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AFM Magazine


Drills Report – Building Pocket Awareness

by: Mike McCarty
Offensive Coordinator Holmes Community College (MS)
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We believe that pocket awareness is one of the most important quarterback skills to develop. I did say develop. We don’t believe that most people are born with the ability to stand in the pocket and wait for people to run into them. We spend fifteen minutes a week during the season working on pocket awareness.

On Monday, we spend five minutes re-enacting the pocket awareness situations that the quarterback should have handled more efficiently from the previous game. On Tuesday, we use five minutes of our individual time on pocket awareness. The last five minutes is used during Friday’s practice. We speed through all of our pocket awareness drills with great tempo to simulate game speed.

We’ve put together a group of drills that will enhance the quarterback’s ability to avoid the pass rush. We implement these drills with the end result first. Once the end result is mastered, we move to the entire technique. We always start with a walk, jog, and run progression. Keep in mind the speed, angle and timing of each drill. We don’t perform a drill without examining the most realistic way of implementing it. 

We also need to define pressure. Pressure is any time a defender can reach out and touch the quarterback in the pocket. We teach our quarterbacks how to feel pressure and react properly to it. We use a three-step reaction process that will take him out of harms way and allow for the execution of his assignment.

Three-Step Reaction Drill

The first step is called the ‘Push Step.’ The QB pushes hard with his foot against the ground. He then reaches with the opposite foot as far as possible away from the side pressure that is being applied. He will recover after the push step with two ‘Balance Steps.’ These will be quick baby steps. We want to make sure he doesn’t drift away after he has executed his escape.

Directional Drill – The coach will point in the direction he wants the three-step reaction to start: left, right, front and back (See Diagrams 1-3).

Diagram 1.

Diagram 2.


Diagram 3.

High Shoulder Drill – The defender will rush to the high shoulder of the QB with his arm extended. He touches the QB’s high shoulder when he arrives. The QB will use his three-step reaction away from the side the touch occurred. The QB’s eyes are on the defender as he approaches. Once the QB reacts properly, we have the QB react to the rusher just before he touches his shoulder. Once mastered, the QB now moves his eyes to a fixed target downfield as he executes the three-step reaction. He should feel the pressure, not see it (See Diagram 4).

Diagram 4.

Low Shoulder Drill – The defender will rush underneath or towards the low shoulder of the QB. Instead of using the three-step reaction process away from pressure, we teach him to step toward it. This allows the blocker to stay between himself and the quarterback (See Diagrams 5 and 6).

Diagram5.


Diagram 6.

Front and Back Drill – Two defenders rush the quarterback at the same time. They come from each side of the QB, working towards his upfield shoulder. The QB uses his three-step reaction process stepping forward (See Diagram 7).

Diagram 7.

High and Low Drill – Two defenders will rush the QB at off-set intervals. The first defender works the low shoulder of the QB while the other defender works his high shoulder. Change the timing and speed to get the desired effect. The QB will have to react twice in this drill. The coach should send the first rusher and then, after a slight delay, bring the second rusher (See Diagram 8).


Diagram 8.


Exercise Ball – During 7-on-7 drills, use a large exercise ball that rolls at the QB at different intervals of his drop and progression. Keep him guessing by not using the ball at every drop.

OL/DL Pass Rush – During the OL/DL pass rush drills, send a QB down once a week to practice his reaction drills.

Take A Hit

    We teach our quarterbacks when to take the hit from a defender, run from a defender, or throw away from a defender. Teaching quarterbacks when to throw a ball away or run is critical. Here are two drills you can use:

TAH Drill – We set this drill up first by having a spot receiver, five, ten, or fifteen yards away. He will be stationary at first but can be a moving target later on. The coach will be holding a hand shield stationed at any one of three angles. He will be in the middle, the right or the left of the quarterback simulating angles of defenders rushing the quarterback. The quarterback will take his drop and the coach will release the ball while being hit with the bag or bouncing in the pocket waiting to be hit by the bag (See Diagram 9).

Diagram 9.

TA Drill – We incorporate the same drill as the ‘take a hit’ drill but put a defender in front of the spot or moving receiver. The coach will coordinate how he wants the to react on the quarterback’s drop. The defender will stay in coverage and the quarterback will have to throw the ball away. If the defender falls out of coverage, the quarterback will take the hit and throw the ball to the open receiver. We do this drill at all angles and route depths (See Diagram 10).

Diagram 10.


Ball Security

    We teach our quarterbacks how to react with the ball when being hit or tackled in the pocket. Here are two additional drills:

Slap Drill – This teaches the quarterback to keep the ball in the middle of his chest with two hands on the ball during the drop and while in the pocket. Creativity is always good with this drill. First, we use a gauntlet type drill with the other quarterbacks lined up on the quarterback’s drop path. As the quarterback drops and sets up, each one will slap as he passes by. We will also have the quarterback involved during 7-on-7 drills and will try to slap the ball away from him (See Diagram 11).

Diagram 11.

Dip Drill – This drill teaches the quarterback to protect the ball when he is being hit. We have seen rushers pass the QB, grabbing at his throwing arm, coming over the top of his arms to tackle him, and tackling the QB from behind. This drill will create muscle memory for these situations helping the QB protect the ball. When the QB gets hit, he will pull the ball down and away to his lower chest while bending hard at the waist to cover the ball (See Diagram 12).

Diagram 12.


About the Author:  Mike McCarty recently joined the Holmes Community College staff as the offensive coordinator. He previously was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Bryant University. McCarty began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, the University of Oregon. He has also coached at Hofstra, Troy, and Nicholls State.






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