Youth Football - Winning Special Teams

Kickoff Team: Make sure your kids are ten yards behind ball. It is important that they get a running start down the field. The team must stay onside (do not cross before the ball is kicked). Every player covering the kick needs to stay in their lanes. Practice kicking the ball off in practice! Practice onside kick recovery team as well.

Kickoff Return Team: Bring the wall to the ball!! Front line stays alert for an onside kick and then runs back to the returner. The players in the middle and back return rows run back to whoever fields the kick and creates the wall (wedge like), then blocks down field. Do not have your players try to block the kickoff coverage team too early. The coverage team will just go right around your blockers. There is too much space to be blocking too early, the kick returner must cut off your player's blocks. Make sure you prepare a hands team, to prevent teams from recovering an onside kick.

Punt Team: Foot to foot splits. Your team must block down to the shoulder of the linemen inside of them, staying low while stepping down & inside. Blocking backs line up on outside shoulder of the tight end or the last guy on the line of scrimmage. The blocking two blocking backs must have a nice wide base (make yourself big) and block inside to outside. The middle blocking back calls the snap count, lines up on kicker's foot side. Practice long snapping & punting the ball every day (make sure you have a few kids that can snap and kick). Make sure your players fan out when the ball is punted. Your coverage team needs to cover the whole field. The returner will likely go right outside with it so cover the whole field! Your punter should yell go when the ball is kicked so that blockers know to fan out down field & tackle the guy with the ball. Your punter should always yell the direction the ball was punted.

Punt Return Team: Punt block or Punt return? Punt block; your player's need to rush through each gap while linebackers line up right behind the D-linemen & they need to loop or cross. Also coaches need to make sure you have containment defenders to stop fakes. Keep someone back to field the punt so the punt team doesn't get a nice bounce their way. Punt return; your players should go to where the ball was kicked and lead block, bring the wall to the ball. Coaches you will still need containment players to defend against any kind of punt fake.

Extra Point Kick: In youth football the extra point kick is worth two points! So it is important that you practice this everyday or at least a few times a week. The line splits should be zero (foot to foot). The linemen block down to the hip of the linemen inside of them. Linemen need to stay low while stepping down & inside. The two blocking backs need to have a wide base "get big" and step down to the inside linemen's shoulder pads, always blocking inside first. Snapping, holding, and kicking needs to be practiced often. Snap count should be a fast count (silent count, ball movement, or on first sound) do not want the defense to have time to set up and try to block the kick.

Extra Point Block: The best area for your defense to block the extra point attempt is through the A (Between center & guard) & B gaps (Guard & Tackle), don't waste time trying to block it from the outside. You need to load up the A & B gaps on the side of their snap holder. You need to double team the A gap blocker (guard, do not hit the center it is a penalty in youth football), driving him back. Double team the B gap blocker (tackle), drive him back. Send linebackers right behind the double teams. If this is executed properly you will create penetration right up the middle, allowing linebackers to block the extra point. Also prepare your defense for fakes, containment and coverage schemes are needed.

Special Teams is one of the three main phases of youth football. You must practice all phases of special teams daily. One of the biggest mistakes a youth football coach can make is to overlook special teams. Youth football coaches should always make time for special teams. For example; there is one minute left in the game, you're losing by a touchdown you need to recover an onside kick! Coaches will either be glad they practiced it, or they will wish they had practiced their onside kick recovery more.

Coach Jeff Hemhauser is the co-creator of the one stop youth football site: http://www.YouthFootballOnline.com. Contact Coach Jeff at: YouthFootballOnline@gmail.com

How to Pick a Winning Fantasy Football Team

So, you're wondering what goes into drafting a top-notch fantasy football squad huh? We'll that's surely something open to debate as that if you ask 10 different so-called experts, you'll probably get 10 different answers.

With that in mind, I have been running a fantasy league for about a decade now. While I can't tell you that I've won every time, I can assure you that my teams have consistently made the league playoff round and I have won 2 league titles. That's not too bad. That said, I'd like to offer up my strategy for building a competitive fantasy team.

