Explosive Drills for Running Backs

Here are three running back drills that will help players’ overall agility and increase their explosiveness. Each one should be practiced daily throughout the season.

1.  Jump Cut/Spin Drill

I love a running back that has the ability to flow into a jump cut at top speed, or at a dead stop jump laterally from one side to the other to make a defender wrap up air. Here is one of my favorite jump cut drills that also use a spin move (Diagram 1).

2.  Reaction Drill

Not only is this drill fun, it helps improve reaction time and uses explosive movement to avoid a defender. The defender in this case is a bag that is tossed toward the running back after he clears his first reaction test.

The drill starts out with a spin move as your running back comes out of his spin and then attacks the next two bags in front of him. You need to have two coaches/players holding both bags. The two bag holders must decide which direction they want to move the bags. They can choose to move the bags in unison to the left or to the right. They may also decide to split the bags and the running back must go in between the bags. It is important to tell your back not to break his feet when he reacts to the bags. We try to teach a smooth transition of the feet so I don’t want his feet to stop.

Once your running back has cleared, he accelerates out and a coach will toss a bag at the running backs feet. Your back must avoid contact with this bag. He can spin out, jump cut away or jump over the bag (Diagram 2).

Note: Bags can be tilted to the right, to the left or one  to the left and one to the right to make a seam for your running back to hit. Use jump cuts to the left and right.

3.  Gauntlet Drill

This drill is an excellent drill to teach your back to shed tacklers and to stay balanced in a confined area. Once your back has cleared the standing bags, he dives into the end zone simulating a touchdown.

Have five to six players each hold a bag near the sideline approximately two yards from the out of bounds line. Have your back hold onto a football in one arm as he goes through the gauntlet. On the whistle, he will accelerate forward running in between the bags and the sideline which is only two yards in width. 

Each player holding onto a bag will strike the back attempting to knock him out of bounds. Your back must maintain his balance and stay in bounds as he is struck by each bag as he goes forward.  Once your back has cleared the bags, he is rewarded by diving into the end zone onto a mat for the score. 

As your back is going through the gauntlet, he uses his free arm and strikes back at the bags. Tell your back to dip his shoulder and lower his forearm. As the bag is about to strike him, your back takes his forearm and swings it up to defeat or neutralize the bag. 

A nice twist to this drill is to have a couple of coaches toss a football in between the bags. Your back has to catch the football as he goes through the gauntlet. This helps with concentration and ball security (Diagram 3). 

About the Author: Veteran coach Doug Heslip recently completed his speed, agility, and quickness certification for the International Youth Conditioning Association. He is also a USA Football Instructor and is the founder of the ‘Hitch It and Rip It’ quarterback camps.