• Drill Type
  • Youth Focus
Football How to Play – Hold the Ball football drill
Football How to Play – Hold the Ball visual

What is Football How to Play – Hold the Ball?

Football How to Play – Hold the Ball is a free football drill on FantasyHQ’s Football Coaching hub for youth work. Use the setup notes and coaching cues below to add it to this week’s practice plan.

  • Football How to Play – Hold the Ball is part of FantasyHQ’s free football drills library.
  • Focus: Youth.

How to run this drill

Football How to Play – Hold the Ball is built for youth, high-school, and volunteer coaches who need clear drill language — not a random cone circuit. Beginners can install the first progression; experienced staffs can layer competition.

  1. Read the purpose once, then walk the setup on air before live tempo.
  2. Demonstrate one clean rep so players see landmarks, pad level, and finish.
  3. Run short competitive periods — quality reps beat long lines.
  4. Close with one coaching cue players can repeat in the huddle next period.

Full drill

Holding on to the ball upon contact, and staying on your feet are hallmarks of a good offensive football player.   All coaches teaching [tag]football how to play[/tag] should make use of this drill for [tag]offense[/tag].Football How to Play

What you need – You need to have 5 players holding blocking dummies (held in the hands) or they can go without.
 
How this drill works – This [tag]football[/tag] [tag]drill[/tag] is to help your players learn to handle contact, stay on their feet, and maintain control of the ball.  

At first, the ball carrier   will start out in the middle of the five tackling players.   On the coach’s whistle, the player will run towards one of the defenders, absorb a ”˜pop’ hit, then go right across to the other side for another pop hit, then down and across for another, etc.

The drill does not end for the ball carrier until they hit all five players that are standing around them.   If they lose the ball, they will start again.   If they get knocked down, they must get up and continue on with the last player that knocked them down.  

The defenders must not tackle the ball carrier, they must simply hit them hard enough to knock the players around and possibly to the ground.   This isn’t a tackling drill for the defenders as much as it is a drill for the ball carriers to learn to absorb punishment.

Result – The ball carriers will learn to protect the ball, absorb the hits but not fall and then they will also start to learn the advantage of initiating contact rather than just taking it.

Coaching tips

  • Keep one cue per rep so kids hear the same language every time.
  • Film the first live set; pause on footwork and finish, not just the ball.
  • Pair this drill with a matching play install so practice transfers to game day.
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Football How to Play – Hold the Ball FAQ

What is the Football How to Play – Hold the Ball drill?
Football How to Play – Hold the Ball is a free football drill on FantasyHQ’s Football Coaching hub for youth work. Use the setup notes and coaching cues below to add it to this week’s practice plan.
Who should use this football drill?
Football How to Play – Hold the Ball is built for youth, high-school, and volunteer coaches who need clear drill language — not a random cone circuit. Beginners can install the first progression; experienced staffs can layer competition.
How do I run Football How to Play – Hold the Ball in practice?
Read the purpose once, then walk the setup on air before live tempo. Demonstrate one clean rep so players see landmarks, pad level, and finish. Run short competitive periods — quality reps beat long lines.
Is this drill free?
Yes. Browse FantasyHQ football drills, youth plays, and coaching guides free on Football Coaching.

Guide · Football Coaching

Football How to Play – Hold the Ball

Football How to Play – Hold the Ball is a free football drill on FantasyHQ’s Football Coaching hub for youth work. Use the setup notes and coaching cues below to add it to this week’s practice plan.

Holding on to the ball upon contact, and staying on your feet are hallmarks of a good offensive football player. All coaches teaching [tag]football how to play[/tag] should make use of this drill for [tag]offense[/tag].

What you get

Practice drills with setup notes, youth play diagrams ranked easy to hard, FLAG and tackle coaching guides, and a path into live NFL coaching staffs.

Categories

Football Coaching Football Drills Youth Football Drills