Even though a play might be diagrammed a certain way, running backs need to be able to read their blocking and make cuts quickly to take advantage of openings. Try this drill taken from a [tag]football coaching clinic[/tag].
What you need – You can set up four coaches or four players with tackling dummies.
How this drill works – As any [tag]coach[/tag] knows, the hole that you want to run a play through isn’t always open. So, it is important for your [tag]running back[/tag] to learn to burst through a hole and to anticipate where a hole is going to be. This [tag]football[/tag] [tag]drill[/tag] will help with that.
The running back will start off in their normal position. The coach will be the [tag]quarterback[/tag] and they will call a certain play (off tackle, inside guard dive, etc), and the players holding the dummies won’t know where that play is supposed to go. On the snap of the ball, the coach will hand off the ball as if it were a regular play. The players with the dummies will shuffle one way or another, and they can do so at a different pace (some fast, some slow).
Once the running back gets the ball, he must make a decision to move upfield very quickly. This requires him to make a split second judgment on which hole to take. If he runs into a dummy, or bumps into one, he made an unwise choice. The best choice is one where he cuts up through a hole untouched.
Result – The best running backs are able to make split second decisions on the field and make cuts in spots where others might not see holes come up. This drill should help your running backs learn to anticipate and then cut upfield where there are holes in the line.
