How to Be a Backup Quarterback in High School

Being a back-up player on your high school football team is something that many kids feel is a slight of their talent level. The truth is, being a back-up is just as important as being a starter. Without quality back-ups to fill that role, no team will have much of a chance. No sport exemplifies this better than in football. The position of back-up quarterback is one of the most important positions on any football team. Here is a guide to performing as a back-up quarterback, as well as what to expect.

The back-up quarterback has many responsibilities on a football team. Chief among them is to be ready to step into the position of quarterback when called upon. A back-up quarterback is expected to know every single play in the book, as well as how to execute them at a high level. If called upon, the back-up quarterback must slide right into the offense and never miss a beat.

Because the back-up quarterback is expected to know the plays, they must study the playbook even harder than the starter. The reason for this is because the starter is allowed to run the plays in practice. They get the benefit of repetitions. A back up does not have that luxury. They must memorize the playbook and practice it at every opportunity. Sometimes this means doing so on their own time at home.

Many people do not realize it, but the back-up quarterback also has to learn the opposing team's offense each week. The reason for this is because they will run the expected plays in practice against the first team defense. This allows the defense to see the plays they will likely face on Friday night. The back-up quarterback must run the plays as much like the opposing team as possible, so they must be highly adaptable and intelligent. This responsibility is a huge one, and the back-up quarterback is the key to it all. If they are unable to run the offense accurately, the defense has much less of a chance to stop them.

The back-up quarterback is not one that gets appreciated properly, but it should be. There are few positions on a high school football team that are more important to the team's success. High school football backups are very important and will one day likely take over the reigns of the team.