HAMMER OR NAIL?

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• HAMMER OR NAIL?
• DEVELOPING AGGRESSION AND PHYSICALITY
• IN THE YOUTH FOOTBALL PLAYER
• Dave Potter
• Head Football Coach
• DURHAM WAR EAGLES

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• DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA
• COACHING YOUTH FOOTBALL
• 13 YEARS WITH THE
• DURHAM EAGLES ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

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• 5 YEARS COACHING AT THE MITEY-MITE DIVISION
• (AGES 7 9)

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• 5 YEARS COACHING AT THE MITEY-MITE DIVISION
• (AGES 7 9)
• 5 YEARS COACHING AT THE JUNIOR PEEWEE DIVISION
• (AGES 8 11)

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• 5 YEARS COACHING AT THE MITEY-MITE DIVISION
• (AGES 7 9)
• 5 YEARS COACHING AT THE JUNIOR PEEWEE DIVISION
• (AGES 8 11)
• 2 YEARS COACHING AT THE PEEWEE DIVISION
• (AGES 9 - 12)

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• DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA
• COACHING MIDDLE SCHOOL FOOTBALL
• 3 YEARS IN THE
• DURHAM ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
• (AGES 12 - 14)

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• EIGHT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
• 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007,
  2008

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• EIGHT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
• 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007,
  2008
• SEVEN UNDEFEATED SEASONS
• 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008

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• EIGHT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
• 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007,
  2008
• SEVEN UNDEFEATED SEASONS
• 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008
• 75 - 2 RECORD IN THE C.F.F.
• DATING BACK TO 2000

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• 28 - CONSECUTIVE CONFERENCE GAME WINNING
  STREAK
• 2005 2008

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• 28 - CONSECUTIVE CONFERENCE GAME WINNING
  STREAK
• 2005 2008
• TOP 16 IN THE NATION
• 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008

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DEVELOPING AGGRESSION AND PHYSICALITY IN THE
YOUTH FOOTBALL PLAYER
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DISCLAIMER
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• OUR APPROACH TO PHYSICALITY
• What is our philosophy?

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• TWO PARTS
• Our Philosophy to Physicality
• Drills (and the way we teach them)

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• DRILLS
• PowerPoint
• You Tube (CoachDMP)
• DVD
• Demo

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• NUMBER ONE QUESTION
• AS COACHES, HOW DO WE DEVELOP
• AGGRESSION, INTENSITY, PHYSICALITY AND
• SELF-CONFIDENCE
• IN THE YOUTH FOOTBALL PLAYER?

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How Can We Be as Physical and Aggressive as You?
Physicality and aggression are our primary
emphasis. If physicality and aggression are 3rd
or 4th on your priority list, its doubtful that
you can be as physical and aggressive as a team
that emphasizes it as the Number One Priority.
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How Can We Be as Physical and Aggressive as You?
Physicality and aggression is our primary
emphasis. If physicality and aggression are 3rd
or 4th on your priority list, its doubtful that
you can be as physical and aggressive as a team
that emphasizes it as the Number One Priority.
20
How Can We Be as Physical and Aggressive as You?
Physicality and aggression is our primary
emphasis. If physicality and aggression are 3rd
or 4th on your priority list, its doubtful that
you can be as physical and aggressive as a team
that emphasizes it as the Number One Priority.
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The Durham Eagles are
Matt Finlonthe hardest hitting team in the
nation.
John the hardest hitting youth team in America.
JJ Lawsonthe hardest hitting youth team in the
country.
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The Durham Eagles are
Matt Finlonthe hardest hitting team in the
nation.
John Staigerthe hardest hitting youth team in
America.
JJ Lawsonthe hardest hitting youth team in the
country.
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The Durham Eagles are
Matt Finlonthe hardest hitting team in the
nation.
John Staigerthe hardest hitting youth team in
America.
JJ Lawsonthe hardest hitting youth team in the
country.
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Where Do We Start?
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Where Do We Start?
We start with "expectation.  Any vision, plan
or goal begins with expectation.
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Where Do We Start?
We start with "expectation.  We give new
parents a copy of our highlight DVD from last
year, as well as our "Program DVD" so they can
SEE for themselves how physical we are.  We add
actual quotes from other coaches around the
country helps legitimize this to parents
and raises the expectation level of the player. 
We also "warn" them that we "play very physical
football."   We give out new t-shirts at the
start of each season.  Phrases like, "WELCOME TO
THE PAIN FACTORY" and "WAR EAGLES HIT CLUB"
promote the mindset.   Our coaches also wear
these shirts.  In addition, we also let them know
about our success.  Our literature, website and
t-shirts read  CFF CHAMPIONS  2000  2001  2002 
2003  2004  2006  2007 2008.  The record of
consistent success lets parents and players know
we have high standards.  We also let parents know
that playing for us will be the biggest physical
and mental challenge their kids will have
experienced up to this point in their lives.  We
call conditioning week "Parris Island."  We are
laying the groundwork of expectation.
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What Makes Us Aggressive? It is our
mindset. It is our approach. It is our primary
emphasis.
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What Makes Us Aggressive? It is our
mindset. It is our approach. It is our primary
emphasis.
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What Makes Us Aggressive? It is our
mindset. It is our approach. It is our primary
emphasis.
30
What Makes Us Aggressive? It is our
mindset. It is our approach. It is our primary
emphasis.
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We also tell them that "we aren't for
everyone."    We tell the kids, we are the
hardest hitting team in the country and if you
can't take it, you'd better go home now.  We also
tell them that their Number One responsibility to
this team is to be a great hitter.  "I don't care
how big, small, fast, or slow you are.  If you
are going to play for us, you will be the supreme
hitter, or you will go home."  All this is to
condition our players (and parents) for the
expectation level of hitting. We do not teach
blocking and tackling. We teach hitting.
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Make the Atmosphere Aggressive

