WIDE RECEIVER TRAINING MANUAL Watch training videos at www.bestfootballworkouts.com Wide Receiver Mindset • To be effective at the wide receiver position, a player must possess a combination of physical traits. Body control and agility are essential to a wide receiver’s success. The primary thing that a wide receiver must have is the ability to adjust. Adjust his body, adjust his route, adjust his footwork…on the fly. Anyone can run a 12-yard pass route against air and turn around. The real challenge comes when the wide receiver faces a defender who is one of the best athletes on the field and who is using the bump-and- run technique. Watch training videos at www.bestfootballworkouts.com Wide Receiver Play • Wide Receivers must have sure, soft hands. Wide Receivers must also have the ability to catch the ball in crowded situations. These skills define the receiver position. • As players move up in levels of competition, catching the ball becomes more competitive. The biggest difference between college football and professional football is the pressure from the defense, and the amount of open space available. • The professional level (e.g. NFL) is full of the greatest, smartest defensive athletes in the world, and the coverage in professional football is so good that nearly every ball is a contested ball. • Ball accuracy becomes extremely important at the highest level, because the coverage is so good. • Most receivers can run under a pass and catch it, but it takes a truly special player to be able to consistently catch the ball in crowded spaces. • The ability to catch the ball while being simultaneously hit is the measuring stick for sure hands. Watch training videos at www.bestfootballworkouts.com Wide Receiver Play (cont.) • Being a complete receiver means more than running fast or jumping high. Size and speed are great, but beating press coverage, running routes, reading defenses, developing chemistry with the quarterback, having reliable hands, run blocking, and run after the catch ability all matter. • A good wide receiver is able to find open spaces. The wide receiver’s job is to bring the playbook to life and be a full PlayMaker. Every route in the playbook has a certain depth and spacing on the field. The receiver’s job is to run the route at the proper depth and get open at the proper time in order to make a play. Watch training videos at www.bestfootballworkouts.com Wide Receiver Technique Catching • There are many important components of catching the football: • Focus on the front stripe of the ball. • Keep your body balanced as much as possible. • Extend your arms and attack the ball to cut down the flight time. • Relax your body. • Adjust to the ball. • Lock it away quickly. Watch training videos at www.bestfootballworkouts.com Catching Drills 1 HAND OVER SHOULDER • Drill: Person throws soft pass over inside shoulder of receiver as receiver works away. Receiver catches ball with outside hand. • Coaching Point: Receiver should track the front end of the ball. Look the ball all the way into the hand. Lock it away. • (Repeat with other hand). Watch training videos at www.bestfootballworkouts.com Catching Drills (cont.) RUN RIGHT AT ME • Drill: Person throws ball at upper torso/face area as receiver runs directly back at the thrower. • Coaching Point: Receiver focuses on front white stripe of ball. Thumbs together - get full extension with arms. Catch the ball at the highest point (Lock it Away). • (To train late hands put hands behind back) Watch training videos at www.bestfootballworkouts.com Catching Drills (cont.) RUN RIGHT AT ME (HIGH) • Drill: Person throws ball above the receiver's head to make him leave his feet. Wide receiver runs directly at him. • Coaching Point: Receiver focuses on front white stripe of ball. Thumbs together get full extension with arms. Catch the ball at highest point (lock it away). Watch training videos at www.bestfootballworkouts.com Catching Drills (cont.) RUN RIGHT AT ME (LOW) • Drill: Person throws ball above the receiver's feet to make him drop down to catch it. Wide receiver runs directly at him. • Coaching Point: Receiver focuses on front white stripe of ball. Get full extension with arms. Look the ball all the way in and lock it away. Watch training videos at www.bestfootballworkouts.com Catching Drills (cont.) BACK AT ME 45 DEGREES • Drill: Coach throws ball in front of receiver as receiver works back at 45 degree angle. • Coaching Point: Focus on front white stripe - extend the arms cushion the ball on • contact (lock it away). Watch training videos at www.bestfootballworkouts.com Catching Drills (cont.) OVERHEAD • Drill: Coach throws ball directly over receiver's head as receiver works away. • Coaching Point: Receiver should look directly over head - arch his back - have