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TEXAS A&M FOOTBALL RUNNING BACK DRILLS

2009




RUNNING BACK DRILLS
TABLE OF CONTENTS


DRILLS
SOCCER DRILL
AGGIE BALANCE DRILL
WEAK SHOULDER RUN
SQUARE DRILL
SIDELINE RUNNING DRILL
ZIG ZAG DRILL
HIGH KNEE RUNNING OVER BAGS
PASS PROTECTION DRILL
STRIP DRILL
BALL EXCHANGE DRILL
JUMP CUT
LEVERAGE DRILL
JOHN RIGGINS DRILL
STUCK IN TRASITION
SPLIT EM





RUNNINGBACKS


Soccer Drill

OBJECTIVE OF DRILL

1. To teach backs how stay in a good football position for blocking
2. Teach Balance Knees over toes
3. Not to cross over and lose power

FREQUENCY

o 1x a week

RELATIVENESS TO GAME

4. Improve Balance
5. Sliding in front of the defender in pass protection (PLAY WITH BENT KNEES AND ELBOWS)

DESCRIPTION

Place 2 cones 8 yds apart at a 45 degree angle. The player (blocker) will be between the 2 cones. The coach will use 3 soccer balls and roll the balls right or left of the defender to attempt to get the ball by him. One at a time. The player will shuffle (don't crossover) get in front of the ball and roll it back to the coach. Stay in a good football position bent knees and bent elbows.

Player


Coach



RUNNINGBACKS

Aggie Balance Drill

OBJECTIVE OF DRILL

6. To teach backs how to use the 3rd and 4th leg for maintaining balance when going to the ground. (3rd and 4th leg are the arms)

FREQUENCY

o 2x a week
o Can be down as a warm up (practice and before games)

RELATIVENESS TO GAME

7. When the ball carrier is going to the ground having the ability to maintain balance and get himself upright to gain more yards.

DESCRIPTION

Have the ball carrier balance on one leg. The ball carrier will alternate from right leg to his left leg while maintaining his balance. As the ball carrier alternates legs he also alternates the ball from arm to arm. The ball carrier head should be facing the ground. Continue this process 5 yards and have the Ball carrier finish 5 yards. The key to this drill is Body Control and getting the ball carrier at the end to pull his head to get to a running position.







1

2

5yd to cone 2

5yd to cone 1



RUNNINGBACKS


Weak Shoulder Run

OBJECTIVE OF DRILL

8. To teach backs to make defenders
9. To gain confidence as a open field runner

#

FREQUENCY

o 2x a week

RELATIVENESS TO GAME

11. Improve Open field running
12. Using the momentum of the defender to gain an advantage

DESCRIPTION

1. The coach or defender will hold a shield. The defender will be at 15 yards. The defender that is holding the shield will attack from and inside out angle on the ball carrier. The ball carrier will press the outside shoulder of the defender and break back across the defenders face. Get back up the field North South.




DEFENDER

15 Yards apart

Ball Carrier



RUNNINGBACKS


Square Drill

OBJECTIVE OF DRILL

13. Teach 90° CUT

FREQUENCY

o Warm up before practice 3x week
o Pregame

RELATIVENESS TO GAME

14. staying low,
15. planting and pushing off the outside foot

DESCRIPTION

2. Set 4 cones in a square of 3 to 5 yards size.
3. Let players walk/run around performing a 90° cut at each corner.
4. walk through
5. 1/2 speed
6. fast as you can under control



DIAGRAM





RUNNINGBACKS
Sideline Running Drill

OBJECTIVE OF DRILL

16. Carrying the ball outside arm

17. Ball security
18. Violent running
19. Going for every yard - never run out of bounds

FREQUENCY



* Warm up before practice 2x week
* Pregame

RELATIVENESS TO GAME

* Sideline awareness

* Duplicating what happens in the game and what to do

DESCRIPTION

Have 2-3 players with shields line up 3 yards from the sideline and five yards apart.

1. Have a back run (can catch a pass) and work upfield near the sideline.
2. The defenders will each give a high or a low blow delivery.
3. The runner, against a low blow delivery, will:
* Keep toes pointed upfield
* Give with his hips
* Plant sideline foot upfield and explode
* Field foot must not cross over
4. The runner, against a high blow delivery, will:
* Utilize shoulder-arm strength
* Put weight on sideline foot

*

Push inside to give blow do defender (rip technique)

DIAGRAM

Equipment

20. Shields
21. Footballs
22. Sideline

RUNNINGBACKS


Zig Zag Drill

OBJECTIVE OF DRILL

23. To develop hip flexibility, body balance, and increase body control.

FREQUENCY

o Warm up before practice 3x week
o Pregame

RELATIVENESS TO GAME

24. staying low,
25. Body control making short tight cuts in a tight space

DESCRIPTION

26. Place 3 to 5 cones 5 yards apart in a straight line.
27. The ball carrier will start at one end of the line and "Zig-Zag" between the cones.
28. The runner should keep eyes up, drop hips to change direction, gather (no stutter steps) before direction change, head north and south and accelerate.



DIAGRAM

Protect football

Use all cleats in the ground on your plant

Knee over plant foot


RUNNINGBACKS

High Knee Running Over Bags

OBJECTIVE OF DRILL

* To develop high knee running and body awareness.
* Improve Ball Security

FREQUENCY

* Practice every day

RELATIVENESS TO GAME

29. Teaching the ability to use high Knees through the traffic
30. Using Leg drive to break tackles
31. Going for every yard - step on, over or around would be tackler
32. Check also for proper ball carrying throughout the whole drill

DESCRIPTION

1. Have 5 square bags placed accordingly.
2. Have a back run (full speed) over each bag in succession.
3. Runners should keep eyes downfield and knees high.