Fantasy football has been around for decades. But, with the advent of the Internet, researching potential players for your team has become much, much easier and quicker. You can find the newest information online regarding injuries, suspensions, trades and just about everything else almost instantly. Take advantage of this.

1. PLAYER RANKINGS

First and foremost, you'll want to look into player rankings. One of the best ways of doing this is through a simple search on the web. I'd look for rankings done by established and reputable sources like ESPN, Sport Illustration, NFL.com, CBS Sportsline and such. But, don't rule out consulting one of the other listings that may not be among the names you're familiar with. They sometimes offer a fresh prospective that can be very useful.

2. DRAFTING

Drafts usually happen in one of two formats, live or auto. Live drafts are conducted in real time while auto drafts use your own player rankings to select your players automatically when your pick comes up in the order. Either way, a good approach is to take the player rankings you researched and select a number of players for each position that you would like to have as possible additions to your team. Create a list and use this as your intended drafting order.

Also make sure to avoid drafting too many players from the same team of teams that might have byes on the same week. You could end up with a disastrous shortage of players for a crucial match.

3. PLAYER VALUE

There are many different formulas for scoring in fantasy leagues. However, one rule generally remains the same. The players on which you should put the most emphasis are running backs. This is why most overall ranking systems that aren't done by position have a large number of running backs as the top ranking players.

Generally, you should emphasize positions in order of scoring value which from top to bottom would be running backs, quarterbacks, wide receivers, tight ends, defenses and finally place kickers. Although some might argue it a little differently, i.e. flip quarterbacks and wide receivers or to move defenses up to third on the priority list, this should give you a pretty good indication.

4. DON'T BREAK BUT BE WILLING TO BEND - THE RULES

While generally running backs should be your first pick, it is not unheard of to choose a wide receiver or quarterback first overall. There is nothing written in stone that says you have to have every player on your potential draft list being one of the top 5 or 6 guys according to researched rankings. Look for a possible breakout star here and there. You could end up with a pleasant surprise.

http://www.3riverscreative.com

Some Tips For Winning and Thriving in a Football Survivor Contest

The survivor contest has become a popular contest in football predictions. It is where you pick one team to win each week throughout the NFL season, and ignore the little details of how much a team wins by.

While the contest does not normally include the point spread, it is frequently just as difficult to pick the straight up winner each week throughout the regular season.

Predicting results in the NFL is usually all about picking that game's winner anyhow so the point spread is not that crucial. When you get into a survivor contest, the goal is to pick a single team to win each week during the season. Once a team has been used you cannot use them again, since you can only use that team one time for the season. This can make predicting winners at the end of a long season more difficult as many of the easy winning teams have already been used earlier. What things do you need to remember and how do you go about winning a survivor contest?

The first thing about a survivor contest is not to worry about saving squads for later in the season. Worry about the next week coming up and just pick the team you think will win this week. You cannot get picky if you want to survive. If you think the Colts will win at home vs Jacksonville then take them. Picking a home team when you're in a survivor contest is practically always a very good idea. Home teams win more than road squads and you cannot be guessing as to when a home team will lose.

If you cannot decide and are wondering which team to pick for a given week then remember to go with a losing team that is on the road. You may want to go against the Bills or the Lions if they are on the road. You truly do not want to be picking a match where the line is small, which is another thing to keep in mind with a survivor event. It is very difficult to decide on who will win if you have a match between Green Bay and Minnesota so just avoid that type of even match. Late in the season, if you are still alive in the survivor contest, keep in mind that playoff squads are not the ones to use. Teams that have already clinched a spot have nothing to play for, so you likely should not pick them for winning that week's game. They simply will not be as enthusiastic as a team fighting to earn their place in the playoffs, and they may even hold their best players in reserve to make sure they get enough rest before the post-season.

Keeping involved in NFL gambling throughout the season is simple and exciting with a survivor contest. See how long you are able to stay alive while you pick a single team each week to win its match-up. Keep some of these tips in mind as you look to win your survivor contest this season.

