Coach Loyd a coaching clinic focused on techniques for receivers, including movement drills, stance, cuts, blocking, catching, and releases, along with how these drills relate to the team's Run-Pass Option (RPO) offense, concluding with personal advice on coaching priorities.

Drills and Techniques

• Movement: The drill involves having players hold the ball in a "cradle" position, perform a movement for 10 yards, and then execute a calf raise at the top of the movement. Players should always be on the balls of their feet, maintaining "strong feet" because a weak ankle will slow them down, and the coach wants "quick route lines".
• Stance: The ideal stance is described as "knee over toe, chest over knee," with the back leg used as a "kickstand". Ninety percent of the weight should be on the front foot and 10% on the back foot. The feet should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart to prepare for a lateral release.
• Cuts: Three main cuts are taught to master all routes: the buzz, the slam, and the speed cut.
  • Buzz Cut: The purpose is to teach proper footwork for route running, minimize running volume, and master the cut quickly. It requires a "violent deceleration with a low pad level and a fluid change in direction" and applies to the hitch, dig, comeback, and curl routes. The speaker uses the phrase "bait the drum" instead of "snap down" to teach young kids. The plant foot should be under the body and opposite of the break, possibly slightly wider than the shoulder. A "drifting" plant foot shortens the drive step, which lessens separation.
  • Slam Cut: This cut is used for slant, post, corner, and combo routes. It involves leaning and looking opposite of the break, and players need to use "late hands" for the catch, especially on a slant or post, so they don't tip off the defensive back (DB). Leaning can cause players with weak core strength to drift their plant foot, shortening the ground covered in the drive.
  • Speed Cut: This is for routes like the speed out, cross, drag, banana, and dig. A coaching point for speed outs and banana routes is to tell players to "double pound the ground with their top leg" to prevent them from drifting back in their depth due to a weak core.
• Blocking (BAT Drill): The speaker developed a drill called "BAT" (possibly for "Badass Tacklers" or just a memorable name) to teach stock blocking and replace the lack of technique-wise stock block drills he experienced in high school.
  • The drill starts with a cadence instead of a whistle.
  • The first cadence is a pursuit path with a breakdown, where the player's eyes must track the defender's stick.
  • The second hit is "step on his toes," checking the foot to maintain leverage. If a player steps on the toes with the wrong foot (e.g., left foot on a right cut-off path), it gives the defender a "two-way go" and takes away leverage.
  • The third hit is "contact," which is a strike and drive. The speaker emphasizes keeping "elbows in" with "thumbs up" and striking with the butt of the palm, flexing the arms, and running the feet.
  • The drill is flipped immediately after the whistle, going offense to defense (O to D) and then defense to offense (D to O).
• Releases: The speaker teaches three releases: foot fire chop right, rip left; single move jab step right, chop left, rip right; and a double move, in-out-in.
• Catching: The speaker notes that the team does not "rep" catching much, but they have a JUGS machine during pre-practice and might add a catching drill when players are "burned out" around Thanksgiving or week three of spring football. He suggests that seven-on-seven routes are sufficient for catching.

Connecting Drills to Offense (RPOs)

• Inside Zone (Hat Rack Plays): The stock block is critical, with the key coaching point being to get cleats in the ground fast. This drill helps set up the play action by forcing safeties to come tackle the football, taking their eyes off the play.
• Quarterback Reads: The quarterback is coached to set up a triangle and identify the defender; if the defender is head up, the quarterback can ride inside, and if the defender is inside the triangle, the quarterback should rip it.
• Roll and Run Block: The speaker explains a "roll and run" block technique for undersized receivers blocking strong DBs, where the receiver fits up, lets the DB declare, rolls his hips open, and then runs the DB.

Personal and Professional Advice

• The speaker encourages coaches to group kids by ability during drills to efficiently monitor their starters, twos, and junior varsity (JV) players.
• He advises against letting a kid who doesn't process fast be the first one in a drill.
• He tells a story about a fumble during a rainy game, advising coaches to have receivers take their gloves and sleeves off if it's raining to prevent ball security issues.
• The speaker stresses the importance of knowing your players and making adjustments based on how they learn. He gives an example of renaming a route the "Hawk Route" for a player named Hawk in his reading class.
• For routes like the drag or anything across the field, the fastest kid should run as hard as they can and not look for the ball until they cross the ball, as looking too early turns their shoulders and slows them down.
• The speaker concludes with a message about the coaching profession, emphasizing that a man's number one responsibility is his family and that the first ministry is at home. The next ministry is to "build men of character". He reminds coaches that players will remember the lessons on "hard work, respect, integrity," and courage, not the team's record.