Football is a sport that many people enjoy watching, but don’t know how to play very well. This is mainly due to the fact that they have not taken the time to learn about it. Luckily, you no longer have to be part of that group. This article contains football tips to better your skills.

Remember, you don’t need to tackle to have a fun game of football. There are many variations on the game that are just as fun while being a lot safer. Try a game of touch football. Instead of tackling, if the person with the ball is touched by the opposition, then it’s a tackle.

To help with football footwork, you need to use both feet to quickly move down the field. Most players have one lead-off foot they tend to rely on, and perform better with. Using both feet gives you more options.

As you try to get better as a non-professional football player, record your favorite NFL team and watch the film over and over. Mimic certain plays and use the pointers you get from the professionals, and incorporate them into your own game. Although you probably won’t be as amazing as what you see on the film, it will help improve your own game.

Work with your coach to develop new plays and techniques. While you may think it would be wise to continue something you know is successful, this will only make it easier for your opponents to figure out your next move.

Never be the stereotype. Often people see football players as jocks with few brain cells. You all know that’s far from the truth. Football works all aspects of who you are. Your mind needs to be as agile as your feet. So don’t play to this silly stereotype. Show people that athletes excel in all aspects of life.

If you want to be a good football player, then you need to constantly work on your agility. Great agility exercises that you can use for regular workouts include jumping rope, jumping over cones and running through tires. If you can, set up yourself a course for each activity for regular use.

A receiver or runningback should work to develop a good stiff arm technique. A stiff arm strategy can buy you time and yards in a crunch, and can completely protect you from a defending player. All you have to do is hold your arm straight out.

Kickers should aim to make field goals of fifty yards or more. It’s important to work on building up your strength, and you can do this with weight lifting. Flexibility is also another must for long kicks down the field. Make a habit of stretching multiple times per day in order to find and keep flexibility.

Watch old tapes of the greats, so you can get pointers. Watch professional players who play your position, so you can watch how they move and play the game. This is almost as helpful as having them there with you, because you can study every move they make during a game.

While most people are trying to decrease their body weight, a football player needs to bulk up to be successful. Eating large quantities of food is important, but eating wisely is also crucial. Find ways to up caloric intake without upping fat content. Mix healthy ingredients like olive oil into vegetables, pasta and shakes.

Never take the field without a helmet. Each season, your helmet should be inspected thoroughly. The plastic shell should not have any cracks in it and the padding must be in good condition. It should also have a face mask that properly attaches to the helmet and a chin strap that fastens securely. All this is to be sure to prevent head injuries during play.

Quickness and speed are essential to receivers. Work on speed by establishing a running area that is well-defined. This can be done by placing two cones about 10 yards apart. Sprint as quickly as possible between cones and track the time. Try to get faster and faster with each repetition. Sprinting like this has many advantages, including an acceleration of takeoff speeds.

Practice the way that you expect to play. Don’t shake off practice as a necessary evil that doesn’t deserve your full effort. Chances are that’s the same effort you’ll give at game time. Instead, practice like you mean it. That effort will rub off on your teammates, and you’ll all be more likely to succeed.

As the start of this article mentioned, most people like to watch a game of football, but many are unaware of how to really play this sport. Since reading the tips above, however, this does not apply to you. You now have the knowledge it takes to master the sport of football.