by Warren Clarke, Clubspaces Editorial Team

Everyone knows that nothing succeeds like practice. The way to excel at a skill is to do it, do it and then do it some more. Drills offer players a chance to practice skills that are essential to game of football. As such, they are a must if a player hopes to develop his prowess to its full potential.

>> The drill you’ll want to start with is quite basic--the ready stance drill. As you’ve no doubt guessed from its name, this drill involves getting players up to speed on the stances they’ll need to adopt as they prepare to begin play. The team should be arranged in queues. Your cry of “Ready… stance!” will serve as a cue for the players to crouch into their stances. Carefully inspect each player’s stance, making corrections as needed. This easy, fun drill is a great way to get your players acquainted with the fundamentals of the game.

>> Another engaging drill is the quick hit drill. The purpose of this drill is to prepare players to quickly shift positions, from the ready stance to a blocking stance. One way to execute this drill is to have your players arrange themselves in a circle. They should then adopt the ready stance. When you give the word, the players should then fall into the position required for pass protection. Their next stance should be the squat position; this will get them good and ready to unleash a blow.

>> A playful yet useful drill is the good balance drill. A good sense of balance is crucial to most sports. In football, it’s especially so. Players are often pounded from all directions, and to succeed, they have to know how to stay on their feet throughout all kinds of onslaught. The good balance drill develops this skill. Have your players form two lines facing each other. Each player should partner with the player facing him, securing a grip on his shoulder pad s. Then, the players should take turns trying to topple their partners. There are no rules here--pushing, pulling and tipping are all allowed. To maintain his balance, the player under attack should be instructed to crouch low and keep his feet in constant motion.

Typically, the bad thing about practice of any sort is that it can sometimes be quite tedious. Luckily, though, this doesn’t apply to most football drills. These maneuvers can be almost as much fun as the game itself.