MESA, Ariz. -- Arena football's shortened fields bring fans closer to the action and promote higher scoring games than in the NFL. However, with the shortened fields, mistakes are magnified and it is critical to be deliberate with every step.
Outdoor football allows more room for error, giving the quarterback more space to throw to a covered receiver, but the indoor game forces receivers to be precise in their routes to get themselves open.
It is a skill rookie receiver Ronnell Pompey is trying to master for the Rattlers, who have this weekend off before returning to action on Saturday, July 11, vs. Las Vegas.
"The main difference is just how you run your routes, how you set them up, the speed that you need to have in order to break out of your route," Pompey said. "So the biggest change is really switching your speeds as you're running your route. "
Rattlers quarterback Shane Boyd pointed out that those routes need to be exact.
"Outside you can get away with certain routes not being as crisp, but in here if it says 12 you got to be at 12, because if you go 11 or 10 that's one step closer to another defender, " Boyd said, "whereas outside you got room and I can throw you one way or another because there is more room."
In order to be precise in his routes, Pompey says he needs to focus on getting better every day and taking less unnecessary steps within each route.
"If I got a 10-yard out, I'm getting that 10 then I'm breaking out, because here things happen a little faster than outdoor," Pompey said.
Ronnell Pompey at a Rattlers practice in Mesa.
As Pompey works to improve his game as a receiver, he has turned to some veteran teammates that are helping him along the way.
"Rod (Windsor) and Kerry (Reed), I kind of look up to them," Pompey said. "They tell me about it all the time, and what I need to do, and when I'm messing up they'll let me know. Like, 'You could do this better.'"
Pompey finished his collegiate career at Division II Western New Mexico with a stellar 2013 season, hauling in 63 passes for 1,241 yards and 12 touchdowns, earning himself first team all-conference honors in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
In March, Pompey participated in an open tryout conducted by the Rattlers. According to The Arizona Republic, Pompey earned a spot on the team because of his route running skill and impressive 40-yard dash time.
Pompey has only played in one game for the Rattlers, catching one pass for seven yards. He continues to chomp at the bit in order to improve to get extra time on the field.
"I hope that this takes me only further," Pompey said. "I love it here, I'm happy to be here, but I hope that this further than where I want to be."
The size of the field and the speed of the game will be something that Pompey will need to adjust to in order to earn more playing time for the defending champion Rattlers. The rookie receiver does have long-term career goals, but as for right now, getting better everyday is the goal.
"Just focusing on just catching everything," Pompey said. "No dropped balls, leaving nothing behind really."
