Test players for the skills you want each position to perform - Let's Talk Football

By Tom Bass | Posted 4/21/2014

In Let’s Talk Football, Coach Tom Bass brings his 30 years of NFL coaching experience to USA Football. Email Coach Bassyour question.

Aaron sent the following question:

What drills or skills tests would you suggest to assign players to positions? We only have two weeks in the preseason (five practices, including one without pads) before our first game, so we’ve got to build a pretty simple offense and defense quickly. It would help having people in the right spots. The littler guys are sometimes the best guards or defensive linemen because of their quickness, but I didn’t realize that until midway through last season. 

Hi Aaron,

Properly placing players in the correct position for your team is one of the most challenging processes that you, as the coach, will undertake. You need to consider the position where you determine the player will have the greatest impact on the rest of the team and have opportunity for individual success. At the same time, at the beginning of the year, you need to be aware of each player’s desire to at least be given the opportunity to play a specific position.

Don’t be in a hurry to lock young players into positions based on first impressions. It may seem like wasted time, but giving players a chance to play their dream positions can help create a motivated and eager team. Players can see the ability of their competition at a position, and because of their desire to play in the game they will welcome the move that results in putting them on the field.

It is important that you speak to players individually prior to lining them up by position on the field. Take time to explain why you feel that they will have success at the assigned position and the positive contribution you see them making at that spot.

Prior to that first practice, it is a good idea to write down one or two physical abilities that you would like a player to have for each position, then try to develop a test that brings out and demonstrates those physical abilities. As you pointed out, sometimes the quicker player better for a spot even though he may not be the biggest candidate. Looking for these traits at the start of the year can help you get lined up to your best advantage.

These tests often have the greatest validity for your players when you have one test without instruction and a similar test after a couple of practice sessions when the skill is taught from a football technique prospective. The first test should give you an idea to the natural ability they bring to field; the second test should show you improvement and ability to accept coaching.

A few examples might be:

Quarterback: Arm strength

  • Softball throw – distance and accuracy
  • Football throw after coaching – Stance, grip, throwing motion, distance and accuracy

Defensive backs – Body control

  • Running backward for time
  • Backpedal after coaching – stance, start, body position and movement

Wide receivers – Catching ability

  • Two lines, straight line receiving from a coach.
  • Route running and receiving after coaching – hand position for high and low throws, catching passes on slant, hook and up routes

In addition to position-specific tests, you can use the standing broad jump (three jumps from standing position for total distance), 20-yard sprint (for time), 10-yard square cone drill (backpedal to first cone, right side shuffle to second cone, left side shuffle to third cone, forward sprint to fourth cone).

These three tests can give you an idea to your team’s overall leg strength and explosion, speed and quickness, body control and movement. Let your testing help position your players, but in the end these are the players you have, so move from the test and start to coach them up regardless of their strength, speed or running ability. They may not always be much, but they are yours, and as a team you can move ahead.

Aaron, good luck this year and please do not be afraid to move players if you feel it will be best for the team or the individual.

Coach Tom Bass

Coach Tom Bass, a 30-year NFL coach and a technical writer and advisor for USA Football, also is the author of several football coaching books, including "Play Football the NFL Way" (St. Martin's Press), the only authorized NFL coaching book, "Football Skills and Drills" (Human Kinetics) and "The New Coaches Guide to Youth Football Skills and Drills" (McGraw Hill). If you would like to order a personalized autographed copy of Coach Bass' books, copies of his printed “In-Depth Coaching Clinics” or “NFL or College Sport Maps,” visit www.coachbasssportmaps.com.

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