At Meade HS (MD), we have not had the luxury of bringing a QB up through our system. This is due to military transfers as we are located on Fort Meade. We must spend a good deal of time training the footwork and fundamentals when we are allowed to in the off season and summer. When the season comes, we focus on decision making. We complete the following drills at least three times a week during our individual period with our QBs.
1) General Warm Up – Wave Drill
We use the wave drill to get the feet going and the mind working by reacting to movement of the coach. We keep all movements tight. We emphasize 6- inch movements and being under control. I use buzz words to remind them of certain things we look for. For example, if their feet are getting wild, we say “Calm Feet” or if they are not maintaining a good pocket posture, we say “Level Up”.
2) Flush & React
We work a drill to teach the QB when to run and when to step up into the pocket. Off of that we also alter the drill so the QB gets work at knowing when to be patient when they break contain. We set this up with our QB, a coach behind the QB, two DE edge rushers, & and a receiver on each side off the field (usually around the numbers at about 10 yards deep). The coach will indicate which rusher is live before the play and the coach will signal the rusher whether to force the QB to step up by rushing deep or to flush him out of the pocket by rushing shallow. The receiver on the perimeter will know before the play whether to hold up his hands to indicate a throw to the QB or keep his hands down to indicate a run. On the snap, the QB will take his drop:
* If the DE rushes deep, hitch up and deliver the ball.
* If the DE rushes shallow, flush eyes downfield reacting to WR.
3) Throw Opposite Drill
We place two receivers (we use injured players or managers) in a position on the field. We place our WRs on the field to simulate a specific throw we are training that day. For example, for ‘smash’ we have a WR 5 yards deep at the top of the numbers and the other 22 yards deep and 6 yards from the sideline. We place a defender in the middle (I will usually simulate the defender because I know the defense looks better then a manager). The QB receives the snap, takes his drop & and reacts off the movement of the defender.
4) Progression Drill
This is a drill were again we set it up to simulate a specific concept we are working on for the day. We will have three receivers (again, injured or managers) spaced throughout the field. The coach stands directly behind the center to do two things – first, watch mechanics. Second, we throw hand shields at the QB as he makes his progression in the pocket. This forces him to reset his feet & and to throw under duress. The QB will receive the snap, execute his drop, avoid the bags, & and then recite his progression. I usually number the receivers and, before each snap, hold up numbers behind my back to indicate which receiver will be raising their hands to signify they are open. A key coaching point is that the QB must be forced to coordinate his feet with his progression. For example, when we work our “shallow” concept, the QB executes the drop and on the plant of the back foot will say “Shallow”, first hitch up “Dig”, and second hitch up “Shoot”. If no one raises their hands at that point the QB takes off.
We will work 3-4 reps at each drill every day. We do have other drills we work on but these must get done three times a week. These drills may not work for everyone but because our QBs come from so many different places and are often not in our program for all four years they help reinforce our concepts & and create good decision makers with in our scheme. Our QB this year threw 195, times had a 72% completion rate with 24 TDs and only 5 interceptions so we hope that we are on to something.