So you’re here because you want to learn more about football? Or perhaps you just want to learn the basics so you aren’t lost the next time there is a matchup on television? No matter your reason for being here, you truly want to take in the following article for great tips on football.
Running backs are members of the offense. For a running play, the quarterback may pass the ball to a running back who will run the ball as far as he can. When the ball is going in the air, the running back may help protect the quarterback from tacklers or he may try to get open to catch a pass.
Take every chance you can to study football footage, but when you can, study footage of yourself. Try and see yourself through an opponent’s eyes. Look for tells or signs of what you are about to do, as well as habits you have that are predictable. Always have a way to keep your opponent guessing.
When you practice, try playing with both feet. Most people favor one foot or the other and it takes practice to learn how to use both. If you concentrate on your weaker foot, you will notice dramatic improvements in form, stability and quickness. Kick the football repeatedly against a wall to strengthen your weaker foot.
If your goal is to become a quarterback, make sure you practice with a lot of distractions. Although Tom Brady makes maneuvering in the pocket look easy, it’s actually pretty intense, and that’s the time most players make mistakes. Practice when you’re under lots of pressure and learn to make smart decisions with lightning speed.
Learn to be precise in your patterns. It can’t be emphasized enough the importance of precision. Just a few feet in any direction and you won’t be in place to make an important tackle or to catch the football that’s been thrown to you. This takes a lot of repetition during practice, so be ready for it.
Do at least one basic drill specific to your position on a daily basis. Running backs are wise to work on ball handling drills every day. Quarterbacks should spend at least an hour a day working on throwing accuracy and arm strengthening. Linebackers need to constantly work on their tackling, as well as shedding blockers.
You should try to make sure you can kick a 50 yard field goal, if you are in a kicking position. A great way to learn to kick long distance is to build up strength using various weight lifting techniques. Flexibility is also a key to longer kicks. Stretch daily to become more flexible.
Eat a healthy diet when you play football. When your body is fueled correctly it can perform a lot better. Eating healthy proteins, whole grains and fruits and vegetables can help you feel better and play better. Try your best to eat a healthy diet and you’ll find it can enhance your play.
Hand-eye coordination is needed to catch a pass. To practice hand-eye-coordination gather your teammates together and form a circle. One person should stand in the center of the circle and begin passing the ball around. Once the ball has been passed to everyone, widen the circle by taking a couple of steps backwards.
Keep in mind that one thing you can’t change about yourself as a football player is your body height. You can work on your confidence, agility, strength and more. If you dedicate yourself to a healthy diet and plenty of exercise and practice drills, you can alter almost anything.
Learn the proper way to hold a football when throwing. When you throw the football, your pinkie and ring fingers should cross the laces and your thumb should be underneath the ball. The palm of your hand should not make contact with the ball. Hold the ball loosely and point your feet towards your intended target.
Football players need to take care to hydrate themselves adequately. Playing football requires hard work and stamina, and you’ll never have either if you don’t drink enough water. Most players don’t drink sugary drinks like soda. Instead, they drink plenty of water and sports drinks containing electrolytes.
Consider engaging in other sports to better your football play. For example, wrestling can speed up your foot work, build your mental strength and even allow you to take impacts with less of a shock. From hand-eye coordination to better explosive movements, wrestling can do the trick to improve your game.
Often professional players make mistakes during a game due to overheating. Heat exhaustion can impair a player’s decision making capabilities and mental capacity. Inside stadiums are temperature controlled but others may need to place a cold pack inside their helmets to keep cool. Not only do these help to cool a person down, but they also help to cushion the head even further from injury.
Football is a very demanding sport, so it is essential that football players allow ample time for rest and recovery. Rest and recovery does not mean sleeping twelve or more hours. Instead, it means eating a diet rich in vitamins and minerals while doing gentle stretching. This rest and recovery should take at least 24 hours to complete.
Talk with your fellow players who are off field about what they are seeing on field. Sometimes your opponent is doing something that you can see in the heat of the moment. A fresh set of eyes is needed, especially from a different vantage point. Even if these teammates aren’t currently on the field, they can provide some great intelligence.
Football is so much fun to watch that many people are plan their entire week around upcoming games. Maybe you were someone who just a little bit of knowledge and were lost when watching the game? After reading the article from above, you now have the basic fundamentals of football on your brain. Keep learning more and soon you will have an even greater love of football.
