New people get introduced to football each day but they get confused as to why the game is played the way it is. They are perplexed about the rules and don’t know why the players do certain things. If you feel that you are in the dark about football and want to understand it completely, read on and get educated about football.
Don’t concern yourself over your weight immediately. You may think that you need to gain a ton of weight to be a great football player, but really all you are doing is becoming fat and slow. More important is your conditioning. You want to be able to perform with the weight on you, so consider adding weight on slowly and with a good fitness plan.
Make learning a part of your football regimen. Too many people think sports like football is all about being physical. Your brain is just as important. You need to exercise your mind to be able to learn your team’s patterns and make split second decisions. It’s brains and brawn that are important in football.
When your child plays football, make sure he wears the proper helmet to avoid injuries. The helmet should have an outer shell made of hard plastic and the padding should be thick. It should also have a face mask that’s rigid and a chin strap containing a protective chin cup. The chin strap should always be snug and fastened when playing.
A great practice tip if you’re an offensive or defensive lineman is to practice hitting the sled as often as you can. The sled is basically a slab of metal with padding on the end to represent the opposing line. You rush it and push it as you would when in a real game.
Take every chance you can to study football footage, but when you can, study footage of yourself. Try and see yourself through an opponent’s eyes. Look for tells or signs of what you are about to do, as well as habits you have that are predictable. Always have a way to keep your opponent guessing.
If you want to do well late game, make sure that interval training is a regular part of your cardio. This is basically alternating high-speed and low-speed laps or timed intervals within your overall running session. Doing this will help you keep up a consistent energy level throughout the whole game, meaning that coach can count on you in the fourth quarter.
Learning to block when you have the ball is essential to scoring points. You cannot grab hold of the defender’s jersey while blocking. To help ensure you do not get a call of holding, always keep your hands off of the defender by only using your forearms during a block.
If you are just getting started in football training, or are returning after a period of abstinence, stick with exercises that strengthen a wide variety of muscles at the same time. This will give you the overall body strength you need to later progress into isolation exercises for specific strengths.
Learn the proper way to hold a football when throwing. When you throw the football, your pinkie and ring fingers should cross the laces and your thumb should be underneath the ball. The palm of your hand should not make contact with the ball. Hold the ball loosely and point your feet towards your intended target.
Knowing all about the positions is very important aspect of the game. There are eight. Positions on defense include a defensive tackle and end, nose tackle, cornerback and two each of safeties and outside linebackers. In some cases, a 4-3 game will have only one linebacker and two people playing as outside linebackers. Then, in some 3-4 games, there will be two people playing as inside linebackers and another two people who will be outside linebackers. Safety positions include free safety and strong safety.
Never use your body to try to catch the ball. Instead keep your hands away from your body and form a diamond with your hands. As the ball nears you, lean and catch the ball and tuck it into your body to help protect it from coming loose during a play.
Become a student of the game prior to taking your place on the field. Understand the rules and you will play better. You can learn about football by watching a game on television, picking up a book on the subject or even going and watching your local high school football team play.
There may be times when it is more effective to run the ball even though there are receivers open. Learning to know when to change a play is important for any quarterback. If you are running a passing play and spot an opening, power run up the opening to gain the maximum yardage.
Learn how to properly tie your football cleats. Many players sustain ankle injuries because their football cleats are not tied tight enough. A football cleat should fit like a glove to offer the best protection to your feet and ankles. Always pull the laces as tight as possible for added protection.
Have fun while you play. You shouldn’t be playing a sport when it is no longer fun. Rather than focus on the outcome of the game, pay closer attention to how much you love the game. This will bring you the joy you need to be passionate about the game.
Consider engaging in other sports to better your football play. For example, wrestling can speed up your foot work, build your mental strength and even allow you to take impacts with less of a shock. From hand-eye coordination to better explosive movements, wrestling can do the trick to improve your game.
For many people who watch football it is hard to follow the sport because they don’t understand why the players do certain things. Now that you’ve had the chance to read a good article about football, you should not be in the dark any longer. Hopefully the light bulb went off and you can see why football is a lot of fun to watch.
