Hot Football How-Tos « Football

How To: Memorize your football playbook

Improve your football game and your value to the team by memorizing and ready to execute your football playbook. Standard memorizing tools like flash cards and practice will help get you through any size playbook.

How To: Play football

Learn how to play football with advanced tips and training techniques for running backs, wide receivers, and special teams players in this free football training video series.

How To: Do the Double Wing Offense for Youth/Pee-Wee Football

In this tutorial, learn how to arrange a double wing offense for your kids' football team. This strategy is easy for kids to understand and will help you win your games. You can use this offensive lineup in any type of football, but it's great for a pee-wee league. Check it out and be undefeated!

How To: Teach Blocking Fundamental for Young Football Players

Blocking is the single most important part of offensive football. Before there was passing or catching, there was blocking, and it is the only thing that is a part of every single offensive play on the field. This video for youth football coaches demonstrates the fundamental of proper blocking and how to teach these fundamentals to young football players.

How To: Coach Pee Wee Football (Children Ages 7 and 8)

Believe it or not, coaching peewee football can actually be harder than coaching major league ball. Adults, with their overblown egos, are usually hard to work with, but children can be even tougher to deal with. Adults are focused. Kids are not. So, if you want to learn how to become a better sports coach for the little ones, this video will show you how.

How To: Do jumping jacks with crunches for football training

A super set of combination jumping jacks and crunches is a great warm-up for conditioning exercises. Learn how to perform jumping jacks with crunches from a professional trainer in this workout video tutorial.

How To: Catch a football properly

While there are many different ways to catch a football pass, the general idea is to keep your arms and hands up and out in front of you.

How To: Catch a football step by step

This how to video shows you how to catch a football properly with Vinny. This will be useful if you always drop your catches when tossing a football around. First, you will want to keep your eye on the ball. Next, extend your arms towards the ball. From there, make a target for the thrower. This will make it easier for them to throw the ball to you. Next, tuck and run once you catch the ball. Practice these steps all together until you can catch the football each time you are thrown one. This...

How To: Do a flea-flicker football play

Catch a good pass defense off-guard with the classic flea-flicker. Tip: Once the defense sees the running back with the ball, they'll think it's a running play and lose track of the receivers. Did you know? University of Illinois coach Bob Zuppke is credited for inventing the flea flicker in the 1910's.

How To: Control the line of scrimmage

While everyone wants to run or pass the football, it's the five members of the offensive line who make that happen. They block for the running back and protect a quarterback. If you have linemen who can dominate the line of scrimmage, then you can win a game of football. Control the line of scrimmage.

How To: Practice switching hands football drills

Learn how to hold the ball correctly and switch hands while running with the football.

How To: Play linebacker in football

In this instructional video series, learn how to play linebacker. Understand how the game works, with an introduction to the basic rules and objectives, as well as a rundown of the offensive and defensive positions on the field. Lessons also include skills and techniques for beginner offensive and defensive players: how to carry the ball, throw a pass, block effectively, punt, and make a solid hand off.

How To: Understand the 60 football base defense

You can learn the 60 football base defense. It is a great defense for youth football, but everything changes when you blitz. Corners stay at home, linebackers take a step back, and safeties play pass only.

How To: Draft a fantasy football team in ESPN Fantasy Football leagues

This video from ESPN walks you through the different draft modes available for picking a fantasy football team using the ESPN fantasy football site. The different draft modes available are:

How To: Track your team's score live in ESPN Fantasy Football on your mobile device

If you want to track your fantasy football team's performance on game days, take a look at this video from ESPN discussing the Fantasy Cast application on the iPad or computer and the mobile webpage that will allow you to track your team's points instantly, across all games that are occuring on that day. No matter what, you'll be able to know how your ESPN fantasy football team is performing.

How To: Join or create a league in ESPN Fantasy Football

If you're interested in joining or creating a fantasy football league, take a look at this guide on how to use leagues in ESPN Fantasy Football and learn the differences between the leagues. You can choose to play in a public or private league, depending on if you want to limit your fantasy league to your friends and family or if you want to play against other team owners you meet online.

