Playing Wide Receiver

1
Playing Wide Receiver

• The basic essential tools to learning the
  position

2
Keys Fundamentals

• Stance Release
• Precision Routes
• Catching the Ball
• Blocking

3
Stance

• The basic 2-point stance (2 feet touching the
  ground, and no hands) is with a natural forward
  body lean, and your knees slightly bent.
• Arms should be at your side in a comfortable
  position.
• The receivers feet should be slightly pigeon toed
  and streamlined. The length of your stance stride
  should resemble your normal walking stride or
  gait.
• Your head and eyes should always be watching the
  football, so you should never be offsides.
• After you are lined up, you should check with the
  official by asking or pointing to him to check if
  you are legally aligned. Depending on the play,
  most of the time if you have a tight end on your
  side, you are off of the line.

4
Release

• Release refers to how the receiver explodes off
  the line of scrimmage on the snap. 
• It's important to start fast and be efficient. 
  To that end the first movement must be forward.
• Receivers can squeeze their toes on the front
  step and imagine themselves like a spring.  On
  the snap they are going to launch themselves
  forward stepping out with their back foot. 

5
Routes

• ROUTE STEM The objective of the stem of the
  route is to confirm the defenses coverage (zone
  or man) and to gain desired position and
  direction relative to the defender, and set up
  your move and separating technique by changing
  speed either bursting or showing phony
  acceleration.
• MOVE AND SEPARATION The objective of this part
  of our route is to create illusions, get the
  defender turned, make your break and accelerate
  to gain separation from the defender. To gain
  separation, "Stab" (stick foot hard in the ground
  on break) the defender with our foot and forehead
  opposite the direction you are breaking. On some
  routes we will animate to the defender to create
  and illusion to the defensive back that we are
  continuing to go deep. This means the wide out
  will exaggerate his arm and feet drive, sink his
  hips, and look vertically.
• BREAK To make a break the receiver must work
  everything from a forward body lean and stay low.
  Sink your hips and bend your knees to lower your
  center of gravity and to create power producing
  angles with your body. You must stay down and
  keep your arms pumping from the shoulders. You
  must accelerate faster coming out of a break than
  when you entered your break. When you break,
  explode out of the break, accelerating away from
  the defender to create separation. You then must
  snap your head around as soon as you plant your
  foot look for the ball.

6
Catching the Ball

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and
  your knees slightly bent.
• Raise and outstretch your arms, leaving your
  elbows bent slightly and in front of your chest.
  Your hands should be at about head level.
• Bring your hands together, touching the thumbs
  and index fingers. The space in between should
  resemble a spade on a playing card.
• Catch the nose of the ball within that shape.
  Keep your hands soft when you contact the ball -
  pretend it's an egg.
• Bring your arms in and cradle the ball when you
  run by placing one end in the crook of your elbow
  and clutching the other end with your hand, the
  nose of the ball between your first and middle
  fingers. Hold the ball tight against your body.
• Video How to Catch a Football Three Steps to
  Catching a Football from ExpertVillage

7
Blocking

• Wide receivers do more than simply catch the
  ball. They are also integral parts of the running
  game. A big block downfield can mean the
  difference between a big play, possibly a
  touchdown, and simply another first down.

8
Essentials to blocking

• Angle
• Breaking down
• Stalk block
• Effort

9
Angles

• the receiver's angle off the LOS is the most
  important part of run blocking.
• The WR must attempt to get an inside-out (1/0)
  leverage block on all run plays. That means the
  WR must keep his backside between the ball and
  the defender.
• DB's inside number can provide a good aiming
  point for the play-side WR.
• With proper angles off the LOS, a WR can ensure
  proper positioning for the breakdown position and
  the block.

10
Break Down

• The break-down position occurs after the WR has
  achieved an inside angle on his path to block the
  DB. The question now is when does the receiver
  break down the block?
• As he releases off the line on an inside leverage
  path, the receiver must train his eyes on the DB.
  If the DB is in his back-pedal or has turned and
  is running with the WR, the block does not have
  to be made while the DB is occupied.
• Occupying or running off the DB is as good as a
  block, but if the DB takes a bucket step or drop
  step, the WR must realize that the DB has read
  run and the WR must break down and block. The
  rule for a receiver is to achieve 1/0 leverage
  and buzz his feet when the DB takes a bucket step
  or drop step.

11
Stalk Block

• The stalk block is achieved while in the
  breakdown Position. This is an athletic position
  with the thumbs together near the breast plates
  and the feet buzzing.
• The WR does not go to the DB. He lets the DB come
  to him. As the DB establishes contact, the WR
  must keep I/0 leverage and punch the DB's outside
  number, then retreat back into his breakdown
  stance.
• As the DB creates contact again, the WR must
  punch and retreat again. If the WR cannot keep
  1/0 leverage and the DB gets head up to the WR,
  the WR must press the DB's outside number to set
  up the block for the running back.
• The WR will be able to make the stalk block as
  long as he breaks down, remains patient, and does
  not over-extend.

12
Effort

• The one sure fire thing to blocking is maximum
  effort the desire to block your man not let
  him get around you !!