his pinky's together. • Anticipate contact. (lock it away) Watch training videos at www.bestfootballworkouts.com Catching Drills (cont.) CROSSING SQUARE • Drill: Receiver runs on a parallel line as coach throws the ball to him (not too far in front). • Coaching Point: Receiver should square his shoulder to coach, extend his arms, thumbs together - concentrate on catch (lock it away). • Do the same drills with throw variations (LOW, HIGH, BACK HIP & BACK SHOULDER THROWS Watch training videos at www.bestfootballworkouts.com Catching Drills (cont.) FADE TO BALL • Drill: Coach throws the ball over outside shoulder of receiver working away. • Coaching Point: Receiver looks over inside shoulder - fade outside to the path of ball – arch your back. Pinky's together. Catch ball over outside shoulder (lock it away) Watch training videos at www.bestfootballworkouts.com Catching Drills (cont.) ADJUST HEAD TO BALL • Drill: Coach throws the ball over outside shoulder of receiver working away. • Coaching Point: Receiver looks initially over inside shoulder. Snaps his head from inside to outside and runs through the transition of head turn (do not slow down). Pinky’s together, cushion on contact (lock it away) Watch training videos at www.bestfootballworkouts.com Catching Drills (cont.) SIDELINE 3 FEET • Drill: Receiver runs into boundary carrying as much controlled speed as possible. • Coach throws the ball to the boundary in front of the receiver. • Coaching Point: Receiver must focus first on front stripe of ball Extend the arms (lock it away).Tap feet 3 times before going out of bounds. Watch training videos at www.bestfootballworkouts.com Catching Drills (cont.) SIDELINE 3 FEET • Drill: Receiver runs an inside curl or outside comeback. Slides opposite of direction of break. Coach throws him away from imaginary defender. • Coaching Point: Receiver moves quickly away from break. Stay on the same plane (work flat). Extend arms, cushion on contact (lock it away).Turn and run upfield. Watch training videos at www.bestfootballworkouts.com Catching Drills (cont.) SIDE TO SIDE • This is a good receiver-specific conditioning drill. • This drill starts with two players standing on the goal line facing each other and about five yards apart. On command, both players start running sideways, tossing the ball back and forth until they reach the endzone. • Get a quick rest and start back up the field. Stress good body control. Watch training videos at www.bestfootballworkouts.com Speed Drills RESISTED SPRINTS • You will need another person for this drill • This drill teaches you to be explosive off the line of scrimmage. • The Receiver is to line up facing the other player in your two-point stance. • Your partner puts his hands on your shoulders and braces you, keeping his arms straight. • On a start command, run forward for 5 yards, as fast as possible with your partner providing resistance. • Do 3 sets of 5 repetitions Watch training videos at www.bestfootballworkouts.com Speed Drills BREAKAWAY DRILL • You will need 4 cones for this drill. • Start in a two-point stance at cone 1. • Run as fast as possible to cone 2. • As you approach cone 2, chop your steps and lower your hips. • Pivot on one foot and turn in the opposite direction; e.g., if you pivot on your right foot, turn your body left. • Turn all the way around and run to cone 3. Run around cone No. 3 and sprint toward cone 4 (the finish) • Do 3 sets of 5 repetitions Watch training videos at www.bestfootballworkouts.com Speed Drills T-DRILL • This drill is to teach you how to start, accelerate, decelerate and run on the football field as a Wide Receiver. • Set the cones up as detailed in the figure. Cone 2 should be 10 yards ahead of cone 1. Cones 3 and 4 should be 5 yards to the right and left of cone 2. • Start next to cone 1 in a two-point stance. • Run as fast as possible to cone 2. • Run around cone 2 toward cone 3. • Run around cone 3 toward cone 4. • Run around cone 4 back toward cone 2. • Run around cone 2 until you are facing cone 1. • Run to cone 1. • Do 3 sets of 5 repetitions Watch training videos at www.bestfootballworkouts.com Release Drills RELEASES AND ESCAPES • It is imperative that receivers are able to release off the ball and escape man or zone defenders. • Various techniques are used while doing this: speed, quickness, fakes, power, and anticipation. • Receivers must also exhibit great hand-to-hand skills in tight areas. • Second and third level releases are as critical as first level releases. • When a defender sits down at 5 or 8 yards, you must have a plan. • Escaping man defenders is essential. Building the wall to create throwing lanes is done in a number of methods. • Using Horizontal and Vertical separation techniques will best maximize spacing late in the route.