Michael runs a number of websites discussing various sports and games, from the NFL to the NBA and World Cup Soccer. You can visit his site here to read more about predictions for football games, as well as reviews of various match-ups as they are played throughout the season and playoffs: http://www.nflgamereview.com/

Winning in Youth Football

As a youth football coach your goals should be making sure the players are having a good experience and are learning the game of football. A solid repetition of the fundamental skills should be carried out throughout the year, helping each player reach his potential for that season.

That being said, I have the theory of why not try to win while you're accomplishing the above goals. I'm not talking about the very young flag leagues where no score is kept. We all know every parent on the sideline and most of the players keep the score anyway. I do not endorse keep score, counting wins or losses and acting like Vince Lombardi in these developmental leagues. Move the players around, giving everyone a chance, and ignore any type of record keeping.

I do believe in having all teams prepared, so even if you are coaching in a developmental league, do not embarrass the kids. Have them ready to play and make sure their fundamentals are solid. When you get to the keeping score level with records and playoffs, by all means try to win. Try to win, but noty at any costs.

Winning the championship, even at the Pop Warner level, feels great and will remain with you forever. How many chances you get to play for the title will depend on many factors. The main factor is the size of the town you are coaching for (if it is a travel team) and more important is how the players are divided up. If it is a draft and the teams will be split evenly you will have less chances of building a powerhouse. If you are fortunate to live in a large town who plays smaller towns, chances are you will play for many championships. I coach in the second smallest city in our conference yet have made the title game in two of the past three seasons. Over the twenty years, my teams play for the title about every three years. Unlike the higher levels of football, youth football does not see many upsets. The bigger towns with a larger number of players win the majority of the games.

It is not a common occurrence for my town to win titles. The city I coach for has been crowned champion only four times in the past two decades. It seems the only city with a longer dry spell is the New Orleans Saints. They arrived at the Super Bowl being victorious in only two playoff games in forty two years. The 2010 Saints team won their first two playoff games, equaling the all time win totals, and finished the job by winning the Super Bowl. You could visualize the confidence of the entire organization, particularly following the second half onside kick to open up the 3rd quarter. Talk about a bold move, proving the Saints showed up to win the game. The Saints were not shy, stating late in the season their goal was to go undefeated, unlike the Indy team who openly quit on the NFL, fans and themselves once they had secured home field advantage in the playoffs.

Enjoy the thrill if you ever get the opportunity to compete for a title as it is one of the most electrifying experiences you can have in youth football.

Jim Oddo has been coaching pee wee, flag, pop warner and youth football for over 23 years. He has attained an 80+% winning percentage. Read how to win with over 400 FREE tips and posts regarding every area of little guy football at: http://footballplaybooks.info. In addition to coaching tips, there are many different offensive and defensive playbooks all modified in Youth Football Playbooks.

Football For Beginners - The Keys to Winning Football Games

There are many factors that determine the success (or failure) of winning football games. I don't care if we're talking pee wee, high school, college or professional football. It's all the same. While there are many aspects to winning football, here are a few keys:

Win the Time of Possession Battle - Throughout the course of a game, the opposing teams trade possession of the ball. The length of time that a team has possession of the ball is referred to as its time of possession. While no guarantee to victory, generally speaking the longer a team has the ball throughout the game, the better. It's kind of like "keep away" - if you don't have the ball, you can't score!

Win the Turnover Battle - A turnover occurs when a team unwillingly gives up possession of the ball to its opponent, either through an interception (ball thrown forward and caught by an opposing player) or by a fumble (ball carrier loses possession of the ball that the opposing team recovers). Each time a team "turns the ball over" (turnover) to its opponent, it gives itself one less and its opponent one additional opportunity to score. One too many turnovers by a team can be costly; it can be the difference between winning and losing. A team can usually live with one or two turnovers in a game, but if it turns the ball over three or more times, it usually spells DISASTER.

