1. #1 Objective for Defense is to keep Opponent from Scoring
2. Must  coach players to be physical, speed and simple schemes so minimum thinking.
3. Practice drills should be like game situations
4. Must play hard every play and play as a team
5. Defense must make tackles in offensive backfield, play on their side of the ball
6. The use of Hands on defense is the most important skill
7. Most important part of tackling is to grab and hang on to ball carrier
8. You become in games what you practice
9. Every practice should have individual position time to teach position technique
10. If the receiver beats the DB, the DB should cover and focus on receivers hands

The book is full of these great defensive football points.  Try the library or Amazon and read Coach Shurmur’s Coaching Team Defense

Thanks
Coach Parker
Ft. Worth Texas / Keller

USA Football, the sport’s national governing body in the United States, has developed an innovative Tackle Progression Model that provides a step-by step approach for coaches to properly teach one of football’s most important skills.

via Tackle Progression Model promotes fundamentals and player safety | USA Football.

The youth football drill has a tackler and 6 players lined up as a gauntlet with their hands outstretched and together similar to the old red rover game.  The tackler takes a good form tackling position on the bag and then drives the bag through the gauntlet and then drives the bag on to the landing mat.  If you do not have a landing mat you can line up 5 or 6 square bags or a old mattress works too.  The gauntlet players want to give resistance but let the tackler through, we do not want the tackler to stop his momentum.

I really like this drill and will be implementing this football drill into my pee wee football practices this year.

Play for Fun and Winning is Funner!

There are three lines and they rotate in for DBs, LBs, and Lineman.  The DBs rotate at TB, LBs and FB and DL at OL and or run an offense squad vs a Defensive squad.  The Tailback runs the ball and the OL and FB block for the TB.  The DL must stuff the blocker, linebacker stuffs the lead blocker at LOS and Defensive back watches over flow.  If the TB crosses the goal line the defense does 10 push ups.

This youth football drill is great because very few players are standing around, almost everyone is involved or just off a rep.  You can watch blocking, tackling and running technique and grade all of them if you have enough coaches.  I have run the drill alone but you miss some things.

Play for Fun but Winning is Funner!

I was surprised this morning reading Coach Allen’s defensive line chapter and section on tackling.  “The type of tackle used by the defender depends on who is carrying the football.  If there is a big strong runner coming at him, the tackler will probably hit him low.  If the carrier has tremendous footwork, he (tackler) might want to go high on him.  If the offensive player is a real scatback, the tackler has to go high on him or he might get faked out.”

All my life Ive been taught to hit low and form tackle, and that’s what I’ve been teaching.  Although a few years ago I wrote a post on the death of form tackling after hearing a few NFL coaches and players talk about tackling.  I do think Coach Allen is right, for scatbacks I see young players look low and lose the running back in the process of making a form tackle.  The young tackler would have been better off hitting the running back high, grabbing cloth and pulling the RB to the ground.

What do you think? Let me know.

Angle Tackling Drill

The coach pitches the ball to the tail back and the two defensive players play contain  and or make angle tackles.  Our youth football players love this defensive drill.

Youth Football Drills.  Play for Fun and Winning is Funner!

The ball carrier is about 5 yards behind the bags and the tackler in red is 10 yards behind the middle bag.  The defender attacks the middle bag and then must get under control before the middle bag, break down and be in position to make a proper angle tackle on the ball carrier that chooses his hole.

This is a great youth football drill.

1. Offensive linemen blocking down field means the play is a run.

2. Offensive linemen pulling in one direction generally means play is in direction of pull.

3. Offensive linemen drop stepping and setting up to block for pass protection means pass but also could be a draw or screen.

When reading your keys don’t get too excited and in a hurry and move to quickly. Be patient. A move in the wrong direction takes time to recover from.

LBs and DBs should take a small drop step with either foot while reading their keys. You first move should not be towards the line of scrimmage.

From Bud Wilkinson’s Football Winning Defense

Play for Fun and Winning is Funner.

Coach Parker
Keller, Texas

1. Stop the run, interrupt the pass.
2. Attack the Offense with Multiple looks
3. Dictate game flow
4. Scout scout scout
5. Equalize strength
6. Communicate and say again.

My defensive team will be called the Wolf Pack this season. Wolves communicate, hunt and kill prey together. As a defense we will play like Wolves attacking their prey.

Play for Fun and Winning is Funner.