• The coach sets the tone and atmosphere for their
  players.
• You should want to coach
• in a physical and aggressive atmosphere.
• DO NOT BE PASSIVE!

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We Coach Through Our Personality
We all coach through our own personality.  If
we're laid back, our coaching will generally be
that way, as well. Since I'm a rather intense
fellow it's far easier for me to convey that
personality to my team.  If you find yourself
unable to "turn up the wick," you may need to
make sure you have a good AC on hand who can get
those kids to jump.  Being forceful with your
players is not about "being mean."  It's about
motivating them properly to play a physical and
intense sport.
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create intense practices and atmosphere
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I like having loud, intense and aggressive
coaches around me.  I like them to whoop and
"bark it up" at practice.  Creating the right
practice atmosphere is important.  I want to
create a "feeding frenzy. We do that by using
drills that include several players (3 on 3, or 4
on 4).  While we do use "1 on 1" drills, those
drills don't create that kind of "frenzy. Kids
may jump back on one-on-one drills. In 4-on-4
drills, they all want to jump in. We allow our
kids to jump in. We dont take turns. Create an
Alpha-Pack mentality.
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Often, we let players call each other out (and
encourage them to do so).  "You want a piece of
him?!"  "Yes Sir, I'm gonna jack him up!"  We're
in our player's faces trying to push their
buttons.
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Drills.  It's important to find drills that you
are good at teaching, and the boys can get a lot
from.
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All drills are physical drills.  Regardless of
whether we are doing our "whose ball," running
our gauntlet, teaching pulling, practicing the
Center/QB exchange, we hit.  By hitting in
virtually every drill we do, tackling drills are
far less intimidating to us.
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 We want our players to "run through" the
player.  When we use a tackling dummy to show the
"aiming points" and how and where to wrap, we
have another tackling dummy that is 10-yards
beyond the initial dummy that is to be hit.  We
have each player drive the initial dummy back to
where the other dummy is, so that players get
used to "running through" the player.
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We have no thud or half-speed drills.  Instead of
using THUD as a warmup, we go full-speed, but use
shorter distances to warm up.  
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Our conditioning is brutal, and I know that helps
with our aggression. Enduro, bellies, bunny hops
and crab walks are staples here.  
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Parents Meeting
Prepare them for what is about to come. Parents
didnt show up? Have another meeting.
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E-Mail from a Parent
I am writing to inform you that my
sons and will not be returning to
play football with the Durham Eagles. Let me
state that I am disappointed in myself for not
researching deeply enough what I was going to be
subjecting my sons to. I had attended a game last
year and spoke with other parents who have had
kids play on Durham Eagles teams. We were looking
forward to the season from what information I had
of your program.                        
While my boys were asked their age and weight,
no regard was given to the fact that my boys have
never played organized football before. They were
immediately put into drills and expected to
perform them well without any instruction. Please
understand I know football is a very demanding
sport both physically and mentally. I played Pop
Warner ball as a kid and went on to play High
School ball as well, however, from what I saw
last night I doubt that most of the coaches I saw
on the field could have endured what was being
asked of 10,11,12 year old boys.
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Running Kids Off?
1) We started the season with 35 players. 2)
We lost one player with a dislocated shoulder in
the 4th week of the season. 3) No one quit the
team.
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Running Kids Off?
1) We started the season with 35 players. 2)
We lost one player with a dislocated shoulder in
the 4th week of the season. 3) No one quit the
team.
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Running Kids Off?
1) We started the season with 35 players. 2)
We lost one player with a dislocated shoulder in
the 4th week of the season. 3) No one quit the
team.
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Running Kids Off?
1) We started the season with 35 players. 2)
We lost one player with a dislocated shoulder in
the 4th week of the season. 3) No one quit the
team.
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Running Kids Off?

