BALL CARRYING TECHNIQUES
Every team wins or loses a great percentage of its games due to the manner in which the backs and ends carry the football. All players, not only the backs, should be drilled in the proper mechanics and techniques of carrying a football properly as it is possible on occasions an interior lineman will have an opportunity to run with the ball.
The outstanding characteristics or strength of each ball carrier is likely to be different as one might possess outstanding speed, another is a nifty, shifty runner, and the third is solid on his feet, possesses power, and is capable of running over the opposition. Every ball carrier must utilize his natural talents, and should practice diligently to become as versatile as possible. Regardless of the individual style of a runner, the most important point is for him to hold on to the football and not fumble it.
Good habits, careful handling, and the execution of proper techniques will prevent fumbles on ball exchanges. When a player has the ball in his possession and fumbles it, he has committed the unpardonable sin in my estimation. The ball carrier should remember to have one point of the football in the palm of his hand with the fingers around the end of the ball, and gripping it tightly. The other end should be in the crook of his arm, which should force the football up close to his body.
If the football is carried properly, and the ball carrier is determined to hang on to it, the football should never be lost due to a fumble. The ball is the most valuable object on the football field. Consequently if the ball carrier fails to hang on to the ball, he is letting down his entire team. Once a player has control of the ball and fumbles it, this is no accident. It is either carelessness or lack of courage. I can’t build a winner with this type of player. In a close game a fumbled ball can be the deciding factor in winning or losing.
A ball carrier should remember his primary objective is to gain ground; if possible, to score. Therefore, he should move directly toward the opposition’s goal line as quickly as possible, unless there is a definite reason for doing otherwise. There are always exceptions to the rules, and a ball carrier may not be running toward the opposition’s goal because he might be trying to make better use of a blocker, dodge an opponent, get to the opening, time the play properly, or he might have some other valid reason. There will be times when top speed and the correct direction will not be sufficient to get the job done.
Open Field Running Techniques
When a ball carrier is in the open field, he should always keep the tackler guessing. He should not tip-off whether he is going to try to outrun him, run through him, or dodge him, until he is close enough to the tackler to give him the fake and then get by him. The ball carrier should never concede he is down, and he should always keep fighting to gain ground until the whistle stops the play.
The ball carrier should always realize and know exactly where he is on the field, and just what he must do in order for the play to be successful. In a majority of cases, a ball carrier should be concerned only with running for a touchdown.
The Importance of Proper Mental Attitude
The basic difference between ordinary and great athletes is mental attitude. As far as football players are concerned, the ordinary ball carrier will try to make a touchdown, but he will be satisfied with a five or six yard gain. The champion athlete, the All-American back, is dissatisfied when he fails to score. He is always going for the opposition’s goal line. The ball carrier actually does not succeed in his objective unless he runs for a touchdown on every play (except for occasional tactical situations), and he should never be made to feel he has accomplished his objective unless he scores.
A ball carrier must be made to realize when he does a poor job of carrying the ball, the effort of the other 10 men has been wasted. The ball carrier must always be aware of the yardage necessary for a first down and for a touchdown. When the ball carrier has possession of the football, he must realize he has the control of the game in his hands.