Catching the Football

CATCHING THE FOOTBALL

Catching the football is one of the most important aspects of playing

receiver in an offense. You can be the fastest player on the team and

run the best routes, and also have the innate ability to create a big

play after the catch with a great run, but if you don’t catch the football,

the play is wasted, and the clock stops…period.

Here are 10 – simple “general” rules:

1. Reach out to catch the pass (don’t try to catch it against your

body),

2. Watch the ball into your hands,

3. Catch the football with your fingertips,

4. Catch the football with “palms up” when running away from the

quarterback (unless the ball is thrown behind you – then come

back and get it at it’s highest point with “palms out.”)

5. When catching a pass in stride, always wait until the last second

before reaching out for the football,

6. Catch the football with “palms out” when running towards the

quarterback (except if the ball is at stomach level or below),

7. Use your body as a shield when going up for the ball in traffic,

8. Catch the pass first, and then make the run,

9. When the ball is in the air, go get it. Rather than waiting for it –

come back to the football whenever possible,

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10. Catch the ball with two hands: It is rare that receivers

make one-handed catches consistently.

The ability to catch the football is predominantly mental, which means

that anyone can become a better pass catcher with the proper

technique, lots of repetitions, and the ability to focus on the football

when the ball is in the air. This is accomplished in team practice

sessions, and lots of individual work.

The most important thing to be aware of is that the ability to make all

the catches in game-situations, starts with thinking about, and

planning how to catch each given pass in practice, and then getting

lots of repetitions catching the ball the proper way. This will produce

muscle memory, and then making those catches in game situations

comes automatically. If you have to think about how to catch a given

pass when it’s happening in a game, the chances of catching that pass

goes down dramatically.

One of the fundamentals of catching the football is to catch the football

away from your body, so you can see the football make contact with

your hands. When a receiver lets the football hit his body, he has less

control over the catch because he never sees the ball get to the body,

and now the football can easily bounce off the body, or slip through the

arms.

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It is also important to come back to the football whenever possible.

This creates immediate separation from the defender, if you don’t

already have it.

Another important thing to remember is that when we say, “catch the

football with your hands”, we are actually telling you to “catch the

football with your fingertips”. This allows a certain amount of ‘give’

that keeps the ball from bouncing off the palm of the hands.

As a general rule, when running away from the quarterback, have the

hands open so the palms are facing the sky. These types of routes are

corner routes, streaks and posts. The reason for this is because as you

run away from the quarterback, you want to keep your momentum

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The receiver is reaching out for the football and catching it with “palms out”.

He is also coming back to the football.

The catch is made with the fingertips, which allows the “give” necessary to prevent the ball from bouncing off the palms of the hand.

There is a space between the ball and the palm of the hand.

going in the same direction of the football. Placing your hands any

other way forces you to turn your body and reduces your speed. In

addition, having your hands “palms up” increases your reach.

There are exceptions to this rule. For example, there are times when

you are running a streak or deep post route downfield and the ball is

thrown behind you when there are defenders in the area: now, you

must catch the ball at it’s highest point by turning your body towards

the quarterback, opening your palms to the football, and assertively

making the catch. This will obviously slow you down, but is necessary

given the circumstances.

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The receiver is catching the pass with “palms up”. He is running his route away from the quarterback.

Another important aspect of catching the ball with “palms out” is that your reach increases.

He is watching the football all the way into his hands.

When catching any pass, especially passes where you are running full

speed downfield, such as when you are running a streak route, it is

critical that you don’t reach for the ball too early. This slows you down

considerably, and throws off your balance. There is no way a person

can run at top speed with his arms stretched out for the pass. Wait

until the last second before reaching for the football.

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The receiver is running a deep route, but the ball was thrown behind him.

Now the receiver has to come back to the football and catch it at its highest point with “palms out.”

The receiver is running a deep route. It’s very important to remember to wait until the last possible second to reach out and catch the football. This allows the receiver keep his speed and run through the football.

Catching the ball with “palms up” increases your reach.

Putting your hands out too soon will slow you down considerably.

When you are running a curl route, or any route when you are coming

towards the quarterback, most of the time you will reach for the pass

with your hands “palms out” (except when the pass is going to be

caught at or below stomach level). You will reach out for the football

and catch it with your hands. Many times, if it hits your body, it can

bounce off your pads, because you can’t watch the ball make contact

with your body, and your pads don’t have any “give”.

There will be times when a receiver has to catch the ball in traffic.

Maybe you’re running a crossing route over the middle of the field and

one (or both) of the safeties is coming up to make the play. In this

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The receiver is running a curl route. He has his “palms out” because the ball is above his mid-section.

The receiver is running a route across the middle of the field. Since the ball is above his mid-section, he will catch the pass with “palms out”.

This receiver is running a curl route. The ball is thrown below his mid-section and he will catch the ball with “palms up”.

case you will use your body to act as a barrier between the football

and the defender. Then you will reach out and make the catch away

from your body, and prevent the defender from getting his hands on or

near the football.

Many times, receivers will be in a hurry to make a play and start

running before they make the catch and secure the football, resulting

in a dropped pass. It is critical that you make the catch first before

trying to run with the football. This requires discipline in practice, so it

becomes automatic during games. Make the catch first, before making

any attempt to run downfield with the football.

Also remember that any ball in the air is intended for an offensive

receiver. In other words, if the ball is in the air, it’s yours – go get it!

Come back to the football whenever possible. Too many times the ball

is in the air and the receiver decides to wait for it to come to him,

rather that going after the football. The defender then has an

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The receiver is using his body here to shield the defender from the football. There is no chance the defender can get to the football.

opportunity to either knock down the pass before it gets to the

receiver, or worse, the defender has an opportunity to make an

interception. Receivers should always try to make the catch, and

never allow the defender to intercept the pass.

There are other times when a receiver will look back for the pass, and

automatically think he can’t get to the football, so he gives up on the

ball right away. This is one of the worst things a receiver can do. The

fact is, many times the receiver is wrong in his assessment, and can

actually get to the football. All receivers should run through all passes.

If a receiver accelerates to the football every time he looks back for the

pass, he will get to many of the balls he thought he could not get to.

This acceleration will also help the receiver separate from the

defender, which will allow the receiver room to make the catch.

One last thing to remember is always attempt to make the catch with

two hands. It is rare that receivers make one-handed catches. It does

happen, but if you can’t do it consistently in practice, the chances of

doing it in a game are not great. Always make catches with two hands.

This is a habit that will be engrained in muscle-memory, and will

transfer to game situations.

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