FOOTBALL COACHES CAN help young players who want to be wide receivers by stressing a few fundamentals. You won’t turn everyone into the the next Jerry Rice, but by making sure they manage these few basics, you can make any potential wide receiver better.
These tips for your players come from talks at a recent clinic by Jay Norvel, WR coach for the Indianapolis Colts and Dan Brunner, coach at Hartford High School in Hartford, Wis.
Points Of Emphasis
- Catch the ball with your hands, not against your body. Defenders try to time their hits with the arrival of the ball. A ball caught against the body is more easily jarred loose than one caught with the hands, because the extended arms provide a cushioning effect.
- Look the ball in, tuck it away, head upfield — in that order. Too many passes wind up incomplete because the receiver tries to run before he makes sure he has the ball.
- Spin to the outside after the catch. This is particularly true when catching the ball with your back to the defense. There are usually fewer defenders outside then inside.
- Come back to the quarterback. Once you come to the breaking point of your route, come back toward the ball. Don’t float laterally. Keep your body between defenders and the ball. Be aggressive and go get the pass. Many receivers are far too passive on the field of battle.
- Get back on alignment after release. You can’t allow a defensive back to push you inside or outside of the area where your QB is expecting you to be. Fight your way back to where you belong. Practice releasing along yard markers to make sure you’re getting back into alignment.
Running Routes
- Find a comfortable stance. A two point stance will allow you to see better. One foot — usually the outside foot — should be back. Lean forward slightly, with the knees bent. Let arms hang loosely and forward. Get into the habit of looking through the DB.
- Line up the same way every time. Don’t give away where you’re headed by an improper stance. Leaning left or right or looking in the direction of your route, can tip the defender off as to your next move.
- Take your first three steps fast. Don’t loaf off the line. Explode on the snap. Make sure that all stops and cuts are crisp and sharp.
- Start all routes the same way. Don’t help DBs by telegraphing what kind of route you’re running as you come off the line.
- Fight for release. If a DB jams you on the line, he’s accomplished his task. Use a juke step away from the way you really want to go. Use rip moves (elbow up and under) to go under a DB. Swim moves are effective for taller receivers. Slam or wham moves with one or two hands work well when faking a block, but don’t grab the defender.
- Get your head around quick after making your break. The ball will be on its way. You can’t catch it if you can’t see it. Once your eyes are locked on the ball, look the ball all the way into your hands.
- Plant your outside foot and swing your inside elbow to make cuts. This helps you make cuts quickly and sharply and makes it difficult for defenders to stay with you. This is a skill and it takes lots of practice to perfect this move.