Are you interested in learning more about football? Perhaps you are new to the sport and wonder why so many people spend long hours each watching the game? If that is making you curious to want to know more, keep reading for great tips that will get you up to speed about this fascinating game.
If you are playing football, weight training is very important. Keep up with your regimen for the best performance. Use basic lifts as well as heavy ones to increase your strength and speed. Both of these skills are a necessity to become a skilled and winning player.
Learn to use both your feet. A lot of people have a dominant foot that is the lead-off. However, if you can use your other leg more, you can outmaneuver opponents and move more quickly.
When you’re playing defense, you’ll need to know how to read the opposing team’s formation. Looking at the wide receiver, you can get a good idea of what play is going to be called. To help you learn the different formations, watch college and professional games and develop a playbook with the various plays.
When you practice, try playing with both feet. Most people favor one foot or the other and it takes practice to learn how to use both. If you concentrate on your weaker foot, you will notice dramatic improvements in form, stability and quickness. Kick the football repeatedly against a wall to strengthen your weaker foot.
Increase your speed. A good football player needs to be quick on his feet, not only in sprints, but in reaction time and reflexes too. Try adding in some track exercises into your workout regimen and before you know it you will be leaving your opponents behind in the dust.
Always drink plenty of water when you are practicing or playing football. It is very easy to get dehydrated during a game or during practice. This will not only impact your performance, but it could be dangerous as well. Drink plenty of fluids before, during and after any football related activity.
A good football tip is to make sure you have the appropriate gear on when playing. If you find yourself getting hit a lot, or hitting players often, it may be a good idea to invest in a mouth guard. A mouth guard will prevent you from messing up the inside of your mouth.
Consume adequate amounts of protein to give you the strength and body mass you need as a football player. Avoid getting your proteins through junk food, as this will contribute to an unhealthy body that does not function well for you. Get protein from meat, eggs, fish and protein powder shakes.
Try making a score using the fair-catch kick. When you catch a football and call for a fair catch, you have the opportunity to kick a field goal. You kick the ball with the help of a holder. The resulting points count like a field goal, giving your team an extra three points. The down isn’t timed.
Proper padding for the lower body is a must. Pants can be purchased with pads built in or with pockets in them to slide the pads into them. No matter what type of pants you decide on, make sure that you have pads to protect the tailbone, knees, thighs and hips.
Always be aware of the clock and use the time left to your advantage. Don’t run the clock down if your game is about to end.
Practice agility. Jumping rope, jumping over cones, and running through tires are good practice exercises. This keeps you flexible, agile and ready to play hard. Incorporate your agility exercises into your workouts and football practices, as well.
Learn all you can about the situations you will face on the field. Understand the strategies the offense takes if you are on defense, and vice versa. It is important to know the plays your side may engage in, but if you know what the other team is likely to do, you will be able to beat them.
It is important that you set goals when it comes to your game. Set daily goals such as working out every single day. Set weekly goals for your stamina or strength. Then set long-term goals for your game play and how great your strategies turn out on the field.
Take good care of your feet. You’ll be putting a lot of strain on your feet during a typical football game, from pushing off to pivots and lots of lateral movement. Make sure that you take proper care of them afterwards. Stretch them to keep your flexibility up and even give them a heat treatment to remove those aches and pains.
Study up on playing football before joining a team game. People will expect that you’ll come into a game scenario with at least a moderate amount of knowledge. If you don’t, you’ll be wasting their time and yours. So scour the Internet and read up all that you can. These tips are a smart start, but don’t let them be your last efforts.
If your jersey is just too tight, it’ll leave you uncomfortable as you play. Soak it in cold water for an hour and then wring out the water. Stretch it between multiple chairs or over a table so that it’s pushed just to its limit. Turn it half way to stretch it in two directions. Repeat until dry.
So many people watch football each week and lots more would love to understand it better but don’t know where to begin. Thankfully, the information you just read has given you interesting tips on how the sport became popular. Stick to what you read here and soon you too can have a greater love of the game!
