Welcome to Drill of the Week, a series on ACTIVEkids.com that explains individual and team drills for parents and coaches to help kids improve at the sports they love.
This week's drill is the stop route, brought to you by CoachUp.com.
On offense, the relationship between the quarterback and his receiver is crucial for success. It takes loads of practice and effort, but having the pair on the same page is essential for executing the game plan. This means that quarterbacks and wide receivers must have an acute understanding of the playbook and each other. These routes must be completed perfectly or the end result will likely be an incomplete pass or worse, an interception.
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Every play has a passing route that includes both the distance and direction a receiver should travel in. Common plays include the hook, slant, out, post, and dig routes, but CoachUp is sharing how to practice the stop route in this week's drill.
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To start, place your inside foot forward. Following the snap, explode off the line of scrimmage and drive about eight yards in the direction determined by your play. Reginald Rembert, former first team All-American from the United States Air Force Academy and CoachUp coach, suggests to chop your feet and pump your arms as you run. Once you've reached the pre-determined distance, plant on your outside foot and drive back towards the quarterback. From there, catch the ball and turn up field for the score!
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If you don't telegraph your intentions beforehand, then your defender will have minimal time to react. Great footwork for receivers is a necessity, so don't skip out on practicing it! Now, check out Reginald explaining the stop route in this video and get out there and try it yourself!
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