Touch Football Training Drills

You don't have to be a pro to enjoy American football.

When looking to improve the skills of a touch football team, coaches can utilize many of the same drills used in regular football and flag football as the theory behind the motion is the same. Most of football drills teach players about evading other players or misdirecting those out to "touch" them.

Square Cut Drill

A square cut can be quite effective in touch football as it makes the defenders move in the wrong direction. As it only requires a touch for the ball to be down, this drill can help a running back get through some tight situations.

To run the Square Cut Drill, position four cones equally apart. The running back runs toward the cone; when he reaches it, he cuts, moving toward the cone 90 degrees in the other direction but looks as though he is moving forward. This drill starts at half speed but with each move the player should speed up.

Release, Go Route, Catch High Drill

For wide receivers, consider running a Release, Go Route, Catch High Drill. In this drill the wide receiver runs his route as if he is going to catch a regular pass. When he lines up with the defender, the receiver pulls a "swim" move, which makes his arm go left when he moves right. This frees the path for him to move unblocked to catch a pass high in the air instead of the normal chest level.

To run the drill, pit one wide receiver against a defender while the quarterback throws a high pass when the player gets past the defender.

Run and Gun Drill

Run and Gun can be another effective drill for touch football as players learn the running routes, as well as work on how to pass the ball. Each player rotates through being quarterback, defensive back and receiver.

If your team is divided into three groups, the outside groups will run square out patterns, which means running straight and then suddenly toward the outside out-of-bounds line. The middle receiver should run a buttonhook, which means running and then suddenly turning in to catch the ball.

Scoop Drill

To practice ball recovery, run a scoop drill, also known as a dump/roll ball drill. Set up five cones in a straight line. The player starts at the first cone, runs to the second cone and scoops up a ball quickly passing it to his left to a player standing there. That player then charges toward the third marker and the first player tries to pull off a touch before the player drops the ball. If he does not complete the touch, he scoops the ball and repeats the process to the end of the cones.

References

• Football Plays and Drills
• Football Babble: Flag Football Drills
• Physical Education Studies: Washington