Two-minute drills are usually run in the final two minutes of each half, as part of the two-minute warning.
When the clock reaches two minutes remaining in either half, the play clock is paused until the next play begins.
During a play, if the two-minute warning occurs, the clock will continue to run.
During this time in between plays, teams looking to score can burn up to forty seconds off the game clock.
Upon the two-minute warning, the clock will not stop except during incomplete passes, out-of-bounds trips, and timeouts.
A two-minute drill emphasizes passing the ball to gain the most yards since teams cannot call timeouts at every point.
The Drill Itself
Throughout the week, offenses will practice these two minute scenarios, hence the name two–minute drill.
The offense will target routes along the sidelines so that the player can easily step out once the ball is in their hands.
During each play, the offense will run a no-huddle or hurry-up offense. This means the players will not be able to call plays huddled up.
The quarterback will receive the play through the speaker in his helmet and relay it to the other players.
To start the next play, the players must run to their positions and get set.
When a player is tackled in bounds, the game clock will continue to run. Spiking the ball is also a big part of the two-minute drill.
A player who is far down the field may take some time to reach the new line of scrimmage.
To stop the clock as quickly as possible, teams spike the football. To spike the football, players sprint to the offensive players set up for the play and instantly throw the ball into the ground.
The clock will stop since spiking the ball is considered an incomplete pass. Spiking the ball will save time on the clock since the offense will not have to spend extra time communicating the next play.
The ball can be thrown incomplete to stop the clock, allowing the offense to get set quicker since they do not have to prepare a play in advance; they only need to be in the proper position to snap the ball.
In addition to giving the offense a breather, the spike of the ball also gives the coaching staff more time to prepare a play.