A device which aids the training of football carriers, specifically backfield players, in the desired ball carrying and retaining posture, comprising a belt worn around the waist of the player, an attached cradle or flap hanging from the belt, and a football supported by the cradle or flap, which in combination assist in teaching a player to assume a crouching posture when running while carrying the football towards opposing players, and to protect the football from opposing players in a pocket formed by the player's arms. The training aid also encourages the player to hold the shoulders squared in a horizontal orientation, to form and maintain the protective pocket for the football in the most effective manner.