Touch Football Training Drills

Touch football is a high-paced and physically demanding sport played throughout the United States. Touch football allows the excitement of American football, with a reduced risk of injury compared with the full-contact version of the sport. Touch football training drills should work on the fundamental skills of the game such as passing, catching, defending and running with the ball. The fundamental skills are best learned in a fun and competitive environment.

The Star Drill

This touch football training drill works on speed, agility and a quick change of direction. Mark a 5-yard box out using four cones, with a fifth cone placed in the center. Your touch football player starts on the center cone and runs to touch all four corner cones, sprinting back to the center cone each time. Teach your football player to keep a low center of gravity and shorten his steps on approach to allow for a quick change of direction. Time the players when they are doing this drill, and put them in races against each other to make it competitive. Keep scores on record, and revisit the drill to monitor improvements made by your football players throughout the season.

Passing Skeleton

The Passing Skeleton touch football training drill allows the offensive and defensive football players to work on their passing game under game-like conditions. Begin the drill by having your wide receivers run routes unopposed and the quarterback throwing passes to them. Have the wide receivers run 10 to 20 repetitions of each passing route and catching a pass, working through all routes in the team playbook. Progress this drill to the wide receiver running a route while being covered by a defensive football player. The drill works up to a game-like situation, with the quarterback beginning each repetition from the 25-yard line. Four wide receivers run pass patterns, and four defensive football players play man-to-man coverage. The offensive team is awarded one point for each completed pass and 10 points for a touchdown. The defensive team is awarded one point for each incomplete pass and 10 points for an interception.

Block for the Runner

This touch football training drill teaches the skill of blocking, a crucial skill in touch football, where the defender only has to touch the runner to get credit for a tackle. Begin the drill by having your football player practice blocking technique. Progress the drill to a runner and blocker facing a defender inside a 10-yard box. The runner starts on one end of the box with the blocker two yards in front. The defender starts on the opposite end line. The blocking football player must block the defender and allow the runner a clear path to the goal line.