Football Training Equipment

Coaches would argue that the most important part of playing football is training. Besides drills, study tape and calisthenics, some football teams also use special equipment to improve various qualities and techniques. From linemen to quarterbacks, there is an array of tools and apparatuses that can make a player go from good to great. This article will describe some of that equipment.

Football players whose primary responsibility is blocking are probably familiar with the blocking sled. The blocking sled consists of a heavily padded vertical apparatus that is supported by a horizontal metal balancing frame. The heavier the frame, the tougher it is to move. The frame usually has a portion for an observer to stand on. Linemen are usually instructed to attack the sled in a blocking fashion and move it for great distances and varying angles. Blocking sleds can come as an individual piece or as multiple parts for several linemen to train on.

Pull speed trainers are used to increase speed and agility in position players who primarily rely on those qualities. The pull speed trainer is an expandable band with two loops on either end. The runner puts on one loop around the waist while the partner does the same. The trainee runs as fast as he can while the partner adds resistance by forcing the trainee to "pull" him along. For dual training, both partners could switch places at any time.

To strengthen a throwing arm, quarterbacks engage in resistance training. One way is to use a weighted football. It is shaped exactly in the dimensions of a standard football but weighs two or three pounds. Most footballs weigh a little less than a pound when fully inflated. Weighted footballs can also train running backs to develop better grip and receivers to develop stronger catching hands.

When the game comes down to the wire, a kicker needs to be ready for the big kick. They often warm up and practice with a kicking net. A kicking net looks like a soccer goal, except about a third in size and only a few feet deep. It allows a kicker to make full contact with a ball and kick it without having to retrieve it from the far end of the field.

Balance and agility are also important qualities for football players at any position. The knee high trainer is a great device that can help improve both. It consists of a rectangular frame evenly divided into pairs of roped-squares about 9 inches off of the ground. Players are challenged to high-step through each pair of squares without touching any of the ropes.