One of the most important skills that a defense can possess is the ability to correctly pursue the ball.

If a defense has the ability to get off blocks, take the right route to the ball, and then make the tackle, it can be successful as a unit. Bad pursuit angles, however, open up running lanes and big-play potential for the offense.  If a defense uses bad pursuit angles, sooner or later, the offense will break a long play.

Straight line pursuit

The first pursuit drill that we use in the preseason is the straight line pursuit drill. In this drill we place five defenders on a yard line 15 yards from the sideline, and then place a ball carrier on the sideline 15 yards away from the defenders.

For example, if the defenders are on the 30-yard line the ball carrier is placed on the sideline on the 15 yard line. At a whistle, the ball carrier sprints straight down the side line and each defender then has to take the correct pursuit angle to catch and tag him.

After each rep, critique and correct the pursuit angles taken by the defenders. After they master straight line pursuit, allow the ball carrier to cut back against the pursuit so the defenders will then have to learn how to adjust their pursuit angles to catch him.

Shell drill pursuit

When we begin to install our defensive stunts, we also incorporate this drill to work on our team pursuit skills. The first thing we do is call the defensive play in the huddle and then run it against an offense that consists of five trash cans (simulating an offensive line) and a group of skill position players that are aligned in whatever manner we dictate.

At the snap, the offense may run plays such as sweeps, dives, whams, quick screens and others. We keep the offense simple at first, as we want to teach the players the correct way to align as well as the correct stance.

We also want them to correctly execute the called defensive stunt or stunts and lastly, take the correct pursuit angle.

It is important that every defender gets to the ball with speed and effort during every rep of this drill. Those who can’t should not be allowed to play defense, as their lack of effort will eventually show up on game night.

Game week pursuit

On Monday morning of each game week, every player is given a handout of the known offensive plays of the next opponent and instructed to study them throughout the week.

At each practice during the week, we run these plays during each defensive shell drill and during every team time. The players are judged on alignment, how correctly they run each stunt, pursuit angles and hustle.

Again, it is important that every defender gets to the ball with speed and effort for every rep of this drill. It is vital to run these stunts against the scout team position players and trash cans, as the goal is to critique the defenders in the above areas, not see how well they can physically handle an athletically-inferior scout team.

Evaluate pursuit angles as you would any other defensive skill. Incorrect pursuit angles that show up on game night will usually also show up on the scoreboard.

SEE ALSO: How to teach punt coverage in youth football

Chris Booth is the head football coach at Peterstown Middle School in West Virginia. He has had four books and nine videos published by Coaches Choice-available here- and will have a youth drill book published later in 2016.