DIAGRAM

5 Bags

RUNNINGBACKS


Pass Protection Drill

OBJECTIVE OF DRILL

* To develop pass blocking skills in the five and seven step dropback game.

FREQUENCY

* Once a week 1 on 1 with the lbers

RELATIVENESS TO GAME

33. Teaching the ability to use high Knees through the traffic
34. Using Leg drive to break tackles
35. Going for every yard - step on, over or around would be tackler
36. Check also for proper ball carrying throughout the whole drill

DESCRIPTION

37. Align running backs in a two point stance in a split back position.
38. Linebacker will align in an outside rush position.
39. The first linebacker will rush the QB on the whistle command, on the second whistle the running back will get in position for the second rusher.
40. Each player will engage two separate defenders



DIAGRAM



RUNNINGBACKS


Strip Drill

OBJECTIVE OF DRILL

* To develop awareness of ball security during violent running.
* Improve secure hand off technique

FREQUENCY

* Every Practice

RELATIVENESS TO GAME

* Correct hand off pocket
* Proper ball carrying in traffic
* Body balance.
* Fighting through tackles
* Keep legs pumping
* Low center of gravity
* Run behind your pads

DESCRIPTION

* Form 2 lines of players (Blaster) facing each other 1 yard apart.
* QB will hand the ball off to the runner who will run between the 2 lines.
* The runner will align at a depth and area he normally runs from.
* The players in the two lines will try to strip the ball from the runner.
* The runner will explode through the lines and sprint 10 yards past the last defender.

DIAGRAM


RUNNINGBACKS

Ball Exchange Drill

OBJECTIVE OF DRILL

* Teach and improve correct arm position for hand offs.
* Improve ball handling.

FREQUENCY

* Every Practice

RELATIVENESS TO GAME

* Emphasize proper Handoff technique

DESCRIPTION

* Form two line facing each other about six to eight yards apart, one player gets a ball.
* On command the first players of each line start running at each other.
* When they meet they execute an exchange of the ball accordingly to proper hand off technique at that moment the next player starts to get the next hand off and hand off the ball to the next player coming at him.

DIAGRAM

*

execute drill from both sides

*

Emphasize proper technique over running speed, but work toward quicker exchange


RUNNINGBACKS

Jump Cut

OBJECTIVE OF DRILL

*

To teach the rub the Jump cut

FREQUENCY

*

Every Practice

RELATIVENESS TO GAME

*

During times in the game the ball carrier may not have time plant and get to the next hole that's when a jump cut may have to occur

*

Getting in and out of a hole that is closed

DESCRIPTION

*

Place 2 agile bags on the ground in a T FORMATION

*

Have the players form a single on the right or left of agile (here we started off on the right)

*

Have the runner with a ball run to the edge of T agile and jump over the adjacent bag and finish by stepping over the T Agile.

DIAGRAM

2 Agile Bags

RUNNINGBACKS

Leverage Drill

OBJECTIVE OF DRILL

FREQUENCY

*

3x week

RELATIVENESS TO GAME

*

Great for fullbacks and RBS hand placement and leverage

*

Get your eyes below his eyes

*

Get your hands inside (if hands are o.s. it teaches to work hands back inside for leverage (REFIT)

DESCRIPTION

*

Place 2 players arm length and athletic football position

*

You will designate a blocker and defender

*

The blocker will start with hands inside with attempting to block the defender. The defender will resist and have his hands o.s. the blocker shoulders.

*

On the whistle the the defender that is resisting will sink his hips and place his hands from o.s. to inside and this will continue until commanded to stop.

DIAGRAM




RUNNING BACKS

"JOHN RIGGINS

"

DRILL

OBJECTIVE OF DRILL

o

Simulate fighting for extra yardage

o

Breaking a tackle and scoring

FREQUENCY

o Pregame
o Twice week

RELATIVENESS TO GAME

o Breaking tackles and building confidence for YAC yards after contact
o Creating leg drive

DESCRIPTION

o Pair up ball carrier / defender, The defender holds the ball carrier from running
o The defender will let go after 5 yards
o The Ball carrier will burst out of the tackle and finish 5 yards and score.

NOTE: Ball carrier

'

s

shoulders out of front knee level

DIAGRAM


RUNNING BACKS

STUCK IN TRANSITION

OBJECTIVE OF DRILL

o Body Control
o High Knees
o Transition cuts

FREQUENCY

o Warm Up / Pregame
o Twice a week

RELATIVENESS TO GAME

o Learning to plant on the O.S. leg without hesitation to the next cut

DESCRIPTION

o Player aligns both feet adjacent to the ropes. Step with your right foot inside the first square.
o The left foot goes to the next square at a 45, The right foot goes O.S. the square and left foot goes to the next square.
o Always leave the right or left foot O.S. the ropes.

DIAGRAM


RUNNING BACKS

SPLIT EM

OBJECTIVE OF DRILL

o Run after Catch
o Ball Security
o Pad Level after Catch

FREQUENCY

o Pregame
o Twice a week

RELATIVENESS TO GAME

o Check down get the ball north / south
o Splitting defenders
o Pad level down

DESCRIPTION

o 2 Shield holder 10 yards away
o Ball Carrier faces the coach. The coach throws the ball to the back.
o Key one piece turn split defenders and score.

DIAGRAM