Top Youth Running Back Drills

If you’re searching for the top running back drills to enhance your athletes’ speed, footwork, and ball handling, you’ve found the best source. Running backs are the backbone of a powerful offence, and refining their craft through these drills is essential to raising overall team performance.

This guide is loaded with the best youth running back drills to train your players on critical qualities such as agility, awareness, and reaction time.

What Skills Do Running Back Drills Improve?

• Ball Security: Players will learn to maintain a firm grip on the ball under pressure.
• Agility: Develop quick, sharp cuts to evade defenders with ease.
• Acceleration: Explode through gaps at top speed to gain yardage fast.
• Footwork: Enhance balance and control while executing cuts and changes in direction.
• Vision & Reaction: Sharpen ability to read the field and make smart, split-second decisions.
• Blocking: Master blocking techniques to protect the quarterback during passing plays.

Top Youth Running Back Drills

1. 2-Step Handoff

Setup: Running back drills should start with the football player positioned a few paces behind the quarterback. The running back needs to be ready to quickly advance toward the quarterback directly.

Directions: After the movement, the quarterback takes two steps to a predetermined side. Here they will meet up with the running back. The running back needs to be ready to take the handoff and proceed on a forward route.

Tips: Ensure the running back continues running past the quarterback to the line of scrimmage. Their momentum has them completing their route quickly.

2. 3-Step Handoff

Setup: Much like the 2-step, but only the quarterback is taking an extra step.

Directions: It’s the same idea – a close meet for the handoff. The quarterback must shield the ball firmly into the belly of the back.

Tips: This is often used as a “stretch” handoff – running in the opposite direction.

3. 1-Step Fake Handoff

Setup: The setup needs to be quick; the quarterback will go one step and then hand off the ball to his teammate. Both players are behind the scrimmage line at the hike.

Directions: Alright, time to bring out those acting skills! The believable fake handoff makes or breaks this play.

Tips: Get good at selling that fake. Both players should exaggerate the fake handoff action and sell it to the defence.

4. Stretch Fake Handoff

Setup: The player will be a few yards away from the quarterback, ensuring a quick meet-up for the fake handoff.

Directions: The quarterback extends their arm out, imitating a tight handoff. Meanwhile, the running back persists, taking the defence with them.

Tips: The closer the space and the better the communication, the better this fake will be.

5. Hop and Switch Drill

Setup: Players will line up first in a bent-over position, feet shoulder-width apart, football tucked against their chest.

Directions: Players will hop forward, changing the football from one arm to the other. They must simultaneously change out their landing foot to simulate in-game ball switching.

Tips: Start players off executing the ball switch without the hop. Do this to make sure the move is smooth and can be done right before making things more complicated.

6. Fast Footwork Drill

Setup: Space two players, or one player and a marker, approximately 15 yards apart to simulate offensive and defensive positions.

Directions: Players are to utilize different footwork skills to get around the defensive player while keeping control of the football.

Tips: Add flag-grabbing into this drill for added agility and game situation settings.

7. Cone Cut Drill

Setup: Place five cones in a zig-zag pattern 3 yards apart.

Directions: The player runs from cone to cone, planting and cutting at each cone while maintaining control of the ball.

Tips: highlight rapid cuts, low center of gravity, and explosive movements.

8. Ladder Footwork Drill

Setup: Set up an agility ladder on an open field.

Directions: Players perform “1-in, 2-out” and “Ickey Shuffle” drills while holding the ball.

Tips: Focus on light, rapid footwork with ball security at all times.

9. Ball Security Gauntlet

Setup: Position 3–4 defenders with blocking pads in a straight line.

Directions: Player runs through the gauntlet as defenders swipe and push on the ball.

Tips: Players should maintain a high and tight ball position.

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