3 Drills to Help Your Quarterback

How do you feel about your quarterback drills?

This is the player who is holding the ball every play, who carries the mental load of each play.

But you’ve got to keep up with daily drills as well as work on specific things that have been going wrong in games.

So, here are three drills that I hope you can use to address problems as you head into the final stretch of games.

Scramble Drill

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Purpose: To train QB to escape under and outside rusher and be prepared to throw from outside the pocket on run.

Set Up: Coach or spare player snaps. Third person will simulate outside rusher and attack QB from edge after he drops and hits third read. QB will drop and read as normal, eyes downfield. When he senses rusher, he will dip shoulder near rusher, secure/switch ball away from danger, leave pocket, lose ground, square up, and either simulate throw or make throw to third player.

Coaching Points:

1. Emphasize proper drop, reads, and footwork in pocket by QB, making sure he loses ground and squares up after escape.

2. After escaping pocket, drill becomes a Rodeo-Lasso drill. Do not let QB look at rusher – he must keep eyes downfield.

3. When escaping to his throwing hand, QB must switch ball to “wrong ear” while leaving pocket. When escaping to his off hand side, he must switch ball after escaping like in Rodeo-Lasso drill.

Bad Snap Drill

Purpose: To drill QB on how to handle bad snaps from center

Set Up: Coach snaps bad snaps to QB – high, low, right, left, etc.

Coaching Points:

1. QB must expect a bad pitch every time and exaggerate the look into his hands

2. QB should never try to pick up snap on ground in the backfield unless a desperate situation.

3. Like a WR, QB should try to turn noose into a scoop on low snaps and “roof” the high snap

4. If a zone read, bad snap means automatic give to RB – no time to read

5. If a pass play, QB may have to alter reads and skip a read or find a back – be an athlete – improvise!!

Zero Drill

Purpose: To teach QB to throw a perfect high ball with air on it to a streaking receiver versus man coverage while under pressure.

Set Up: Put a target either in the corner of the end zone (trash can or barrel, etc.) or in the post. LOS should be in the red zone most of the time to save his arm. Coach or other QB snaps, pauses, then charges QB, who must look snap in, grip ball, drop fast, and make a quick, high, accurate throw at the last second. Coach or other QB will simulate hitting QB in stomach as he brushes by him.

Coaching Points: Work a different throw (corner or post) each time. Emphasize a quick throw with air to give receiver a chance to get under the ball. QB should “get big” quickly, popping up on his toes and get a high release.

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