Football is a passion of yours, now you want to get better at it. You have to step back and say to yourself, “What can I learn about the game so that I can master it?” This article will give you exactly what you need to know in an easy-to-understand format.

Keep your ears open to your teammates. You may not always agree with your teammates but everyone wants to win and you must support each other. You never know what they might have to add!

Even when your team isn’t practicing, you should be. Practice constantly, and practice the skills of your specific position the most. On top of that, you should also build your strength and stamina through other athletic pursuits, such as running, working out at the gym, and even other sports.

Understand that there is always room for improvement in your game of football. The competition will improve, and so must you, no matter how great a player you already are. Keep working at becoming even stronger, faster, and smarter. When you think you’re on top, that’s when somebody can come along and knock you down.

Does your kicker know the proper placement of the plant foot? The plant foot must be placed alongside the football. It should not be ahead of it or behind it. When the ball is kicked, the show must be parallel to the field. Practice often to perfect the kicking technique.

Build power and muscles by training with box jumps. Make sure you have a very sturdy large box with a height between 2 feet and 3 feet, determined by your own height. Jump onto the edge of the box repeatedly, straightening your back each time you reach the top of the box. Repeat up to 20 times.

Practice your perseverance and inner strength. It may seem weird, but it’s very important! A football game is surprisingly long when you’re playing it. There will be times your body is ready to give up. There will be other times that you’re just mentally exhausted. You need to practice pushing through these moments. Remember your team needs you, so persevere and be there.

Watch old tapes of the greats, so you can get pointers. Watch professional players who play your position, so you can watch how they move and play the game. This is almost as helpful as having them there with you because you can study every move they make during a game.

Use shuttle runs to boost your stamina, endurance and even develop your ability to stop on a dime. Start at the goal line, then run and tap the 10-yard line. Then go back to the line you started at and tap it as well. Attempt to do more of these with every passing day, and monitor your success in order to see yourself get better as time goes by.

The time is now to toughen yourself up. You may get the wind knocked out of you, or even slightly injured. These are times when you just have to get up and get back into the game. Serious injuries like concussions are times when you must get off the field, though.

Learn to scan defenders from right to left and left to right if you’re a quarterback. Sometimes, quarterbacks only scan from left to right. Altering how you look will keep your opponents on their toes. This will also prevent them from blindsiding you from one side.

Work with weights to develop the muscles in your legs. Strong legs are important for football players because they allow for explosive movements off the line of scrimmage. Do skills that specifically work on improving your agility. The ability to change direction quickly while maintaining control over your body is an important skill on the football field.

There may be times when it is more effective to run the ball even though there are receivers open. Learning to know when to change a play is important for any quarterback. If you are running a passing play and spot an opening, power run up the opening to gain the maximum yardage.

Now that you can get better at football, you’ll find that your passion for the game continues to grow. You’ll want to play as frequently as possible so that you can enjoy your time outside of school or work. Practice all you can and your skills should improve dramatically.