Ball Carrying•intermediate•15 min
Running Lanes Drill
Two cone gates are set downfield and the RB must read the defense and attack the open lane, building pre-snap vision and decisive running.
Running Lanes Drill
DrillDescription
Great ball carriers see the play before it happens. This drill trains RBs to read the defense and pick a lane before the snap — replacing the habit of running wherever the ball is handed with intentional, decisive north-south attacking.
How to run it
- 1
Set two cone gates 3 yards wide, 5 yards downfield — one left, one right of center.
- 2
RB lines up in the backfield.
- 3
Add a linebacker between the two gates.
- 4
RB reads the LB position and picks a lane before the snap.
- 5
QB hands off and RB attacks the chosen lane at full speed.
Points to stress
- Read the defense and commit — no hesitating once you have the ball.
- Hit the hole at FULL speed — dancing slows you down.
- Eyes up: find the open lane before you're at the LOS.
- If in doubt, go north — forward progress is always the goal.