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AFM Magazine


Drills Report: Pursuing Perfect Ball Security

by: Steve Heck
Wide Receivers Coach • Kutztown University
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While blocking and tackling are commonly seen as the two key building blocks of any football program, the most important fundamental of offensive football is ball security. Without possession of the ball, the offensive unit is not on the field. While that may seem like a simplistic and obvious statement, the importance of securing the football is at times an overlooked fundamental in today’s game. Ball security in its basic form is preventing and eliminating fumbles by ball carriers.

For the 2013 season, Kutztown University’s running backs did not fumble. The running backs carried the ball 245 times and pulled in 20 passes without a fumble. The wide receiver unit also did not fumble during the 2013 season. The wide receivers accounted for 257 receptions and two carries without a fumble. That is 524 total touches by the running backs and wide receivers without a fumble.

Ball security is a fundamental that must be practiced on the field, discussed in meetings and reinforced in film study. Like any other fundamental it can and must be coached, taught, developed and improved. In recent years, defensive coaches have done a superior job of coaching ball disruption. It is time to develop some answers to the turnover circuit that has become popular among defensive coaches at all levels.

We have identified four key themes that exist as building blocks for coaching ball security. The first and most obvious theme is carrying the ball high and tight. This is not a revolutionary concept, but it still must be constantly reinforced as a fundamental skill. It is not natural for players to run with the ball high and tight. Also, it is important to discuss that high and tight means having one pressure point with the ball glued to the chest and the forearm going north/south like an axis rather than east/west.

The Agility Strip Drill is an important part of teaching high and tight ball carriage. This drill involves players on each side of the agility bags stripping at the footballs. The ball carrier has a ball in each arm as he executes a high knee action over the bags, up and back through the drill (Diagram 1).


The second theme is practicing sound ball security in awkward, yet game-condition situations. Jump cuts, tight spin moves, weaving through defenders, and hurdling people are all maneuvers that ball carriers use in a game. Yet these same moves can be ball security nightmares if they are not drilled properly. It is critical to drill all these situations and mandate that the ball carrier keep the ball high and tight throughout each of these maneuvers.

The ball often gets disconnected from the body during jump cuts, spins and hurdle moves. Both the Circle Weave and Sideline Gauntlet drills are designed to keep the ball connected to the body during various open field maneuvers. For the Circle Weave Drill space 8-10 players in a big circle. Two ball carriers practice game speed maneuvers by weaving between the players, using jump cuts, spin moves and stutter step moves.  The other players are stationary and attempt to strip the ball (Diagram 2).


The Sideline Gauntlet Drill forces the receiver to catch a short pass, avoid a stand up bag that is thrown low at his knees and then get upfield down the sideline through the gauntlet without going out of bounds.  The key coaching point is to keep the ball high and tight through each part of the gauntlet and to play with low pad level (Diagram 3).


A third theme that is repeated in our ball security instruction is the use of the off arm as a weapon. A ball carrier’s weapon is defined as the arm in which he is not carrying the football. Although there are certain game situations that require two arms and hands on the ball, we believe that this limits the ball carrier’s ability to break tackles and balance himself. As long as players employ the high and tight technique, one hand/arm on the ball will secure the ball. The L Drill with Stiff Arm and Strip focuses on using the off arm as a weapon while making game speed movements. 

Players start by stepping over the first bag, jump cutting laterally to the left and stepping over the next bag vertically. This is repeated until all of the bags are cleared. Other players stand to the right and attack the ball while the coach uses a hand shield to force the ball carrier to stiff arm the bag (Diagram 6).


Defensive coaches have generated new ways to disrupt the football. Popular ball disruption techniques are the overhand chop move, the under hand punch and the “pop the top off the pineapple”. These moves generally occur when a defender is rapidly closing in on a ball carrier from behind, or at an angle. The defender is attacking the football rather than trying to secure the tackle.

To combat this technique we use the Texas Chaser Drill. This drill puts the ball carrier in the open field, against a rapidly advancing defender, who is attacking the football by using the above mentioned techniques. On the first whistle, the defenders advance toward the ball carriers, nearly breaking the ten-yard cushion. On the second whistle, the ball carriers begin running. Eventually the head start that the defenders were given allows them to attack the ball carrier being run down from behind and having to withstand a violent chop/punch ball disruption technique. Reinforce the high and tight carriage technique and keep the ball on a north/south axis so that the defender has very little exposed ball to attack (Diagram 5).


Another coaching tactic pioneered by defensive coaches is the idea of stripping the ball while another defender attempts to tackle the ball carrier. The Wrestle Weapon with Shields Drill helps us train the ball carrier to deal with both defenders impacting him at the same time. A ball carrier and a defender are paired up advancing down the sideline. The defender is on the sideline arm of the offensive player, wrestling away at the ball. Three other defenders with hand shields are placed at five yard intervals down the field. The defenders with hand shields attempt to knock the ball carrier out of bounds as the other defender wrestles at the ball. This drill focuses on handling two defenders attacking the ball carrier and forces the offensive player to dip and rip through contact while securing the ball (Diagram 6).


Despite the fact that our running backs and wide receivers go through separate individual periods, both groups share the same fundamental base. They carry the ball high and tight. They keep the ball high and tight when they are maneuvering, cutting, spinning, and hurdling. They use their off arm as a weapon to break tackles and regain their balance. They are prepared for open field ball disruptions from defenders closing in from various angles. And they are proud of the fact that they don’t fumble.

About the Authors: Steve Heck - An 18-year coaching veteran, Steve Heck just completed his sixth year as Kutztown University’s wide receivers coach. He previously coached at Albright College and is a 1996 graduate of Lebanon Valley College.

Zach Snyder – Snyder completed his first year last fall as running backs coach at Kutztown University. He was a two-year starter at wide receiver for Kutztown and a member of the 2011 conference championship team.






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