• More physical practices mean a higher retention
  rate.

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Why dont more coaches teach aggression?
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Why dont more coaches teach aggression?

• 1) Afraid. (Of what?)

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Why dont more coaches teach aggression?

• 1) Afraid. (Of what?)

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Why dont more coaches teach aggression?

• 1) Afraid. (Of what?)
• Of having a kid get hurt.
• How to overcome this?
• Teach safe fundamentals.

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Why dont more coaches teach aggression?

• 1) Afraid. (Of what?)
• Of having a kid get hurt.
• How to overcome this?
• Teach safe fundamentals.

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Why dont more coaches teach aggression?

• 1) Afraid. (Of what?)
• Of having a kid get hurt.
• How to overcome this?
• Teach safe fundamentals.

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Why dont more coaches teach aggression?
1) Afraid. (Of what?) Of appearing to be an
ogre in front of the parents.
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Why dont more coaches teach aggression?

• 1) Afraid. (Of what?)
• Of appearing to be an ogre in front of the
  parents.
• How to overcome this?
• Teach safe fundamentals.

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Why dont more coaches teach aggression?

• 1) Afraid. (Of what?)
• Of appearing to be an ogre in front of the
  parents.
• How to overcome this?
• Gain the parents trust.

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Why dont more coaches teach aggression?

• 1) Afraid. (Of what?)
• Of appearing to be an ogre in front of the
  parents.
• How to overcome this?
• Gain the parents trust.

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Gain the parents trust.

• Explain to the parents about the play-offs and
  thug-mentality.
• Explain about handling adversity.
• Explain about your program academics, charity,
• and social skills building.

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Gain the parents trust.

• Explain to the parents about the play-offs and
  thug-mentality.
• Explain about handling adversity.
• Explain about your program academics, charity,
• and social skills building.

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Gain the parents trust.

• Explain to the parents about the play-offs and
  thug-mentality.
• Explain about handling adversity.
• Explain about your program academics, charity,
• and social skills building.

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Why dont more coaches teach aggression?

• 2) They lack experience.

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Why dont more coaches teach aggression?

• They lack experience.
• They dont know what to demand of their kids
• or how much to demand.

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Why dont more coaches teach aggression?

• 3) Theyre lazy.

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Yes, We Teach Mojo.

• How?

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Yes, We Teach Mojo.

• How?

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Yes, We Teach Mojo.
How?
By having zero-tolerance for anything but a
players best effort.
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Mojo

• To me, "Mojo" is all about zero-tolerance.
•   We have ZERO-TOLERANCE for anything
• but their best effort.  If you tolerate a lack of
  discipline,
• lack of hustle and a poor attitude you will never
  achieve Mojo.
• If your players had to go through Hell and back
• to get on your team, and you display a
  zero-tolerance
• for mistakes and a poor attitude, Mojo develops
  by itself.