Convert on 3rd Downs - When a team has the ball, it is given a set of four downs (plays) to advance the ball at least 10 yards, or else it may have to give up possession of the ball to its opponent. 3rd down is probably the most critical down, because if it doesn't convert (advance the ball far enough after its 3rd down), it very likely on 4th down will have to give up possession of the ball by kicking it (punting) to its opponent.

Successfully rushing the ball against its opponent - In football, there are two types of plays that a team uses to advance the ball foward: Passing (throwing the ball foward) and Rushing (running with the ball from scrimmage) While ideally, a team would like to be successful at both, it is of particular importance that a team has success rushing the ball. One reason is, the more successful a team is at rushing, the longer it is able to keep the ball in its hands and out of its opponents To briefly explain, when a team rushes the ball, the game clock(clock used to time the action) continues to wind down, leaving less time for its opponent when it has possession; whereas passing the ball can stop the game clock if a pass thrown is incomplete (not caught). Another reason is, rushing the ball wears down the opposing team.

Successfully stop the opposing team from rushing - Just think opposite of what we just described in the previous point.

Well, that's it for now. Want more? Visit http://www.learnprofootball.com

http://www.learnprofootball.com

Flag Football Plays - Strategies For A Winning Team

What does it take to win at flag football? A physically talented team? An organized team? A lucky team?

Here are Dr. G's top 10 keys to winning in flag football.

1. Flag football playbook - an architect would never attempt to build a house without a blue print or "plans". Just the same, a team should never show up to a game without good plays or a game plan. Make sure you have a reliable flag football plays and your teammates have access to it.

2. Wrist bands - having your flag football playbook "portable" is also important. Determine what your top plays are and transfer them to your wristband. Not only will this help the hurry up offense, but it also reduces time in the huddle. Also, there is nothing like trying to verbally communicate while panting from the last play. Your plays should be numbered so you can refer to them quickly without confusion. If you have 8 plays, you really have 16, because you can "flip", where everyone one runs the same route, but to the opposite side of the field.

3. Pressure on the opposing QB- Even the best QBs play poorly when they get too much pressure. Get in there and get in there fast! Most interceptions are created by excessive defensive pressure. So often, the worst players are used to rush the QB. Send your best, most athletic players after that QB! Speed and agility are needed to really shake up that QB. Keeping "fresh legs" for rushers is also important, so plan on rotating rushers every few plays.

4. Pitch the ball! - In most flag football leagues, a fumble is a dead ball. Because of this, pitching the ball is a MUST. The risk-reward continuum is outstanding (in your favor) and your team should take full advantage of this. Flipping the ball is a team concept and everyone should be thinking "flip". Put it this way... the chance of you turning a short yardage play into a touch down far outweighs the possibility of a turn over.

5. Reliable teammates - First of all, make sure your teammates are committed to playing every week. If they plan to miss, they should let you know in advance. Make sure your phone and email list is up to date and make sure your team is deep enough to cover your back on light attendance weeks.

6. Cool headed teammates - Everyone has that loose cannon on their team. Decide first if they are worth keeping and if so make sure you know how to manage them. It never fails that the loose cannon comes unglued at the most in-opportune time.

7. Turnovers - Avoiding turnovers seems like a common sense tip, but it's perhaps the most critical component of the game. When the game begins, you can assume that your team will get 6 drives (possessions) and your opponent will get 6 drives. If you throw 2 intercepts, now they get 8 drives and you get 4. All things held equal, this is a tremendous obstacle to over come. Since almost all turnovers are passes, just play smart. On those low percentage or broken pass plays, don't force that throw, but throw it away!

8. Time of possession - Is time of possession really that important in flag football? Well, it depends! If you are the underdog, then you want to reduce the total number of drives per team. If this is the case, burn that clock where you can.

9. Defensive audibles - Based on what the opposing offense comes to the line with, you need to be able to change your defensive plays on the fly. Take the time to create defensive plays and audibles just like you do your offensive plays and audibles.

10. Pulling flags- Every missed flag means 7 more yards for the other team. Make sure you practice grabbing flags. This is often overlooked, but very important in stopping your opponent's offense.

For more information about Flag Football Plays, click here.

http://www.flagfootballstrategies.com