Sports Then and Now

When companies started making the first pitching machines, baseball teams were buying them like crazy. What a brilliant idea, a machine that can pitch the ball over and over again to any batter, for as long as they want. A pitcher can only throw the ball for so long before they tire, but with a machine, there was no limit.

As pitching machine technology became more advanced and started utilizing multiple spinning wheels, the possibility of football throwing machines was suddenly possible.

Major pitching machine companies like JUGS and Sports Attack started manufacturing machines that could throw footballs in the same way pitching machines could pitch. The idea was revolutionary and every football team wanted one. Football machines are now considered a standard piece of equipment for any football team.

Nowadays, football machines can do all kinds of drills like kickoffs, punts, short snaps, direct snaps, long snaps, passes, onside kicks, etc. A machine can do as many reps as you want it to in a day, while a quarterback, kicker, or any player is limited.

The Best Football Machines

Surprisingly, there are still only 2 companies manufacturing football machines. Although the options are slim, JUGS and Sports Attack have done an excellent job of creating machines to fit the needs of any football player or team. Let’s take a look at each brand any and see what they have to offer.

Jugs Sports

Jugs football machines have been around the longest and are the most popular. According to Jugs, every single NFL team owns a Jugs machine, and some of the biggest NFL stars, like Odell Beckam Jr, have one of these machines at home.

Jugs makes 2 machines, the M1750 Field General and the M1700 Passing Machine. Each machine is popular and appeals to different markets.

The Jugs M1750 Field General is at a cheaper price point and appeals to youth to NFL players. And the Jugs M1700 Passing Machine appeals to NFL teams and more experienced players and NFL teams.

M1750 Overview

• Throws accurately up to 60 yards
• Run any route in your playbook
• Throws long snaps and punts
• The Field General can accurately kick high punts directly at any player on the field

M1700 Passing Machine Overview

• Throws footballs 5-80 yards and swivels 360 degrees for ease of use
• Can throw up to 600 passes per hour
• Comes with transport wheels for portability
• Throws long snaps, punts, and kick-offs

Sports Attack Football Machines

Sports Attack is new on the scene, but they’ve made their splash with the Snap Attack and Aerial Attack football throwing machines. With a higher price point, you get more features, more drills, and an overall a more technically advanced design. Let’s check out some of the main features of these machines:

Snap Attack Football Machine Overview

• Countless reps without a quarterback; interception drills, tip drills, etc.
• Throws deep passes like pun returns, kick-off returns, etc.
• Made with lightweight aluminum casting
• Features 2 solid polyurethane machine wheels (an upgrade from Jugs inflatable wheels)
• 5-year manufacturer’s warranty

Aerial Attack Football Machine Overview

• Two high power motors provide instant recovery, giving you the most amount of reps per session
• Throwing heads pivot instantly in any direction for drill diversity
• Pass or punt up to 80 yards or kick-offs up to 70 yards!
• Comes with transport wheels for portability
• Comes with a 5-year manufacturer’s warranty

Conclusion

These are basically the 4 best and most important football passing machines on the market. Each brand offers different features and price points, you’ll have to decide which is a better fit for your football team.

If you don’t mind giving up the Jugs brand loyalty, Sports Attack football machines might be the way to go. For a higher price tag, you can really have the most advanced machines on the market.

If your budget is lower and you don’t need all the bells and whistles, a Jugs machine will do you just fine!