Mention during the review of a game tape, the application of a drill to a particular situation that the player encountered in the game.
Mental and physical repetition in drills are important in developing fundamentals, techniques and skills, not necessarily repetition of the same drill. Drills can differ but still teach the same objective. In fact, changing up drills should be done to eliminate boredom while creating interest and competitiveness.
Proper use of drills helps the coach determine the situations that players can or cannot handle. A well-coached drill develops confidence, morale and toughness. A football team that possess players who are well-coached in fundamentals, techniques and skills will always perform competitively during games.