How to Play Football for Beginners

Manual By: Jackie Wyatt Jr.

Table of Contents

iii

Table of Contents
Contents
Table of Contents................................................................................................................ iii
Introduction ........................................................................................................................ v
Working Out ........................................................................................................................ 3
Playing Quarterback on Offense ......................................................................................... 3
Playing Running Back on Offense ....................................................................................... 5
Playing Receiver on Offense ................................................................................................ 6
Playing Offensive Lineman on Offense ............................................................................... 7
Playing Defense ................................................................................................................... 9
Playing Defensive Lineman ................................................................................................ 11
Playing Linebacker and Defensive Back on Defense ........................................................ 13
When playing man coverage ......................................................................................... 13
When playing zone coverage ......................................................................................... 14
Index .................................................................................................................................. 15

Introduction

Introduction

Playing football is not all about the way you look on the field, players have to be able to
use mechanics that goes into the game. This manual will emphasize the basic learning
curve which sometimes (is not taught) to beginners by their coaches, not because the
coaches do not care to explain, but because they might not have the time to explain
everything while trying to game plan for their opponent. The beginners need to know
safety precautions, techniques at their position(s), and the time it takes to get better at
their positions. Physical training must also be a factor while playing football because it is
strenuous and tiresome. The two parts that make up a team are offense and defense. It
is the offense job to score points and make sure their team wins the game. It is the
defense job to make sure that the opposing offense does not score points so that their
offense has the best opportunity to win the game.

Working Out

Working Out
When playing any sport of have to make sure you have a basic work out plan, especially
weight lifting to make you stronger. The following steps will help you develop stronger
muscles so that you can get ready physically for the sport of football.
1. Do 5 sets of 6 on bench press while taking a 1-minute break in between reps.

2. Do 5 sets of 6 each arm dumbbell curls while taking a 1-minute break in between
reps.

3. Do 2 sets of 15 dumbbell shoulder shrugs while taking a 1-minute break in

between reps.

4. Do 5 sets of 6 leg press or squats while taking a 1-minute break in between reps.

Playing Quarterback on Offense

Playing Quarterback on Offense

Playing the role of a quarterback on offense, you will be the captain of the offense. The
primary goal of a quarterback is to be able to know how to throw the football. You have
to follow the proper steps of the throwing motion for the best results, which are the
following:
1. Hold the ball in whichever hand you are most comfortable with, over your heart
or opposite of your heart depending on the hand.

2. Stand straight or at an angle with the football raised 90 degrees from your
shoulder.

3. Throw your arm forward and release the ball while swinging your opposite arm
back so that your body does a simple twist motion.

Playing Running Back on Offense

Playing Running Back on Offense

Playing running back for the offense, the primary goal of the running back is to take
some of the pressure off the quarterback so that he does not have to throw the ball all
the time. You have to know how to hold the football while running so that the defenders
cannot strip the ball away from your hands. The following steps are to help you maintain
the football as you run, creating a good caring method:
1. When you get ready to take the handoff from the quarterback, you must have
your arms open so that you can get the ball.
2. Place your arm that is on the same side as where the ball is coming from up with
your thumb pointing down while placing your opposite arm underneath the ball
so when you bring your arms together, they will clamp down on the ball.

3. Make sure you have a firm grip on the ball because if it is slippery it is a strong
chance you will drop the ball while running.
4. Place the ball in either arm as if you are holding an infant.

5. Make sure that the football is touching 3 key points of your body at all times
when running.
a. The inside of your bicep
b. The palm of your hand
c. The outer part of your pectoral

How To Play Football for Beginners

Playing Receiver on Offense

Playing receiver, you have to make sure you know how to catch the football once the
quarterback throws it to you. The key to being a good receiver is to be able to make plays
using your hands and the following steps will help you become a good catcher:
1. Place both arms out in front of you with your hands fully open.
2. Bring your 2 index fingers and thumbs together so that their tip touches the
opposite hand. By doing this, you make a diamond shape with your hands which
in football is called a noose.

3. Once the quarterback throws the ball to you, try to locate the tip of the ball
coming at you and try to fit that tip in the noose you have made with your hands.

4. Once the ball fits the noose, grasp the ball with both hands, and bring it into your
body, as you would like a running back making sure it touches the 3 key points of
your body. The catch is complete once this happens.

Playing Offensive Lineman on Offense

Playing Offensive Lineman on Offense

The key for playing offensive lineman is to be able to block. Offensive lineman blocks the
defensive players so that the quarterback, running back, and receivers can do their jobs
effectively. The following steps will help you to establish a good blocking technique:
1. Get in a good stance where you have balance with your shoulders square and your
feet set apart and aligned with your shoulders.

2. Place arms out in front of you with your hands open if you were about to pick up
an infant.

3. Squat to create a firm base so that once you engage the block with a defensive
player, you will not fall.

Playing Defense

Playing Defense
To play defense in general you have to be able to tackle. It is your job as a defensive
player to stop the offense from scoring points and to do this tackling is a key factor in
doing so. The following steps will help you establish a good tackling technique:
1. Square your shoulders so that you are facing your opponent with your feet
shoulder length apart.

2. Create a strong base by squatting and leaning forward a little bit so that your
weight is on your toes.

3. As you make contact, make sure you wrap your arms around your opponent and
place your head across their body.
4. Make sure you have a tight grasp on your opponent and run them into the
ground.

Playing Defensive Lineman on Defense

11

Playing Defensive Lineman on Defense

Defensive linemen are the first line of defense on the defensive of the ball. Playing as a
defensive lineman, you are going to have to know stances in order to take on blocks from
offensive linemen and shed the blocks so that you can tackle your opponent that has the
football. The following steps will help you properly shed blocks so that you can make a
tackle:
1. Get in a good defensive lineman stance by placing one hand on the ground while
leaning forward on your toes.

2. Once you engage on a block, extend your arms to push your opponent off you and
snatch them to either your left or right in order to move them out of your way.

3. Once free from the block, make a play whether it is tackling your opponent or just
knocking down a pass from the quarterback.

Playing Linebacker and Defensive Back on

Defense

13

Playing Linebacker and Defensive Back on Defense

Linebackers and defensive backs are the second and third lines of defense when playing
defense. To play linebacker and defensive back you have to know how to tackle and
catch the ball because playing these positions gives you an opportunity to get the ball
while covering an opponent. The difference between linebackers and defensive backs is
that linebackers make more tackles, and defensive backs consist of cornerbacks and
safeties. You will play man coverage and zone coverage and the following steps will help
you develop a skill in being good at both coverages.

When playing man coverage:

1. Locate the person you are guarding.
2. Line up directly across from them in your level on the defense.

3. Follow them wherever they go, before and after the offense hikes the ball.

14

How To Play Football for Beginners

When playing zone coverage:

1. Locate your level on the defense.
2. Put yourself in the center of an imaginary circle that is three to four yards outside
of you. This is your zone.
3. When the offense hikes the ball, any opponent that comes into your zone, follow
them until they have left your zone.
4. Do not continue to follow them after they leave your zone.
5. Do this with every opponent that comes to your zone.

Index

15

Index
cornerbacks, 16
defense, v, 13, 15, 16, 17
defensive back, 16
Defensive linemen, 15
football, v, 3, 4, 7, 11, 15
linebacker, 16
man coverage, 16

offense, v, 4, 7, 13, 16, 17

offensive lineman, 12
quarterback, 4, 7, 11, 12, 15
receiver, 11
running back, 7, 11, 12
safeties, 16
zone coverage, 16, 17