Football Quarterback Drills List

The quarterback is the star of the team because they are the leader of the offense and one of the most important players. Many young players dream of being starting quarterbacks, and NFL quarterbacks command the highest salaries in the league. Quarterback is a demanding position to play. It requires a combination of physical abilities, such as arm strength and speed, as well as football intelligence and leadership. Here is a list of drills to help you train all of the most important quarterback skills.

List of Quarterback Drills

• Anticipation Drill
• Circle Drill
• Deep Ball Drill
• Elway Drill
• Hitch-Hitch-Go-or-Throw Drill
• Hurdle Drills
• Open Man Drill
• Over the Middle Drill
• Pocket Presence Drill
• Quick-Release Drill
• Three-Cone Crossover Drill

Anticipation Drill

In the anticipation drill, a receiver runs parallel to the line of scrimmage behind something that hides their position from the quarterback. The quarterback must anticipate when the receiver will come out from behind the cover to throw a good pass.

Circle Drill

In the circle drill, two quarterbacks stand on opposite sides of a circle with a radius of five yards. The players toss a football back and forth while running and switching directions regularly.

Deep Ball Drill

The deep ball drill is simply meant to get the quarterback to practice throwing long passes to his receivers. It can be substituted with other routes as well.

Elway Drill

In the Elway drill, four bags are set up to form an X. The quarterback steps over them in a circular motion until they are signaled to hit a receiver with a pass.

Hitch-Hitch-Go-or-Throw Drill

The hitch-hitch-go-or-throw drill has the quarterback drop back and then step up as a defender runs behind them from the line of scrimmage. A coach in front of the quarterback will then run toward the quarterback or cover the receiver. As a response, the quarterback needs to either pass or run, respectively.

Hurdle Drills

Numerous miniature hurdle drills exist in which the quarterback must step over or around the hurdles while keeping their eyes up until they are signaled to pass the ball to a receiver.

Open Man Drill

The open man drill makes things a little more difficult by asking the quarterback to identify the correct receiver quickly. In the drill, the receivers spread out in front of the quarterback, and all but one put up two hands at the coach’s signal. The quarterback must find that last receiver, who puts up one hand, and throw them the ball as quickly as possible.

Over The Middle Drill

Similarly, in the over the middle drill, wide receivers, one after another, run parallel with the line of scrimmage while the quarterback hits them with a pass.

Pocket Presence Drill

The pocket presence drill is meant to help the quarterback be more aware of their surroundings in the pocket. In it, multiple defensive ends rush the quarterback one at a time, forcing the quarterback to evade them while he continues to look for his receivers.

Quick Release Drill

The quick-release drill has a coach rapidly giving the quarterback one football after another as the quarterback catches the ball, grips the laces, and throws the ball as quickly as possible without looking at the coach.

Three Cone Crossover Drill

The three-cone crossover drill uses three cones set up in a line. The player holds a medicine ball while straddling an end cone. He steps over the middle cone with his outside foot and then brings his other foot to the outside of the cone on the other side, going back and forth.

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