As the old saying goes, practice makes perfect. This can be said for just about anything, from getting good grades to winning football games. Running an unending series of football practice drills can get a little stale after awhile, especially if the players are forced to do the same drills day in and day out.

This is a great football practice drill for high school students since it is perfect for both the experienced and inexperienced player. It builds up good defensive skills while allowing your players to practice the feeling of playing with their pads on, which many young players find a little strange at first, especially if they have never worn such equipment before in their touch football experiences. Many players on my team like this football practice drill so much they request it just about any time possible!

To set up these football practice drills, take a group of about 10 players, though you can use as many as 15, and have them line up single file. The first player in the line up plays the role of defender. In order to do so, he must advance 10 yards from the rest of the line and turn around to face his teammates. On either side of him is a cone approximately 5 yards apart. The final step to setting up the drill is to give the football to the last player in the line.

As the football practice drill begins, the first player in the line runs at the defender, aiming to hit him. The defender’s task is to shed the hit. Let your players know that it is okay for the attacker to hit the defender, but as soon as the shed and peel off is made, it is his job to get out of the way for the next attacker. Once you get to the last player in the line, the one with the football, he is to run between the cones where he is tackled by the defender. Then the entire squad rotates as the defender picks up the football to become the last member of the line up and the first person to make the hit becomes the new defender.

The focus on this drill is not to hit as hard as possible; rather have your players focus on speed, aggressiveness and contact when hitting. If the defender is able to shed and peel off each successive attacker, he gets a point. Tally the points all season and at the end of the year the one with the most points wins a prize, be it a trophy, bragging rights or a steak dinner courtesy of his fellow players.

As with any football practice drills that involve hard hitting, make sure at least one coach devotes his entire focus to this drill while it takes place. Always run it at a grassy spot free from hazards such as rocks or divots in the ground. If safety becomes an issue and it appears as if a player may be in danger, make sure to stop the drill immediately.