Jump Cut Drill
Setup
Setup this drill by placing four cones in a staggered line every five yards down field. Each participant should carry a football throughout the drill.
Purpose
Primarily for Running Backs, this drill provides your ball carriers with a method to swiftly change direction as they navigate blocks and avoid tacklers while running the ball downfield. Ingraining the jump cut technique can come in very handy for Running Backs when they are looking for holes to shoot through in the offensive line.
Drill Description
Running Backs line up and begin this drill by running directly towards the first cone. Prior to arriving at the cone, they employ a jump cut to jump to the side and around the cone. As soon as they land, they explode forward to the next cone. A jump cut is performed at each cone until the player sprints through the end of the course.
A jump cut is a quick horizontal jump that allows the player to quickly reposition themselves on the field. The jump should not be high up in the air, because the runner would then be defenseless against contact. Instead, it is a very low, very quick jump that allows the runner to quickly shoot from one gap to another.
This technique can be very valuable when a running back is looking for a hole to run through in the backfield of a run play. For example, if they are attempting to run through the 4-hole, in between the offensive guard and tackle, but that hole closes up while the 2-hole opens up, between the center and the guard, a quick jump cut can quickly allow the running back to switch holes while still retaining their forward momentum to get downfield.
