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Little League Football - Sitemap

Side Lines - Once upon a time there lived, within sight of the friendly glow of the Golden Dome of Notre Dame University, a little boy who had impossible dreams. It was in the days of the immortal football coach, Knute Rockne. The little boy would hang around the gate of Cartier Field and the members of the Fighting Irish would "sneak" him into the practice sessions. Coach Rockne would look the other way and pretend he hadn't noticed the small trespasser.

Personal Word - I do not think that any boy should be made to play football! It must be that he wants to play!

Football must be played for the fun of the game. When it isn't any fun for the player, then he is missing all the benefits that the gridiron sport offers.

Believe me, there are many benefits. You learn to keep in top physical condition. You discover that you can take some rough knocks and come back for more. You also discover that the other fellow can take it, too, and come back for more!

First Half Offense - More than any other sport, football seems most truly American. Some 350 years ago, the early settlers of our land had teams, goals, and a ball that they kicked around an open field.

True, the game they played can hardly be compared to the modern game we watch in our huge stadiums and on nationwide television, but then, what has remained the same throughout the last three and one-half centuries?

01. Running - In earlier days, football was just a game that the name suggests. The players moved the ball by kicking it with their feet. Gradually, as high schools and colleges took up the game during the 1800's, it became popular to pick up the ball and run with it. Later, throwing the ball through the air from one player to another won its place in the strategy of the game.

02. Passing - The biggest argument regarding football's history has never been settled to anyone's complete satisfaction. Who was really responsible for the forward pass? There are many who lay claim to making the pass popular, but it seems to be one of those questions which has no definite answer.

03. Pass Receiving - There is a great deal of satisfaction in being able to invade enemy territory, then outsmart, outmaneuver, and outrun the defense to successfully receive a pass.

Becoming a fine pass receiver is not easy. You must have excellent speed, faking ability, change-of-pace, quickness in your movements, and a sure pair of hands. A team's passing attack is only as good as its receivers. Many players can do everything but hang onto the ball. So first of all, you must become a "glue fingers"!

04. Blocking - All offensive football is based on effective blocking from every member of the team on every type of play. This is the greatest example of "teamwork" in any of our sports. Every member of the team is doing a job, not for himself or for any other individual teammate, but for the success of the team. The only objective is to advance the ball.

05. Kicking - Every game starts with what appears to be a simple maneuver, the kickoff. Yet, there are very few players who are really skillful in kicking the ball from the kickoff tee, or when it is held by a teammate.

You may have the talent to develop into a kickoff expert. See how well you can do with these instructions. (Our instructions are for a right-footed kicker. "Lefties" should switch the words "right" and "left" wherever they appear.)

06. Mr. Quarterback - Most successful teams are that way because of excellent leadership. They have quarterbacks who are smart, quick, and possess the ability to co-ordinate eleven players into a smooth-working team.

The quarterback is often referred to as the "engineer of the football machine." More than anyone else on the team, he must know what makes it tick. He must have a thorough knowledge of all aspects of offensive play.

07. Center's Job - A center who does a good job of snapping the ball is rarely noticed! Let him make a bad snap, though, and a play has been fouled up and he becomes the "center" of attention!

Being a good center has its rewards, though. You start every offensive play by your team. In those first few seconds you can guarantee that the play will at least start successfully.

Second Half Defense - In the early days of football, the rules were such that the team on defense was favored over the team with the ball. The game emphasized stout defenses. A great many contests were decided by a lone score.

As the gridiron sport has "opened up" in modern times with a greater variety of offensive plays and more scoring, it has also become a far more exciting game.

01. Tackling - Whenever football talk turns to the defensive part of the game, the main topic of discussion is the tackling ability of each member of the team. The main point, of course, is to stop the progress of the other team's ball carrier. You want to accomplish this as soon as possible after he has the ball.

02. The Line - The general design of all your defensive patterns should be such that your team is ready for any type of offensive play. Each man on the team must know exactly what is expected of him. Each will have certain maneuvers to perform. The failure of any one man to properly execute his assignment can mean the failure of the whole defensive pattern.

03. Other Defensive - The main objective of a team on defense is to regain possession of the ball as quickly as possible. To successfully control a game, a team needs to have possession of the ball the major portion of the playing time.

One of the most effective ways of stopping the other team's offense "cold" is to make quick recoveries of their fumbles.

Gridiron Code - The game of football demands that you respect your body. It is vital that you not only get all your muscles in proper condition, but that you keep them that way. A muscle that is in good condition will not be easily injured.

In football, your muscles are called on to stretch hard and quickly in all directions. They are subjected to heavy blows. Since there are so many muscles in your body, you must develop a rather strenuous training program for yourself. It must be a daily affair.

THE END