How to Catch a Football
1) Keep your eyes on the ball at all times. Everytime you take your eyes off the ball you increase your chances of dropping it. If you aren't focused on the ball when it hits you in the hands, catching it becomes pure luck.
2) Extend your arms toward the ball, as the ball approaches, so your hands meet it at the furthest possible point. Do not run with your arms extended. Extend your arms right before the ball reaches you.
3) Make a triangle with both hands, palms facing away from your body. Thumbs pointing at each other, all other fingers pointing up. You want the tip of the ball heading for the open space in between your two hands. If the ball is below the waist, palms still face out, but put your pinkies together,if you are running and the ball is coming over you should also put you pinkies together.
4) Catch the ball, letting it get about halfway between your hands before clamping down on it with all your fingers. Keeping your eyes on it the whole time. (If the pass is below the waist let the ball slide through the inside of your palms about halfway and then clamp down on it)
5) Proceed to tuck the ball away, under your arm on the opposite side of any defenders.
6) Now that the ball is caught, run with it (football game), throw it back (playing catch), or whatever the game you're playing requires you to do.
7) Make sure that you see in your mind catching the pass. And under no circumstances think about not catching it. Don't forget when the football touches your hands or any part of your arms try to tuck it in.
Tips
- Keep your eyes on the ball at all times. Some people think they are keeping their eyes on the ball and they really aren't. The more focused you are on the ball, the better job you will do of catching it with your hands.
- Ignore the rest of the world and focus on the ball. There is no sky, no ground, nobody else even exists. The only thing is that ball and your hands.
- Watch the rotation of the ball. The rotation velocity affects your ability to catch it. The faster the spiral the harder you will have to grip it. If the pass is a wounded duck (the rotation is all over the place because it is an ugly pass) then you will have to adjust your hands to get a good grip when you catch it.
- DO NOT catch with your body. That is wrong. It can hurt, it increases your chances of fumbling it, and if your wearing pads you will drop it a lot. I don't care what you saw Joe Pro doing on TV, because Joe Pro runs a 4.2 40 yard dash and people are more concerned with what he does after he catches the ball. Even so, his coach probably still tells him to catch with his hands.
- Practice, practice, practice. You can't master anything by reading it in a book (or online). You need to get out there and practice.
- If you're no good at catching a football, start off with a Nerf football. That way if you whiff at catching the ball and it pegs you in the head, it doesn't hurt nearly as bad.
- And don't push at the ball, let it come to you.
- Practice catching the ball on the run.
- A drill to encourage catching the ball in your hands: lie on your back and toss the ball in the air 4-5 feet above you. Watch the the ball all the way into your hands, catch it away from your body and squeeze it for two seconds before you throw it again. For increased dexterity, catch it one handed with each hand.
- Try practicing with a collegiate football instead of an official one.
- When playing for your first couple of games the quarterback might not throw to you for a few reasons first is the defense second is your new and 3rd is unlikely but the qb might hate you for no reason once you get a few passes in your more likely to get the ball and under no circumstances should you get into a fight with your qb or any other player on the field even if its backyard my only exceptions to that rule is if someone intentionally punches you in the face or balls then its all out
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