These are three of the many reasons why football evaluations should be held at multiple points throughout the year. However, every football evaluation needs a list of robust drills to comprehensively assess players.
Let’s dive into the 5 football drills that can be applied to tryouts, practices, and all other evaluations held throughout the year!
How do you evaluate a football player?
Establish relevant evaluation criteria (i.e., football drills)
Write out all of the skills you will be evaluating (i.e., tackling, passing, catching, offense, defense, character, etc,,). For each skill, list out 1-3 drills. However, make sure each skill has an equal amount of drills.
Evaluate athletes at multiple points throughout the year
Evaluations aren’t only important for drafting teams but also for ongoing development. Hold at least two evaluations throughout the year. These additional evaluations enable coaches to evaluate players on specific drills throughout the season and track their progress.
Provide athlete feedback
Telling a player after practice, “Work on your form when catching the ball,” is great. But what are the chances they will remember and apply that feedback?
This is where SkillShark comes in. Verbalizing feedback has a 98% chance of getting forgotten. Therefore, why not integrate this feedback into written reports?
Pair up players, about 1 yard apart from each other on the field.
The receiver will remain on their knees for the entirety of the drill while the quarterback will remain standing up, lined up about 5 yards away from the receiver.
The quarterback will throw imperfect passes to the receiver.
The receiver must catch the ball by extending their arms, but without using their chest.
After 10 catches, the quarterback and receiver can increase the distance between each other.
Note: A perfect pass can be overthrown, under thrown, off-target, or poorly timed. The quarterback should vary the type of “imperfect pass” to catch the receiver off guard each time.
2. Football passing drill: Lead the receiver
Mark two zones on the field with pylons, about 4 yards apart from one another. *These will be the only areas where the receiver can catch the ball.
The quarterback will line up with the ball a few yards behind the line of scrimmage.
Additionally, one receiver and one defender will be present.
On the quarterback’s call, they will throw the ball into one of the designated areas. The wide receiver will have to catch the ball in one of the open areas while defense tries to block the pass.
Tip: The quarterback should throw the ball into the designated area before the receiver enters the area.
3. Football linebacker drill: 90-degree break
Line up your players in a single file line.
On your call, the first player in line will start by backpedaling on the yard line.
After about 12 yards, extend your hand to either the left or right side.
The player will then break at a 90-degree angle and sprint forward in the direction of your hand.
Note: This drill enhances linebackers’ reaction times, simulating situations where they need to react to changes in play and move laterally to cover passing routes.
4. Football tackling drill: Sack attack
Set up:
Place pylons in a zigzag formation, about two yards from each other.
After the series of cones in a zigzag, place one more pylon five yards away.
Place a dummy around the corner after the last pylon.
Line up your players in a single file line.
Execution:
On your whistle, the first player in line will start by weaving through the pylons, focusing on running and turning as fast as they can.
After running through the pylons, the player will rapidly accelerate around the corner to tackle the dummy.
The player will continue to drive the dummy down until it makes contact with the ground for 3-5 seconds.
Tip: As players are approaching the dummy at full speed, they should keep their eyes on the center of the dummy. They should aim to make contact with their shoulder pads, rather than their helmet to reduce injury.
5. Football linemen drill: Mirror drill
An offensive lineman will start at the line of scrimmage. Another player will stand in front of them (about 2 feet away).
On your whistle, the lineman will pop up and take a series of lateral steps to directly mirror the player across them.
The mirror player will run back and forth, in a lateral motion, to try and throw off the offensive lineman.
Note: As the offensive lineman has to be quick on their feet to adapt to the direction of the “mirror” player, this enhances their pass protection ability during game scenarios.
Wrapping Up
Regardless of whether you upcoming assessment is focused on player feedback or team drafting decisions, keep these football drills on hand. Comprehensively assess your players across core areas, such as: tackling, passing, and catching—resulting in enhance player feedback and accurate drafting decisions!
Explore how SkillShark has transformed careers and organizations through real-life success stories. Join our community and streamline your football evaluations today.
Great use for our industry. We needed something like this a long time ago.
Farida Salem
Founder of Empower Football
Player reports allow us to celebrate the successes of our athletes while providing them guidance towards their next steps.
Andrew Muir
Head Coach – Water Polo Canada
I can print instant reports, sit down with my aspiring ball player and use the report as motivation
Danny Demchanko
Parent
FAQ — Football Drills
What is SkillShark, and how can it help in evaluating football players?
SkillShark is a leading evaluation software and app designed to assist coaches in assessing and improving the performance of football players. It streamlines the evaluation process by providing instant feedback reports after each assessment, saving coaches valuable time compared to traditional data entry into spreadsheets.
Can SkillShark be used for other sports besides football?
Yes, SkillShark is a versatile tool suitable for evaluating athletes in various sports. While this blog focuses on football, SkillShark can be applied to multiple sports, making it a valuable resource for coaches across different disciplines.
How do I get started with SkillShark?
Getting started with SkillShark is easy. You can request a free demo to learn how the app works and see if it suits your coaching needs.
There are no strings attached to trying out SkillShark, and the demo will provide you with valuable insights into its features and benefits.
What are the main features of SkillShark for football evaluations?
• Customize evaluation templates
• Score athletes on your mobile device
• Instantly access player data
• Provide player report cards
• Compare & rank players
• Draft teams on the app
Can SkillShark be used by coaches of all levels?
Absolutely! SkillShark is suitable for coaches at all levels, whether you are working with youth players or professionals. The customizable templates and flexibility of the app make it adaptable to your coaching requirements, regardless of the players’ skill levels. Customize the evaluation template with beginner football drills of your choice, then get to scoring and analyzing these football players.
Is SkillShark suitable for both individual and team evaluations?
SkillShark is versatile and can be used for both individual player evaluations and team assessments. Coaches can tailor the evaluations to meet their specific coaching objectives, whether they are working with individual players or entire teams.
Can SkillShark be used for football evaluations at different skill levels, including youth players?
Yes, SkillShark can be used for football evaluations across various skill levels, from youth players to professionals. Coaches can adapt the assessment criteria and templates to suit the developmental stage of the players they are working with.
If you have any more questions or need further information, don’t hesitate to reach out to SkillShark’s support team for assistance at support@skillshark.com
How do you measure football performance?
You can measure football players on skills such as:
• Passing
• Tackling
• Catching
• Offense
• Defense
• Character
• Game Sense
What are some football tryout tips to consider?
1. Choose football tryout drills 2-3 weeks ahead of time.
2. Select evaluators 1 week before and communicate with them (i.e., run through the drills and explain what they should look for at each station they are evaluating).
3. Focus on positive relationships. Take the time to get to know athletes and provide verbal tips for improvement when you can.
Where can I find a football tryout template?
SkillShark offers a free printable
football tryout template. All you have to do is download and print, then you are ready to evaluate!
While we do offer a football evaluation form, we do recommend checking out the
SkillShark app, removing pen-and-paper evaluations.
Danielle Stringer
Danielle is a dynamic content marketer with a unique blend of creativity and analytical expertise. She is driven by her passion for helping companies scale through lead generation, always finding distinctive ways to connect with her audience. Drawing from her extensive background in B2B SaaS, she is thrilled to apply her skills and knowledge in her current role at SkillShark Software Inc.