How To: Understand the basic rules for football

With the Superbowl approaching, you might be wondering what the rules of football actually are. This video gives you the basic rules for the game, how to score points, what a penalty is and how to score a basic touchdown.

How To: Throw a football against the blitz

In this tutorial, we learn how to throw a football against the blitz. First, start with some extension drills. Do these by using a piece of PVC pipe held at shoulder level so the thrower keeps their shoulder over where the pipe is at. This will help the thrower feel the power of the triceps. In a normal throwing environment, the quarterback must follow through inside the left leg to prevent them from injury. The next drill is to help the player feel someone against them in a rush. To do this,...

How To: Properly throw a football

This video tutorial is in the Sports category which will show you how to properly throw a football. First ensure the football is the correct size for the thrower's hand. You can't throw without a proper grip. To get a proper grip the middle finger should be on and parallel to the white stripe on the football. The 4th and 5th fingers should be on the laces. The index finger must be separated from the middle finger and be parallel to the seam. While throwing, the thumb should be pointing downwa...

How To: Throw a football basics

In this tutorial, we learn how to throw a football by learning the basics. Basic fundamentals will help you throw the ball properly and play better. Your grip is the key to playing football correctly. The ball should be help by the thumb with the other fingers on the opposite side. There should be air underneath the palm in the middle of the side of the ball. As you release the ball, you will see the last finger that touches the ball is the pointer finger. Practice holding the ball correctly,...

How To: Kick a field goal and win the game

Jerry Phillips teaches us how to kick a field goal in this tutorial. To begin, take three steps behind the football that is laying flat on the ground. Next, take two steps to the left. After this, kick the ball half way on the ball towards the bottom half. You want to hit the bone on your foot in just the correct spot and not hit your toes when you are kicking. With practice, you can kick a field goal in no time. Just keep practicing the placement of your foot and what part of it you use to k...

How To: Coach Young Football Players to Stay Low at the Line

Football is a dangerous sport, but playing smart and safe is the key to making sure you're not being hauled of the football field on a stretcher or in a neck brace. It's not one-hundred percent preventable, but how do you minimize the risk of potential deadly injuries to young football players? This video will show coaches a few drills to teach their young athletes to minimize catastrophic neck injuries. And the key is staying low at the line.

How To: Coach Young Football Players to Long Snap the Ball

One of the most overlooked aspects of the game of football is long snapping, despite the fact that its easy to learn, and its easy to perform correctly and consistently. Failure to properly long snap is what causes failure in most football games, so learning the technique in this video will help you coach your children youth players. Learning how to long snap is especially important for punting the ball.

How To: Do a football curl drill with Drew Bennet

Curls are one of the most effective pass patterns used in football. When done properly they are deceptive and create tons of space between receiver and defender. This video features NFL wide receiver Drew Bennet doing curl drills with young players and explaining to them the advantages of the curl route. Watch this video, then get out there and run some drills!

How To: Improve you interception instincts with Donnie Edwards

One of the best ways for a defensive player to make a big play is making an interception. This is generally the purvey of defensive backs, but some of the best linebackers are great at intercepting the ball as well. This video features NFL linebacker Donnie Edwards working on interception instincts with some young players at a camp. Increase your impact on the game by following these tips.

How To: Do side-to-side shuffle drills with Lawrence Timmons

Linebacker is one of the most demanding positions in football, requiring strength, speed, intelligence, and skill. This video features NFL linebacker Lawrence Timmons running through side-to-side shuffle drills with some young linebackers, which will improve their mobility and allow them to avoid blockers more proficiently.

How To: Take on blocks with Donnie Edwards

Donnie Edwards is one of the premier linebackers in the NFL. In this video, he teaches some young linebackers how to take on a block from a offensive lineman properly, allowing you to get more penetration when rushing the quarterback or get to the runner if attempting to make an open field tackle.

How To: Do a zig zag running drill with Reggie Bush

Reggie Bush was one of the most exciting and talented players in the history of college football. In this video, he imparts some of this running back skills to younger players by teaching them the zigzag running drill. In this drill, player zig and zag in pairs, with one facing backwards and having to react to the other while navigating a set of cones.

