Explaining the Importance of the Football

1
Explaining the Importance of the Football
Whose Ball Is It?

• This is something I go over every year with all
  of my players. I came up with this spiel way back
  during my first year as HC. And here's why I came
  up with itDuring my first year when I was an
  AC I was standing on the sideline during a game
  when the other teams offense fumbled the ball.
  We had a defensive player who could have easily
  fallen on the ball, or even picked it up and run
  with it. However, our player just stood there and
  watched the ball roll lazily out of bounds. When
  our HC yelled at the kid, "WHY DIDN'T YOU GET THE
  BALL?!" the kid looked at the HC and said, "I
  thought it was their ball." This kid simply
  didn't know the rules and had never been told by
  our HC (or by any of us) that they could (and
  should) go after a free ball. The kid assumed
  that since we use the terminology of "our ball"
  or "their ball" that we were actually TAKING
  TURNS with the ball's possession. I knew right
  then that I would make sure that whether the kids
  knew the rules or not, that I would ingrain in my
  players that it's always OUR ball.
• Heres how I explain to our players the
  importance of the football. This is the my
  speech, in its entirety
• "Gentlemen, what is this Im holding in my
  hands?" I hold a football in front of the team.
  They reply, "a football."Thats right. A
  football. There is absolutely, positively nothing
  more important than what I am holding in my hand
  right now. This is the football. This is our
  football. When we are on offense, the ball
  belongs to us. When we are on defense, the ball
  belongs to us. It is always our ball. There is
  never, EVER a time when it is not OUR ball. Oh
  sure, there will come a time when the referee
  takes our ball and gives it to the other team.
  GET--IT--BACK! Thats your job. The ball belongs
  to us. Whether we're on offense or defense, its
  always our ball. We always fight for this ball."
  You should see my players do their impression
  of me giving this speech. LOL. It's hilarious.
  But it shows me that they know the importance of
  keeping the ball and getting our ball back.

2
Whose Ball Is It?Fumble Drill
3
Whose Ball Is It?Fumble Drill

• There are two rows of players. Two players at
  once will participate in this drill. One coach
  puts the football in the face
• of Player A and yells, Whose ball is it?
  Player A responds, My ball, Sir! The coach
  then puts the football in the face
• of Player B and yells the same question, Whose
  ball is it? Player B yells back, My ball,
  Sir! Face front, says
• Coach, so that neither player can cheat by
  seeing the when the throw will occur, or in what
  direction its headed.
• Coach throws ball down the field in any haphazard
  direction. Both players immediately chase the
  ball, at full sprint.
• The first player there recovers the ball by
  falling to the ground and locking it in his arms,
  using the fetal position. The
• other player pulls, yanks and fights for the ball
  in an attempt to take the ball away. Two other
  coaches (if you have
• them available) should be in the ear of each
  player that is fighting for the football. The
  two coaches should also be
• hollering intense encouragement to both players.
  Feel free to allow the drill to get as physical
  as you are comfortable
• with. We will let the players battle it out for
  the ball for more than one minute, sometimes
  going as long as two to three
• minutes. It is important that players understand
  that the play doesnt end when it is recovered by
  someone else. On
• the contrary, the play is just beginning. What
  we are trying to do is get each player to try and
  end up with the ball. The
• two other coaches run alongside of the players
  yelling encouragement as the players battle for
  the ball. This should
• be a physical, intense and mean-spirited drill.
  It is not for the timid or weak. The slower and
  less-aggressive boys will
• soon understand that it is far easier to recover
  the ball, if they can get to it first, than to
  get there second and have to
• fight for the ball. This drill encourages the
  slower, less-athletic player to get to the ball
  quickly. It is important to match
• the boys evenly in their initial attempts. Also,
  you can bounce the football in a direction where
  one player is more likely
• to recover it (yet another reason to make sure
  both players face front), making the drill
  easier and more successful for
• the lesser athlete. We dont care nearly as much
  who wins the drill, as we do care about
  developing aggression and

4
Whose Ball Is It?Fumble Drill

• Our fumble drill is literally a fight. Lots of
  torn shirts, scraped elbows, bloody noses and a
  few tears. But it develops an
• Alpha-pack mentality.
• Heres what to expect during our Whose Ball Is
  It? (1-on-1) fumble drills
• BLOODY KNEES
• BLOODY ELBOWS
• BLOODY NOSES
• TORN SHIRTS
• DIRT IN EYES
• DIRT IN MOUTH
• TEARS
• Heres what they learn during our Whose Ball Is
  It? (1-on-1) fumble drills
• AGGRESSIVENESS
• IMPORTANCE OF THE FOOTBALL
• HOW TO PROPERLY RECOVER A FUMBLE
• FIGHT TO THE WHISTLE