Confidence is the number 1 trait a quarterback can possess. Without confidence, commanding a huddle, standing tall in the pocket, or fitting the ball into a tight window will not exist.
In this article, we’re going to show you how to build confidence in your quarterback so he can lead your team to victory.
Building Confidence
Leaders aren’t born. They are carefully constructed.
Players need to be taught how to influence and motivate their teammates to get the most out of them. Yelling at them and complaining to do better will motivate some players, but turn off others.
For your quarterback to be effective as a leader, they must shoulder the blame, pick players up when they are down, and ensure the receivers and running backs that they will take care of them so they can make a big play together.
The first way to build confidence is to teach them how to command a huddle.
Commanding A Huddle
Commanding a huddle is one of the most important confidence builders for a quarterback. When they enter a huddle, everyone should be attentive, ready to listen, and ready to break the huddle.
As a coach, you must instruct the rest of the players that when the quarterback speaks, nobody else is speaking. Set the ground rules for your huddle to make it easier for your quarterback.
Next, instruct your quarterback to enter the huddle with their chest high. Their tone of voice should be raised and clear. Their eyes should scan the huddle, making eye contact with every player.
When they are ready to break the huddle, they should end with “ready, break!” When he says break, all players should clap and jog out to their position. Clean huddle breaks and jogging to the line of scrimmage show unity and a clean operation from the quarterback.
Cadence
If you’re coaching youth or high school, there may be a good chance that your quarterback still has a high-pitched voice. Regardless, you want your quarterback’s cadence to have a deeper tone as he calls it out.
Deeper tones are often related to maturity, which is tied to confidence.
By being loud and intentional, the entire offense will be able to feel the certainty in the quarterback’s voice that they are ready to command and operate.
Standing In The Pocket
Confidence in the pocket is often tied to trust. If the quarterback doesn’t trust his offensive linemen, he will try to get out of the pocket the minute he feels any type of pressure.
The minute a defensive coordinator sees the quarterback panic under pressure, he will continue to blitz and apply pressure.
To fix this, work in steps. For example:
- 1 on 1 with the QB – This drill can be a simple drop-back drill where he navigates around his center and the nose guard. This will help him build the groundwork of navigating around 1 offensive lineman
- 3 vs 3 – Next, add more players to the mix so he can feel what it’s like to navigate a semi-pocket
- 5 vs 5 – Finally, add the entire offensive line and receivers to the mix. The quarterback can start to gain comfort knowing his line is creating a pocket for him.
If you try to put your quarterback into a team setting and expect him to just sit in the pocket and deliver the football, he won’t. You need to develop confidence through progression. Start small and layer the drill.
Inside our membership vIQtory Pro, you’ll find exact instructions and tutorials on how to turn average quarterbacks into elite, confident signal callers.
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