How to Combine Drills in Football
- 1). Explain to your players the value of the seven drills you will be teaching them. These drills can be performed by players hoping to make your team, or can be done at practice once your team has been made up. When players perform these drills, it gives coaches an opportunity to see where each player excels and struggles. The seven drills to be performed will follow the seven drills at the annual NFL draft combine -- the 40-yard dash, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, three-cone drill, 20-yard shuttle and 60-yard shuttle.
- 2). Teach the 40-yard dash to determine the speed and acceleration of each player. In this drill, players line up individually on the football field. When a whistle blows, each player sprints 40 yards and is timed at 10 yards, 20 yards and 40 yards. The first two times measure how fast a player can accelerate. Skill position players at the college and NFL level should run the 40-yard dash in under 4.5 seconds.
- 3). Instruct the players to lift a certain weight as many times as possible during the bench press to show their strength. The bench press drill isn't about the maximum weight a player can lift; it's about his endurance. At the NFL draft combine, a weight of 225 pounds is set on the bar and each player must lift the bar as many times as possible. Linemen usually can max out at around 40 reps.
- 4). Instruct the players to leap as high as they can to demonstrate their leaping ability during the vertical jump drill. For this drill, you can affix a measuring tape to a wall and have the players jump and slap the wall as high as they can reach. At the NFL combine, players stand below a pole covered in one-inch plastic flags. When instructed, players jump as high as possible, attempting to hit the highest flag they can. This drill shows players' vertical jumping ability as well as leg strength.
- 5). Instruct the players to jump as far as they can to demonstrate their explosiveness during the broad jump drill. This drill is done from the standing position, and players must jump forward as far as possible. This drill measures lower-body strength.
- 6). Teach the players to demonstrate their speed and agility by maneuvering around pylons in the three-cone drill. In this drill, three cones are set up in an "L" shape, with five yards between each cone. Players run from the start cone to the second cone, return to the start cone, then around the second cone, around the final cone, back around the second cone and return to the start cone. This drill measures a player's ability to be quick on his feet and change direction.
- 7). Instruct the players to run the 20-yard shuttle run as a measure of speed and flexibility. In this drill, three cones are set up at intervals of five yards. The player begins at the middle cone, runs to one outside cone, touches the ground, runs to the other outside cone, touches the ground again and returns to the middle cone. This drill showcases a player's ability to lower his weight, rise up again and accelerate quickly.
- 8). Instruct the players to run the 60-yard shuttle run as a measure of endurance. This drill is similar to the 20-yard shuttle run, but there are 10 yards between cones. The player runs the same was as the 20-yard version, but covered 60 yards in total. This drill shows talent and flexibility, but also the player's stamina during a lengthy run.