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The Best Thing About Teaching Aggression
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The Best Thing About Teaching Aggression
You dont have to have talent to teach it. A
player does not have to be big, strong or fast to
be aggressive. Any player can learn it.
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The Best Thing About Teaching Aggression
You dont have to have talent to teach it. A
player does not have to be big, strong or fast to
be aggressive. Any player can learn it.
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The Best Thing About Teaching Aggression
You dont have to have talent to teach it. A
player does not have to be big, strong or fast to
be aggressive. Any player can learn it. I cant
teach talent, but I can teach aggression.
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The Best Thing About Teaching Aggression
You dont have to have talent to teach it. A
player does not have to be big, strong or fast to
be aggressive. Any player can learn it. I cant
teach talent to a player, but I can teach
aggression.
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How Do You Get Players to Pursue and Hit?
I am teaching players who are motivated. Why are
they motivated? Because they had to go through
Hell and back to be able to play for us.
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How Do You Get Players to Pursue and Hit?
I am teaching players who are motivated. Why are
they motivated? Because they had to go through
Hell and back to be able to play for us.
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How Do You Get Players to Pursue and Hit?
I am teaching players who are motivated. Why are
they motivated? Because they had to go through
Hell and back to be able to play for us.
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How Do You Get Players to Pursue and Hit?
I am teaching players who are motivated. Why are
they motivated? Because they had to go through
Hell and back to be able to play for us.
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The Nuts and Bolts
You dont have to have talent to teach it. A
player does not have to be big, strong or fast to
be aggressive. Any player can learn it.
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The First Week of Practice is the Most Important
You dont have to have talent to teach it. A
player does not have to be big, strong or fast to
be aggressive. Any player can learn it.
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The First Week of Practice is the Most Important
Conditioning (and all the work you have to do
BEFORE pads are issued) is the most important
time of the season. A player does not have to be
big, strong or fast to be aggressive. Any player
can learn it.
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Training a Puppy
You dont wait until youve had the puppy for a
week before you start to train him. You start
training them immediately. If you dont, your
challenge becomes harder. A player does not have
to be big, strong or fast to be aggressive. Any
player can learn it.
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Training a Puppy
You dont wait until youve had the puppy for a
week before you start to train him. You start
training them immediately. If you dont, your
challenge becomes harder. A player does not have
to be big, strong or fast to be aggressive. Any
player can learn it.
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Training a Puppy
You dont wait until youve had the puppy for a
week before you start to train him. You start
training them immediately. to be
aggressive. Any player can learn it.
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Training a Puppy
You dont wait until youve had the puppy for a
week before you start to train him. You start
training them immediately. If you dont, your
challenge becomes harder. A player does not have
to be big, strong or fast to be aggressive. Any
player can learn it.
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Week 1
That's where you can find out the real heart and
determination of your players. That's where YOU
set the SCALE.
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Dont Waste Week 1
Many youth football coaches waste their time (or
at least, what I would consider to be wasting
time) before pads are issued. They seem to think
that practice doesn't really begin until pads
have been given out. However, if you don't know
the content of your team's character by the time
you've issued pads, you are already way behind. 
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Dont Waste Week 1
What do we say about making practice hard so that
the game is easy? We make conditioning hard so
that our season is easy. 
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How Many Days Do You Get for Conditioning?
You dont have to have talent to teach it. A
player does not have to be big, strong or fast to
be aggressive. Any player can learn it.
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How Many Days Do YOU Get for Conditioning?
We condition extensively, thoroughly and
aggressively. As a result, we have NO unmotivated
dead-weight. Players have to go through Hell and
back to play for us. Coaches ask me, How do you
get your players to pursue and hit like that?
Its because they are highly motivated to
play. They have to be. Otherwise, they would
never have survived training camp. Some coaches
look past conditioning as a relevant teaching
tool.  Our conditioning reveals character,
discipline, determination, heart and
desire. Coaches complain about certain players
who arent motivated but then dont demand that
the players work.
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How Many Days Do YOU Get for Conditioning?
Coaches ask me, How do you get your players to
pursue and hit like that? Its because they are
highly motivated to play. They have to be.
Otherwise, they would never have survived
training camp. Some coaches look past
conditioning as a relevant teaching tool.  Our
conditioning reveals character, discipline,
determination, heart and desire. Coaches
complain about certain players who arent
motivated but then dont demand that the players
work.
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How Many Days Do YOU Get for Conditioning?
Some coaches look past conditioning as a relevant
teaching tool.  Our conditioning reveals
character, discipline, determination, heart and
desire. Coaches complain about certain players
who arent motivated but then dont demand that
the players work.
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How Many Days Do YOU Get for Conditioning?
Coaches complain about certain players who arent
motivated but then dont demand that the players
work.
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During our first week, we do the same "who can
catch, throw, kick" that you do.  We do this
during Hour 1.  Kids want to try out for certain
positions, but if they're late during Hour 1,
they miss out.  We condition during Hour 2 when
all of the kids have arrived.  We are big on
conditioning and physical football drills during
our conditioning phase.  We want to find out from
DAY 1 who has the discipline, approach and
mind-set to be able to play for us.  We do our
best to make Week 1 as difficult as it can be
(physically and mentally).  We yell, fuss, jump
up and down, throw our hat and generally try to
bombard our players with as much intensity and
drama as we can muster.  We want to see if
they'll crack or toughen up.  We must know
immediately what type of player they are. If they
show weakness (complain, cry, not hustle) we turn
up the volume on that particular player.  We
don't do this to run him off, but to see how
he'll continue to react under pressure. We play
in a competitive league and region and our
players must be able to handle animosity. We have
to know that we will be able to count on our
players when games are tough, tight, physical and
pressure-packed.  We must know that even if we
trail, our players will not panic.  That's why we
spend so much of our time and energy "pushing"
our players. If they split and crack, they're not
for us.  If they can withstand the pressure, we
know we can go to battle with this player.    We
have several drills that we use to develop
aggression and toughness Circle of
Death "Who Ball Is It?" Bunny Hops "The
Gauntlet" Crab Walks "10-Yard Fight"
Bellies "The Executioner"
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The Inefficient Middle School Model
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Our Philosophy and Approach   While my youth
team conditions extensively (thus, there is no
unmotivated dead-weight), our middle school team
pretty much just handed out equipment to players
and said "Here. You're on the team."  While the
middle school had cuts, that only consisted of
having 40 uniforms for 44 players. If you were
one of the worst four players, you got cut. In
order to make the team, you didnt have to do
anything except insure that you werent one of
the four worst players. You could be horrible.
You could be the tenth worst player on the team,
not accomplish anything during try-outs except
not be one of the worst four players and you were
on the team. You could be a terrible football
player with a bad attitude and youre still on
the team because you arent one of the four
worst. Thats ridiculous.
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The Inefficient Middle School Model
In middle school, every player had to undergo the
same unchallenging process (just sign up and show
up), so we had NO IDEA which player is motivated
to play, since NONE of our pre-season
drills measured heart and motivation. The head
coach never challenged any of these players
BEFORE they got pads.  As a result, we had no
idea which players were leaders and which were
loafers.  By working your kids hard during
Conditioning Week, you'll be able to learn who is
a loafer and who is a leader.
97
The reason that we're successful with aggression
is our emphasis on toughness well before we ever
get to hitting or being in pads.  Our
conditioning is physical and intense.  Players
have two choices  develop toughness to survive
it, or leave. Some leave.  Those that remain have
to be tough, otherwise they'd have never made it
through conditioning.  If conditioning is brief,
easy, and lacks intensity and you issue equipment
to your players and then expect your players to
develop toughness afterwards, it becomes a far
greater challenge.  Coaches shouldn't expect kids
who haven't been pushed hard before they were in
pads to suddenly get tough after they've been
issued pads.  Why would they get tough? Theyre
already on the team.
98
If its easy to get on the team, if no demands
are made of discipline or toughness before they
get on the team (or before pads are issued), then
they will not be disciplined or tough after they
get on the team.
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Summary
Create the expectation. Create the
atmosphere. Create emotional pressure. Condition
and Football Drills through Hell and
back. Discipline makes them tougher. (2
phrases.) No thud hitting. Hit at
full-speed. Hit in all drills. Dont block or
tackle. HIT! Have them earn the right to
play for you.
100
"Whose Ball," "Gauntlet" and "10-Yard Fight" can
be done without pads and I recommend using them
during conditioning week.  "Tee Time," "The
Executioner" and "Snake Pit" have to wait until
you are in pads.  However, it's not the
particular drills that determine how tough,
physical or aggressive your team is.  It's how
you teach, demonstrate and delegate the drills. 
If you have a relaxed and laid-back approach to
practice, I think your team will also inherit
that.  I could probably talk for hours about the
psychology of teaching aggression and how to get
players to buy in.  It's most important that you
are sure that you understand how to motivate and
relate to your players.  If you don't, then no
drill will help you.
101
Explaining the Importance of the Football
Whose Ball Is It?

