After the catch, the ball goes away immediately. See, Reach, Squeeze, Tuck. The Tuck is critical. Once the hands have the ball, it goes into the body and stays there.
What you need: One football. Open grass.
Setup: Stand 12 feet away. Face the kid.
How to run it:
- Review See, Reach, Squeeze, Tuck.
- Throw the ball to them at chest height.
- They catch it and immediately tuck it against their body. One motion.
- Do 10 catches with them staying in place.
- Now they catch and take two steps forward while keeping the ball tucked.
- Do 10 reps.
What to watch: After they catch it, how long until the ball goes into their body? Immediately is right. Any hesitation means fumble risk.
If they’re struggling: Have them practice the tuck without the catch first. Hands out, squeeze, tuck. Do the motion 5 times.
If they’ve got it: Throw the ball slightly off to the side so they have to reach. They still catch and tuck immediately.