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How do I Choose the Best Football Agility Drills?
Football players need to develop agility to be able to run around obstacles as well as stop and change directions quickly. Some of the most common football agility drills are so closely associated with the sport that they have made their way into movies and televisions shows; the football player running through a set of tires, or a football player running sprints and changing directions, for example. These football agility drills are so closely associated with the sport because they work so well, but they are not the only drills a player can benefit from at practice. Ladder drills are a common agility drill that can be worked into every practice for a football team.
Ladder drills involve the use of a ladder, of course, but the same drills can be executed using evenly spaced pieces of wood or plastic cones. Lay the ladder down on the ground and have the football players line up about 15 to 20 feet (4.5 to 6 meters)from one end. The players will then run toward the ladder one at a time; once a player reaches the ladder, he must place one foot in between each set of rungs until he reaches the end of the ladder. Once he has reached the end, he will sprint to a cone placed several yards away and stop as quickly as possible. The player can also reach the cone and change direction quickly, sprinting to another cone placed several yards away.
Ladders can be used for other football agility drills as well. The same initial setup described above can be done for another ladder drill in which the player will shuffle to the side until he reaches the ladder. Once at the ladder, he must shuffle to the other end of the ladder moving sideways. Once he reaches the far end of the ladder, the player will turn and sprint to a cone placed several yards away. When choosing football agility drills such as ladder drills, be sure to take into consideration the safety of your players. Make sure they are wearing proper safety equipment at all times.
Choose football agility drills that will help the players develop speed, but also stopping power. Part of football is being able to change directions quickly, so simple sprints from cone to cone can help immensely; enhance such drills by having the players switch directions once they reach the cone. Sprints also help develop quickness off the line, which is important for wide receivers and other players who must move down field quickly.
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![Sprinting is a common part of conditioning drills.]()
By: bercSprinting is a common part of conditioning drills. -
![A receiver might use ladder drills to increase agility.]()
By: Richard KaneA receiver might use ladder drills to increase agility. -
![The best football agility drills will develop speed, as well as stopping power, which is also important for most football players.]()
By: Melinda NagyThe best football agility drills will develop speed, as well as stopping power, which is also important for most football players. -
![Sprints can improve speed and agility, which is critical for sports such as football.]()
By: bonninturinaSprints can improve speed and agility, which is critical for sports such as football.
Discussion Comments
My son is determined to lay football. Honestly, I would rather be searching for soccer drills for him to learn rather than football drills, but as a parent I think I have to let him go in his own direction on this one, and help him as much as I can.
His playing football scares me because of all of the serious injuries that can happen in the sport, but the better he is prepared physically the better chance he will not get injured.
@Feryll - Yes, there is a lot of new equipment to help players work on football drills and the muscle training and development they need to play the sport. However, while the equipment has changed the exercises are still basically the same as they were decades ago.
A kid who is serious about developing football agility can go home and set up his own exercise equipment to mimic the exercise equipment that the team has at the practice field in his own backyard. You don't need any fancy equipment. The old tires are good enough. You simply need to know the skills you need to be developing and then do the simple exercises that develop those skills.
I help coach the local high school football team. I am an assistant, and this is my first season helping out. I Played football in high school, and I was a decent player, but that's been several years back.
When I was playing, we had tires and the basic practice equipment at my high school, but I was surprised on the first day of practice as an assistant coach when I saw all of the equipment the kids have just for practice and skills testing now.
In my opinion one of the best exercises for football training is running on the lose sand on the beach. If you have ever done this you know how much of a strain this puts on your entire body, but especially your legs. Also, this calls for no special equipment. Unfortunately, we don't live close enough to a beach so that we can have our players do this type of training.
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