• This is something I go over every year with all
  of my players. I came up with this spiel way back
  during my first year as HC. And here's why I came
  up with itDuring my first year when I was an
  AC I was standing on the sideline during a game
  when the other teams offense fumbled the ball.
  We had a defensive player who could have easily
  fallen on the ball, or even picked it up and run
  with it. However, our player just stood there and
  watched the ball roll lazily out of bounds. When
  our HC yelled at the kid, "WHY DIDN'T YOU GET THE
  BALL?!" the kid looked at the HC and said, "I
  thought it was their ball." This kid simply
  didn't know the rules and had never been told by
  our HC (or by any of us) that they could (and
  should) go after a free ball. The kid assumed
  that since we use the terminology of "our ball"
  or "their ball" that we were actually TAKING
  TURNS with the ball's possession. I knew right
  then that I would make sure that whether the kids
  knew the rules or not, that I would ingrain in my
  players that it's always OUR ball.
• Heres how I explain to our players the
  importance of the football. This is the my
  speech, in its entirety
• "Gentlemen, what is this Im holding in my
  hands?" I hold a football in front of the team.
  They reply, "a football."Thats right. A
  football. There is absolutely, positively nothing
  more important than what I am holding in my hand
  right now. This is the football. This is our
  football. When we are on offense, the ball
  belongs to us. When we are on defense, the ball
  belongs to us. It is always our ball. There is
  never, EVER a time when it is not OUR ball. Oh
  sure, there will come a time when the referee
  takes our ball and gives it to the other team.
  GET--IT--BACK! Thats your job. The ball belongs
  to us. Whether we're on offense or defense, its
  always our ball. We always fight for this ball."
  You should see my players do their impression
  of me giving this speech. LOL. It's hilarious.
  But it shows me that they know the importance of
  keeping the ball and getting our ball back.

