Football 101: What You Need To Know To Improve Your Game

My goodness, you love football! You’ve taken the time out to work on your skills by learning from expert advice. This shows what a strong, amazing player you already are, so imagine how great you will become once you amalgamate all of the tips below into your current football strategy!

Football is played by a team, not an individual. You have team members that are there to support you, and you should be there to support you. Therefore, it’s important to play like a team player. Support your team by being a team player instead of a ball hog.

Get your roll down. Everyone on a football team has a role to perform. Don’t be the one person who doesn’t understand that. If you don’t follow through with your role, you’ll be letting your team down. As this is a team sport, it’ll also likely lead to a loss.

A great tip if you’re a runningback or even a receiver, is to run right off the back of a lineman. Your linemen are there for a reason. They’re trying to block a certain player in order to open up a hole for you. Take advantage of that by sticking to them like glue, making the hole wider.

Be smart when playing defense. Don’t try to just out-muscle the offense. Be mindful of runners who might look like they are down, only to see them blow by you. Also keep an eye out for fumbles and yell out “Ball” when they happen. This gives your fellow defenders a chance to get the ball.

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.

Warm up before practicing and working out. Getting sidelined with an injury can mean time off the field, ranging from days or weeks to even entire seasons or life. Your exercises should strengthen muscles that benefit your game, thus building your strength. Just remember to stretch before play.

If you start feeling sick or just “not right”, get off of the football field immediately. Even if it isn’t physical, the fact that you aren’t quite yourself can lead to a serious accident if you aren’t careful. It may mean that you sit out for 10 minutes or more (maybe even the game), but your health is well worth it.

If you and your team are not doing well during game time, you may need to go back to the basics during practice. Sometimes the simplest plays can seem difficult when you are losing. During practice, take the time to go over the basics and relearn how to do them perfectly.

Now, with all of these tips at the ready, start using them as you play. Change your lifestyle as necessary and start to work towards your goals. You already invested your time into reading this article, now make that investment a wise one by using what you’ve learned as often as possible.