Third down period
Why it works
A third down drill that always starts at third and five rehearses a down nobody faces. Letting the second down play set the distance means the offence has to read the sticks and call a route that clears them, which is the real job on third down.
Run it
10 MINSix to eight series, about ten minutes. Thud only, and count it toward your full contact minutes for the day. Stop early if the reps get sloppy at the line; a ragged third down period teaches the wrong thing.
Say this
“Look at the sticks before you look at the ball.”
Every receiver and the quarterback know the distance before the snap.
“Past the sticks, then turn.”
A catch short of the line to gain is a punt, however clean it is.
“Defence, play the sticks too.”
Defenders can sit on the line to gain and drive on anything in front of it.
Good looks like
- Before each snap the quarterback calls the distance out loud.
- Routes break at or beyond the cones.
- The defence adjusts its depth to the distance rather than playing the same drop every time.
- Contact stays at thud: no one goes to the ground.
The mistakes
A receiver running a perfect five yard hitch on third and seven. Ask him the distance before the snap; if he cannot say it, he did not look.
Say: “Look at the sticks before you look at the ball.”
Breaking the route a yard early to get open. Mark the line with cones and stop any rep where the break comes short of them.
Say: “Past the sticks, then turn.”
Defenders dropping to their usual depth on third and two and giving up the easy throw underneath. Call the distance to the defence as well.
Say: “Defence, play the sticks too.”
Skip the second down snap and draw the distance from a hat: short, medium or long. Give the coordinator three plays only, one for each, so the young quarterback learns the link between distance and call.
Let the defence disguise its coverage and add a blitz call. Run it at game tempo with the play signalled in from the sideline.