102
Whose Ball Is It?Fumble Drill
103
Whose Ball Is It?Fumble Drill

• There are two rows of players. Two players at
  once will participate in this drill. One coach
  puts the football in the face
• of Player A and yells, Whose ball is it?
  Player A responds, My ball, Sir! The coach
  then puts the football in the face
• of Player B and yells the same question, Whose
  ball is it? Player B yells back, My ball,
  Sir! Face front, says
• Coach, so that neither player can cheat by
  seeing the when the throw will occur, or in what
  direction its headed.
• Coach throws ball down the field in any haphazard
  direction. Both players immediately chase the
  ball, at full sprint.
• The first player there recovers the ball by
  falling to the ground and locking it in his arms,
  using the fetal position. The
• other player pulls, yanks and fights for the ball
  in an attempt to take the ball away. Two other
  coaches (if you have
• them available) should be in the ear of each
  player that is fighting for the football. The
  two coaches should also be
• hollering intense encouragement to both players.
  Feel free to allow the drill to get as physical
  as you are comfortable
• with. We will let the players battle it out for
  the ball for more than one minute, sometimes
  going as long as two to three
• minutes. It is important that players understand
  that the play doesnt end when it is recovered by
  someone else. On
• the contrary, the play is just beginning. What
  we are trying to do is get each player to try and
  end up with the ball. The
• two other coaches run alongside of the players
  yelling encouragement as the players battle for
  the ball. This should
• be a physical, intense and mean-spirited drill.
  It is not for the timid or weak. The slower and
  less-aggressive boys will
• soon understand that it is far easier to recover
  the ball, if they can get to it first, than to
  get there second and have to
• fight for the ball. This drill encourages the
  slower, less-athletic player to get to the ball
  quickly. It is important to match
• the boys evenly in their initial attempts. Also,
  you can bounce the football in a direction where
  one player is more likely
• to recover it (yet another reason to make sure
  both players face front), making the drill
  easier and more successful for
• the lesser athlete. We dont care nearly as much
  who wins the drill, as we do care about
  developing aggression and

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Whose Ball Is It?Fumble Drill

• Our fumble drill is literally a fight. Lots of
  torn shirts, scraped elbows, bloody noses and a
  few tears. But it develops an
• Alpha-pack mentality.
• Heres what to expect during our Whose Ball Is
  It? (1-on-1) fumble drills
• BLOODY KNEES
• BLOODY ELBOWS
• BLOODY NOSES
• TORN SHIRTS
• DIRT IN EYES
• DIRT IN MOUTH
• TEARS
• Heres what they learn during our Whose Ball Is
  It? (1-on-1) fumble drills
• AGGRESSIVENESS
• IMPORTANCE OF THE FOOTBALL
• HOW TO PROPERLY RECOVER A FUMBLE
• FIGHT TO THE WHISTLE

