Many times the defensive back is not in position to deflect the pass away from a receiver. But he may be in position to strip the ball from the receiver's hands. The ability to strip the ball from the receiver's hands is as much mental as it is physical. The defensive back must be thinking about stripping the ball before he ever reaches the receiver. He must understand the physical mechanics that go into catching a pass, and he must be alert enough not to make contact with the receiver until the instant that the receiver first touches the ball.
Many coaches talk about this skill, yet in practice they don't conduct drills that teach defensive backs the actual skills necessary to get the job done. If a coach wants his players proficient at something, he must show them what he wants. Remember: An incomplete pass is the same as a running play stopped for no gain.
Drill: Ball Stripping
This is not a full contact drill; the players run at three-quarter speed. It is designed to teach defensive backs how to properly strip a ball away from a receiver, which arm should be attacked, and the technique that should be used to cause an incompletion.
Prior to running the drill, the coach should demonstrate to the players the five different locations where a receiver may have his hands when he catches a pass: with the ball in front of him, his hands below or above his shoulder pads; behind him with his hands below or above the shoulder pads; and with the back of the receiver directly in front of the defensive player.
Next, the players should be shown that the receiver's arm on the same side as the pass is the one they must attack. If the defensive back sees the pass coming to the left of the receiver, he should take his left arm and reach over, pulling down and back on the left arm of the receiver. If the pass is to the right, he uses his right arm to attack the right arm of the receiver.
This "reach-and-pull" technique first should be taught with the players standing still, the receiver merely reaching position, and the defender, who is standing directly behind him, pulling down and back on the correct arm. Once the coach is satisfied that the players understand which arm to attack, and the proper method of doing it, they can proceed to the actual drill.
At the start of the drill, both the receiver and the defensive back face one sideline or the other. The defender stands 10 yards away from the receiver. At the command "Hit!" the receiver starts running directly toward the sideline, and the defensive back angles toward the receiver on the sideline, aiming at a point six or seven yards ahead of the receiver, running on a path so that he will reach the receiver as the ball arrives.
After the receiver has run a few yards, the coach passes the ball to him. At the moment the receiver's hands touch the ball, the defensive back, having seen through the receiver to the location of the pass, makes contact, reaching over and pulling the correct arm, causing the ball to fall to the ground. His other arm should be making contact with the back of the receiver's, his elbow hitting the small of the receiver's back, and his hand then grabbing the jersey of the receiver in case the ball does not fall free and he has to make a tackle.
The coach must make certain that he throws the ball in positions in front of and behind the receiver so that the defensive back learns to recognize which arm he must attack while the ball is in the air.
When working on stripping a pass to a receiver who is stopped and has his back to the defensive player, the drill is set up the same way, except that the receiver doesn't move; he begins the drill facing the coach waiting to receive the ball. The coach tosses the ball either to the right or the left of the receiver. As the pass is thrown, the defensive back sprints toward the receiver, attacking the arm on the side of the pass, pulling it away from the ball and causing the incompletion.
To repeat, stripping the ball is as much mental as it is physical. While there is little movement or hard contact in the drill, each time a defensive back executes the drill properly he gets a mental picture of what he can do during a gap to cause a receiver to drop a pass.
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"Play Football The NFL Way" is the first Instructional Manual for Football Players and Coaches ever published by the NFL. It is the ultimate position-by-position guide of techniques and drills for Offense, Defense and Special Teams. Author Tom Bass is a former NFL coach with more than 20 years of experience with the Cincinnati Bengals, San Diego Chargers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
For a personalized autographed copy of "Play Football the NFL Way," plus information on Coach Bass Sport Maps--the new Official NFL Licensed Football Guides to watching, enjoying and understanding all the action on the field, for all fans--please visit www.CoachBass.com.
For information on Coach Bass' In-Depth Coaching Clinics, please visit Coach Bass' Clinics and Consultations.
Copyright © Thomas L. Bass 2006. All rights reserved.
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