By Coach Martin | Football Drills
One of the most important skills a defensive player needs to learn in football is pursuit.
After mastering the ‘basics’ (proper formation, exploding out of a stance, and basic tackling), they need to learn how to pursue ball carriers.
The basic skills teach players how to get in the proper position to make tackles — and then properly wrap up and take ball carriers down.
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By Coach Martin | Football Basics
The 2-point stance is one of three main stances players will align themselves in before the snap of the ball.
The other are the 3-point stance and the 4-point stance.
Linebackers and members of the defensive secondary have long used this stance.
But, in recent years, the 2-point stance has become very popular, especially for edge rushers on defense.
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By Coach Martin | Football Basics
The 4-point stance is one of three main stances players align themselves in before the snap of the ball.
The other are the 2-point stance and the 3-point stance.
Different players use each stance for different reasons, and each have their pros and cons.
The 4-point stance is often used most by defensive linemen, especially in goal line and short-yardage situations.
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By Coach Martin | Football Plays
There are some trick plays in football that an offense can try in the hopes of executing a big play.
These plays are, by design, made to look as one thing but then ultimately end up as something completely different.
One of these trick plays is the Hook and Ladder.
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By Coach Martin | Football Plays
In football, offenses have to find ways to keep defenses off-balance.
If the offense becomes too one-sided (either by passing too much or running too much), then they become predictable and easier to stop.
By instituting a balanced attack, offenses will be able to keep defenses guessing.
Doing so will hopefully allow them to gain more yardage.
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By Coach Martin | Football Offense
Most youth football teams run the ball way more than they pass.
Because of this, teams run offensive formations that are heavy on blockers and runners in the backfield.
Teams doing so sub out wide receivers for these players.
The Power I Formation is one of the formations that does just this.
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By Coach Martin | Football Basics
In the last few years, football leagues have been trying to crack down on plays that have a high chance of causing serious injuries.
This is especially true for those that could result in a serious head injury.
As a result, the NFL, college football, and even other levels have instituted a new rule called Targeting.
This is a great new rule that really seeks to eliminate hard hits to an opponent’s head, which is a serious cause for concern.
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By Coach Martin | Coaching
A lot of attention in football gets put on a team’s head coach.
Much of the final credit and/or blame for how a team performs falls in the lap of the head coach.
There’s good reason for that, too, as they are ultimately responsible for everything that happens with the team.
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By Coach Martin | Football Routes
An Out Route is one of the basic passing routes all football receivers learn.
It’s a relatively simple route to teach, but it takes a lot of skill, practice, and precision to run effectively.
The “out route” is a passing route that starts out looking like a deep route down the field, only to end up with the receiver finishing out toward the sideline.
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By Coach Martin | Football Offense
What once was a formation in football reserved only for pass-heavy teams or passing situations is now used prolifically throughout football.
We’re talking about the Shotgun formation.
Here, the quarterback lines up about 5-7 yards behind the center instead of crouching down directly behind.
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