What is a Turnover in Football? (Full Explanation)

ByCoach Martin|Football Basics

In football, offenses try to advance the ball downfield as far as possible so that they can score points.

Scoring in football can be in many different forms, but the offense usually does so by either scoring a touchdown or kicking a field goal.

There are times, though, when they fall short of being able to score, and end up punting the ball away on fourth down.

Offenses do this so that they don’t risk getting back up too far and handing the ball over to the other team deep in their own zone.

Offensive Line Positions in Football (All Positions Explained)

ByCoach Martin|Football Positions

The offensive line is one of the most crucial personnel groupings in all of football.

The “big men” upfront have a huge effect on every offensive play in a game.

They are responsible for protecting the quarterback on passing plays, and for opening up huge holes in the running game so ball carriers can find daylight.

How to Do a Swim Move in Football (5-Step Guide)

ByCoach Martin|Football Basics

There are many different tactics that defenders can use to shed blockers and make their way into open space.

One of the most popular methods of doing so for defensive linemen is the Swim Move.

With this technique, the defender will actually do one thing that goes against some logic when it comes to football — they will be, in a way, going over the top of their blocker rather than staying low the entire time.

What is Cadence in Football? (And How to Use It)

ByCoach Martin|Football Basics

If you’ve ever played the game of football – or watched one closely enough – you’ve probably heard the quarterback run through what seems like a rehearsed set of lines before every play.

That cadence will go something like this:

“Down. Blue 85. Blue 85. Ready. Hike!”

On the word “hike,” the center will snap the ball to the quarterback and the play will begin.

What is 12 Personnel Football? (Full Explanation)

ByCoach Martin|Football Basics

Naming conventions are common in football, as coaches look for ways to quickly identify various things during fast-paced games.

One of the common naming conventions that is the personnel grouping.

These groupings refer to how many players at each position are on the field for a particular play on offense.

What is 11 Personnel Football? (Full Explanation)

ByCoach Martin|Football Basics

Football coaches have come up with naming conventions for just about everything in the game to make things easier to understand on the fly.

By simply calling out a few numbers or a few words, they can accurately and effectively help themselves and everyone else understand a certain situation.

One example of this is the naming convention used to identify positions on the field on offense — generally referred to as personnel groupings.

What is 10 Personnel Football? (Full Explanation)

ByCoach Martin|Football Basics

Football coaches need a way to quickly identify a package of players on the field.

These personnel groupings are important for the offense and the defense, as it allows each to set up the plays they’ll run in a game.

As such, coaches gave personnel groupings certain naming mechanisms based around numbers.

Football Kicker Guide for Serious Players (Tips and Tricks)

ByCoach Martin|Football Positions

Kickers in football don’t get a lot of attention and notoriety — until they make a mistake or win a game with their leg.

This doesn’t mean they’re not important, though — in fact, it’s quite the opposite.

Kickers are so important to the game of football that one simple mistake on their part can turn a game around in the wrong direction.

How to Snap a Football Correctly (8-Step Guide)

ByCoach Martin|Football Basics

Every offensive play in football starts with a snap, yet it’s one of the most overlooked parts of the game.

Those who watch the game simply assume that the snap is just going to happen properly so that the play can start as it’s supposed to.

While this happens more times than not at the upper levels of the game, there are many more issues with the snap at lower levels of football.

What is a Jamboree in Football? (Full Explanation)

ByCoach Martin|Miscellaneous

Youth football teams need extra preparation for each upcoming season.

With so many young players on the team – including many who may be playing the game for the first time – this extra preparation is necessary to get everyone up to speed.

This happens even in high school, where the level of football starts to really step up a significant amount.