Football is one of those sports that a lot of people want to play and play well. However, just watching games on television or in person won’t get you to that level. You have to work hard in order to play like the pros. Start with some good advice, like what you’ll find here.
Be sure to make plenty of time to practice your football playing skills. The more time you spend practicing the better your skills will become. As you have likely heard many times in your life, practice makes perfect. If you want to be the best you need to put in the time.
Agility is king when it comes to playing football. Exercises such as running through old tires, leaping over cones and skipping rope will help build your agility. Fast thinking and fast reflexes are crucial when playing football. The above exercises require speed, coordination and quick thinking. The more you do these training exercise, the more your agility will increase.
If you learn that a new trick is working exceptionally well on the field, don’t overuse it. You might be tempted to repeat it because it worked, but using it frequently will soon make the opposition aware of what you’re up to.
Support the people on your team. Football is all about teamwork. Winning and losing are both done by the team. Always think we, not I. Taking that into consideration, it’s important to be a teammate who’s supportive in order to build confidence in the people around. When your team is confident as a whole, you will win more.
For an average kicker, a forty yard field goal should be a breeze. A great way to learn to kick long distance is to build up strength using various weight lifting techniques. The other important factor is high flexibility. During the day the kicker will need to stretch out their legs in order to increase mobility and to be more flexible.
Use interval sprint training to really boost your stamina. Sprint for 30 seconds, then rest for 1 minute. Sprint and rest again. Keep repeating this until you can not physically spring anymore that day. Record your total number of sprints for that day, and aim to beat it by one the next day. Most days you won’t, but you will slowly edge that number up.
Practice your drills every day, especially those that are specific to the position you play. Even if you only have football practice a few times per week, make sure you put in extra effort. Your game will improve, and your coach is sure to notice your dedication to the sport and the team.
Have an indoor exercise regimen that you can do anytime. Include push-ups, sit-ups and anything else you do to work on stamina anytime. This will let you get some physical activity every morning and evening. It also makes for a good backup plan to workout when the weather outside is unfriendly or you do not have access to a field or weight room.
If you start feeling sick or just “not right”, get off of the football field immediately. Even if it isn’t physical, the fact that you aren’t quite yourself can lead to a serious accident if you aren’t careful. It may mean that you sit out for 10 minutes or more (maybe even the game), but your health is well worth it.
Work on your team work. Football is a team sport, and it is important that you and your team mates know how to work well as a team. While you are working on your skills and becoming a better player, share the skills you learn with your team to increase your game as a team.
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.
When you’re deciding to take part in a football team or league, keep in mind your own level. If you are better than all the other players, the game might not be challenging enough. If you are worse, the game might be too much for you to handle. Football will not be challenging enough if you find a team of players with less experience than you.
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.
To prevent the ball from bouncing off your body, catch the ball away from your body. The rule of thumb is that if you can touch the football, you should be able to catch it. After making a successful catch, pull the ball close to your body and run to gain more yardage.
When on the sidelines, make sure to stand back far enough to avoid getting hit by players on the field. Give them the space that they need to make the plays. You do not want to get knocked out of the game or even the season just because you were standing too close to the field when you were not even playing.
Study up on the position you are playing. Every position on a football field has different requirements and team expectations. If you aren’t aware of these, you’ll more than likely mess things up for your entire squad. Do the homework you need to do. All it takes is a little time online, and you can learn a lot.
As stated in the above article, a lot goes into understanding how the game of football is played in order to take your game to the professional level. Many of these tips will assist you in improving your game. Keep learning what you can about the sport, and put what you learn into play.