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The Gauntlet
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Gauntlet Drill I don't like drills that steal
time or are solo drills.  (A solo drill being a
drill that only benefits one player.)  Our
Gauntlet Drill improves everyone that
participates in it.  (And we can use every player
on our team in this drill.)  As with our other
drills, the key to its success doesn't lie in the
drill itself, but in our approach to the drill. 
This is physically one of the toughest drills we
do.  We attempt to motivate our players into a
"feeding frenzy" so that they all want to do is
attack.  A ball-carrier will be easily victimized
in this drill, unless he attacks the Gauntlet
with intensity.  We want our ball-carriers to be
"harbingers of pain" that is, not to be the
victim of a tackler, but to hit the tackler so
that it is the tackler that is victimized.  Backs
are usually "targets" for the aggressive
Linebacker.  We want the aggressive Linebacker to
be the target of our ball-carrier.  We teach our
Backs to hold the football "high and tight" in an
old-school sort of way where both elbows are up
high and out.  He will use his elbows and
forearms as weapons.  When a defender approaches
our ball-carrier, we want our ball-carrier to
launch his elbow and forearm into the defender. 
We have found that by having our Backs use this
approach, more defenders become "fly-by's" or
"almost there's"  (Defenders who either run by
the tackler, or make a fake attempt to make a
tackle.)  When tacklers are the ones getting
"jacked," they are less likely to be as
aggressive.  The Gauntlet Drill develops the
elbow and forearm technique of the ball-carrier. 
It teaches him to hold on to the ball.  It
teaches him to run low with good body lean and it
teaches him to run with high knees as he runs
through the confined tunnel of the Gauntlet. We
have our players form a tunnel, with
approximately 10 players on each side.  They are
the "ball strippers."  We use two Centers and two
QBs one pair on the right side of the tunnel and
one pair on the left side of the tunnel.  The
ball-carriers line up deep and in the middle so
that when they run straight ahead, they can take
the handoff from the QB and run straight up The
Gauntlet.  The Center and QB on the right will
snap the ball and pivot to the left to handoff to
the ball-carrier.  They alternate with the Center
and QB on the left who will pivot to the right to
handoff to the ball-carrier.  QBs will
switch sides and work on their other pivot with
the other Center when handing off the ball.
108
The "ball strippers" will use several techniques
to strip the football loose from the
ball-carrier.  Using one hand only, they might
use a rip (or swim) technique to pop the football
loose.  They can also punch the ball-carrier,
hitting the football, his arm, hand, hip or
ribs.  They can knee the ball-carrier in the
thigh or they can hit him in the back (this is a
common technique as the ball-carrier's body lean
will expose his back).  Waiting for the
ball-carrier at the end of the Gauntlet are two
players with shields and very bad attitudes. 
They try to smash the ball-carrier as the
ball-carrier tries to run them over.  The real
intensity in the drill (and where it can risk
getting out of hand) is if there's a fumble.  The
ball-carrier has to pick up the ball and still
make it through The Gauntlet.  But once he
reaches down to pick up the ball, he's vulnerable
to a "beat down."  Essentially 20 kids are
beating and kneeing him.  This drill starts out
at the beginning of the season with Backs getting
frustrated and tears are shed.  After they get
used to the drill, they just get mean and
physical.  They run through the Gauntlet faster
and more physical, throwing forearms and elbows
and running over anyone who tries to get in their
way. The coaches have to keep a high intensity
atmosphere while also making sure that the drill
doesn't bubble out of control. After the Centers
QBs have practiced their snaps, the Centers get
in the tunnel and the QBs are able to run with
the ball.  At this point, we add another football
so that the ball-carriers must carry two
footballs at the same time (one in each arm)
without fumbling. I like the drill because we are
able to practice the Center/QB exchange, as well
as the QB's handoff to the ball-carrier.  Both
Centers and both QBs get to work with each other
and all of the Backs.  The Backs learn to carry
the ball in an aggressive manner without fumbling
and the ball-strippers learn strip and punch-out
techniques while the shield holders just enjoy
teeing off.
109
2-ON-1 TACKLING DRILL (Tee Time)Ball-Carrier
is on his back. Tacklers stand behind their
cone. On the signal, ball-carrier gets up and
runs straight downfield. Tacklers must round
their cone and come back to make tackle.
Variations to this drill may allow Ball-Carrier
to juke, spin, cut or simply run straight ahead.
Adjustments may include moving the ball-carriers
cone forward or back, or moving the Tacklers
cones forwards or back. Cones should be placed
between 10-15 yards downfield.




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The 10-Yard Fight
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The Executioner