These are four effective football drills
One football tradition that will never die is old-fashioned team rivalry. But America’s favourite
sport has evolved. It’s a faster, more explosive game. The average play now lasts only about
five seconds with an average rest of 30 seconds between plays. Games are intense, especially
against top rivals.
More than 50 years ago, it was a different story. A defender would only be responsible for
running the football. He would run a good distance and then have a few minutes to rest. Today’s
fullback must catch the ball from the backfield, pick up the blitz, cut away from oncoming blocks
and run for a touchdown – all in about five seconds.
Sprint/Skrit intervals
Here a coach can use 100 yards effectively. But you need to tweak the drill a bit to make it more
appropriate. Instead of total sprints, have players perform interval sets with 20-yard sprints and
20-yard strides across the field. Striders are especially beneficial for players. They help players
develop greater stride length. This means they will be able to cover more ground in less time,
resulting in higher production rates.
Tempo Runs
Tempo runs are another exercise for which coaches can use the entire 100 yards of the football
field.
Have players start in a corner of a goal zone and walk 100 yards
Focus on long strides, slower than a sprint, faster than a jog
Jog over to the opposite side of the end zone
Walk 100 yards again
Walk across the end zone to the starting point
Repeat four to 10 times.
Again, start with the lower training volume (four sets) early and increase it as the season
progresses.
Huddle Sprints
Another exercise from Drees, this one is similar to a Tempo Run but is designed to simulate the
duration of a play and walk/jog back to the creepers. Sprint for 40-60 feet, jog back to the
starting line after each sprint and rest briefly in your starting position for a total of 20-30 seconds
between sprints. Repeat 8-12 times.
Shuttle Sprints
If you’re indoors or have limited space, Drees prescribes Shuttle Sprints. These prepare the
athlete for the energy demands of the sport, as well as train the body to decelerate and
accelerate quickly. Simply sprint for 20-30 feet, change direction and sprint to the starting line.
Repeat 8-12 times, resting for 10-20 seconds between sets.
Four quarters
This is one of the best conditioning exercises available in my opinion. It trains players to make a
max effort consistently through each quarter of a game.