How To: Keep yourself from being stripped of the football

Fumbling the ball is the most embarrassing thing that a running back can do on the football field. This video features NFL skills instructors demonstrating one good drill for teaching ball protection skills: having the running back player run through a gauntlet of other players who will all try to strip the ball from them.

How To: Take a football hit with Shaun Alexander

Shaun Alexander was a great NFL running back for a long time. In this video, he takes some time out of his schedule to provide advice to young running back on how to take a hit. This is one of the biggest parts of a running back's job, so learning how to do it properly is crucial.

How To: Secure the football with Shaun Alexander

Shaun Alexander was an amazingly productive NFL running back. In this video, he takes some time to explain for young running backs how to hold the ball properly, protecting it from the defense and potential fumbles. Proper finger positioning and placing the body between opponents and the ball are both crucial elements.

How To: Do a three step drop pattern lesson with Colt McCoy

Colt McCoy is poised to become one of the next great quarterback in the NFL. In this video, he works at a football camp, teaching quarterbacks like you how to do a three-step drop more effectively. The three-step drop is the basis of most quarterbacks movement, so doing it properly is key, and doing the drill in this video will help you do just that.

How To: Do pregame throwing drills with Peyton Manning

This short video features all-time-great NFL quarterback Peyton Manning describing one of the steps in his pregame warmup routine. It involves throwing the ball with your feet static and close together. This get the arm as warm as possible by taking the leg action out of throwing the ball.

How To: Do a sprint out station football drill

Rolling out of the pocket is one of the most dangerous but effective things that a quarterback can do during a football game. This video outlines a drill for quarterbacks, called the out station drill, that helps quarterbacks get used to rolling out and throwing on the run. Quarterbacks have to do this all the time, so practice it!

How To: Grip a football properly with Peyton Manning

Petyon Manning is the greatest pure passer of the football playing quarterback in the world today. In this short video, Peyton offers some tips for aspiring quarterbacks on how to grip a football correctly, how to handle a snap, and how to throw a tight spiral. You may not do these things as consistently as Peyton after watching this video, but if you practice enough, who knows?

How To: Coach Youth Football with Buddy Curry

Coaching youth football is a mammoth challenge for the inexperienced. In this video, NFL Rookie-of-the-Year award recipient Buddy Curry offers some tips on how to coach youth football players. These include mastering a small group of plays instead of being okay at a wide variety of plays, as well as practicing fundamentals daily and dealing effectively with the parents of your athletes.

How To: Properly Fit Shoulder Pads for Youth Football Players

The shoulder pads and helmet are the iconic pieces of gear that every football player wears in every game. This video teaches you, as a football coach or parent of a football player, how to make sure your charge or charges wear properly fitting shoulder pad to maximize safety. As the video says, the shoulder pads are the easiest piece of football equipment to fit, but making sure they fit properly is still vitally important to prevent injuries to the chest and shoulders.

How To: Fit a Helmet for a Youth Football Player

The helmet is the most important part of football padding and safety equipment, especially in light of recent research into the prevalence and lasting effects of concussions on football players. This video features an explanation of how to properly select and fit a helmet for young football player. As it says, the most important thing is proper tightness, as a loose helmet is a leading cause of concussions.

How To: Use Spread Offense to Improve a Youth Football Team

The spread offense is the newest, most exciting offense to come out of college football. It creates a lot of exciting big plays and confounds more old-fashioned defensive formations and coaching. This video explains some of the basic formations and techniques of the spread offense so that you can use it to improve the performance of you 11-12 year old's football team. If Jim Tressel can't figure out how to stop it, the opposing coach that you are facing in your youth's league probably won't b...

How To: Manage a Youth Football Game Properly as a Coach

For many youth football coaches, especially those who lack experience, managing a game can be a massive challenge. This video features tips from a real high school football coach on how to manage a game effectively. These include making sure that every player knows where they need to be at all times, keeping written notes of what is going on in the game, and keeping your head in tough in-game situations.