Ball Carrying•intermediate•15 min
Don't Sweep Too Wide Drill
RB takes a handoff and must run through a specific cone gate near the TE spot before cutting upfield through a second defended gate.
Don't Sweep Too Wide Drill
DrillDescription
Many young ball carriers get so focused on avoiding flag pullers that they run east-west until they're out of bounds with no gain. This drill uses gates to force the RB to attack north-south — exactly what real game success requires.
How to run it
- 1
Set a cone gate near where a TE would line up (outside the tackle box).
- 2
Set a second cone gate 5 yards downfield.
- 3
Add a defender at the second gate.
- 4
RB takes handoff, must run through the first gate (not outside it).
- 5
RB cuts upfield and tries to get through the second gate without losing their flag.
Points to stress
- Score is the goal, not just avoiding the flag pull.
- Run N/S — not E/W. Staying east gets you nowhere.
- Attack the cone gate — don't bounce outside it.
- Make a decision and commit to it.