How better to best the competition than to dedicate yourself to the game? If you not only practice hard, eat right and work out, but also learn from expert advice, you truly become unbeatable. This article has some tips and tricks you just can’t play without, so read them below.

Listen to your teammates. Even if you disagree with them, they are part of your team, and everyone has the same goal of winning. Their input can give you ideas for putting your team on top.

Learn how to control the things that you can control in the game and let go of the things that you cannot. If you drop a pass or let a receiver get by you, you need to learn how to let it go. Each play is different, if you mess up on one, do not let it control the rest of your game.

Football requires a lot of schemes and strategies, and it is not possible to know all of them. You might not be the fastest, or the strongest, but if you are the smartest and most knowledgeable, you might just succeed. Mentally beat them, if you can’t physically do it.

If you are going to play football, try boosting your agility. The best football players that are valuable to the team are agile athletes. Try doing what you can to better your agility by doing agility drills. These include doing exercises like running through tires, jumping rope, and jumping over cones.

If you play a receiver position in football, work on the basic fundamentals to the position. Catch the ball with both of your hands, but secure it by holding it close to your body and covering it with your arms. Run towards the end zone, but also keep tacklers to your back. This helps you keep the ball and prevent a fumble.

Take every chance you can to study football footage, but when you can, study footage of yourself. Try and see yourself through an opponent’s eyes. Look for tells or signs of what you are about to do, as well as habits you have that are predictable. Always have a way to keep your opponent guessing.

Increase your speed. A good football player needs to be quick on his feet, not only in sprints, but in reaction time and reflexes too. Try adding in some track exercises into your workout regimen and before you know it you will be leaving your opponents behind in the dust.

Learn how many points each action is worth. Touchdowns are six points. Extra point conversions are worth one point. Two point conversions are two points. Field goals are worth three points. Safeties are two points. Knowing how many pits these are worth can help your team form game plans that will win the game.

Your 40 yard dash speed is something that you need to work on improving if you want to be a great football player. In order to increase your speed, practice proper foot and shoulder placement at the start. Practice getting out of the blocks quicker and keeping your focus. This will help you increase your speed.

If your child wants to play football but you are concerned about injuries, consider flag football. This is like regular football, except the players wear flags which hang from their pockets or pants. A flag can be a towel, a piece of cloth or a rag. A player pulls a player’s flag to stop him instead of tackling him, making it safer to play.

Stretching can improve your speed on the football field. To maximize your athletic potential, you need to be flexible and have a wide range of motion. Over time, stretching will allow your body to become more flexible and with this flexibility comes speed. Have a teammate help you with your stretches to maximize their efficiency.

Work on conditioning and endurance. It is important that you are able to run up and down the field without becoming short of breath. If you happen to become winded, slow down and deepen your breathing. Focus on the fact you will be feeling better soon, getting you back into playing.

Learn to scan defenders from right to left and left to right if you’re a quarterback. Many quarterbacks just scan from left to right. Altering scanning patterns can keep defense on its toes and prevents them from blindsiding you using the left again and again.

Learn the proper way to get your body ready to play football. You must be sure to stretch all of your muscles prior to playing. If you are the least bit unsure about your techniques when stretching, ask a coach or an experienced player. You do not want to stretch incorrectly and not have your muscles ready for play.

With this priceless advice in your arsenal, you are ready to wage war against your opponents. Keep your heart passionate, your mind focused and your body strong, and nothing will stand between you and winning. You’ll drive your team to success and leave everyone watching the game shocked by your improvement.