Football Inside Linebacker Drills

One of the most physically demanding positions on the football field is at middle, or inside, linebacker. Inside linebackers are relied upon to be adept at defending both the run and the pass. Middle linebackers must be quick enough to cover large areas of the field, be strong enough to shed blockers and be agile enough to track down and tackle ball carriers.


Coaching Emphasis
1. Coaches should make sure their linebackers are in a proper stance at all times. A linebacker should always begin each drill or play with his feet shoulder-width apart with a slight bend in his knees. The shoulder pads should be ahead of the linebacker's feet, while his hands are in front of his body chest high with his elbows close to his torso. The coach should emphasize to the linebacker to keep his head up at all times to see everything unfold in front of him, as well as to prevent a neck injury.
Reading and Reacting
2. Linebackers must have great instincts, and his ability to read and react to the offense is paramount. There are drills to practice reading and reacting. Coaches can have four players serve as the offense, three of which will be on the offensive line and the other will line up at fullback. Align two defenders on the outside shoulders of the outer offensive linemen, and a linebacker four yards off the line in front of the center. On the snap, the linemen carry out their blocks and the linebacker is required to read the play and fill the hole. The drill should start at half speed and increase as the players improve.
Shedding Blocks
3. After a linebacker has read the play, he must be able to get through a lineman or blocking back to get to the ball carrier. Coaches can have three linebackers line up one yard off a three-man sled. Upon the coach's command, the players attack the sled and disengage at a 45-degree angle. The players will accelerate to a ball carrier, who is lined up eight yards behind the sled. Each player should focus on good footwork, using their hands to throw the sled and accelerate as quickly as possible to the ball carrier. A one-man sled also can be used.
Tackling
4. Once a linebacker has taken the proper steps in getting to the ball carrier, he must then be able to tackle him effectively. One of the most basic drills includes two players lined up eight yards apart. The linebacker will chop his feet in place on the coach's command, and will attack the ball carrier on the second command. The ball carrier will run toward the linebacker and cut at a 45-degree angle after taking a couple steps. The linebacker must take a good angle to cut him off, and drive through the ball carrier and knock him back two yards.
Pass Coverage
5. More often than not, linebackers will drop into zone coverage after correctly diagnosing the play. Depending on what base defense is employed determines how many linebackers line up across from the coach, who serves as the quarterback for the drill. On the coach's command, the linebackers drop into their zones. The coach will raise the football to pass when the players reach their zone, and finish the drill by throwing a pass. The linebackers must react and make a play on the ball.