From Jim…
Here’s our flag football drill.

Since its flag football, our league is made up for 5 players. The defense must rush from ten yards back after the snap.

Anyway, I line up a wr far right, the other four guys are tightly together with a running back that stands next to the qb. After the ball is snapped the four guys stand without moving but the wr takes off. The four guys yell out his name like it a muffed play. The wr pauses in mid field then runs off again. Let me tell you, the defense was completely frozen, no one moved, even the defendender that was covering the wr stopped dead in his tracks since the rest of his football team wasn’t moving. Peer pressure I guess!

The next football play do the same play, exactly, draw as much attention to wr verbally, the qb hands off to the rb running in opposite direction of wr. The rb has an open field as we have all the defense looking at our wr on the other side of the field.

This was so effective, the ref blew the whistle thinking that the play was dead. After speaking with the ref on the sidelines, we ran it again for a touchdown. We ran it many times the same game for long yards.

Technorati Tags: coach flag football, flag football drill, flag football, football, football play

From Doug
Sharks and Minnows

The boundaries: mark off 20 yards length using the sidelines as the width.
The participants in this drill: Select approx. 25% of the players to be “sharks”.
The remaining players are “minnows”.

The object: Sharks are positioned anywhere with the boundaries “the tank”.
Minnows are spread across one of the end lines. Minnows try to avoid being tackled by any of the sharks in the tanks using speed & agility. Sharks pick off (tackle ) any minnow as they try to make it across the tank to the other end line.  As minnows are tackled, they then become sharks increasing the number of sharks while decreasing the number of minnows. Ultimately the most evasive minnow will be remaining against a tankful of sharks.

Benefits: works on a number of aspects: open field tackling, open field running, gives players an opportunity to switch mindsets (defensive players as minnows and offensive players as sharks)

Technorati Tags: youth football plays, football, drill, tackled, tackle, tackling, open field running, defensive, offensive

From Todd…
My contribution is an easy football play which has worked in EVERY big situation where I needed it.  It works if you are out manned and playing against an aggressive defense with disciplined ends.

Here it is.
Set up the play with any off tackle/off end run.  Not a sweep.  I use a blast out of the I or split backs with the fullback leading hard.
Next play you run the same formation and even have the kids “slip” that it’s the same play.  BUT, the QB gives a good fake and keeps the ball.  The tail acts like he has the ball tucked in deep in his stomach.  The QB then stops with his back to the line of scrimmage and delays with the ball hidden in his belly for 1001 count.  He then runs around the opposite end to the surprise of all.

You may have used this before, but I have never seen it used except by us.  It is extremely important to give great fakes AND delay prior to running.  It is the delay that sucks in that disciplined end.

Technorati Tags: trick football plays, plays, football, play, defense, fake, running

From Dale…
Over the years one of the most fun and hardest hitting football practices is our ” In Your Shoes ” scrimmage.

We divide into two teams picked by the coach or by two captains.
A Coach either helps make up plays or QB’s the team depending on ability and age.
Backfield players have to play the line and linemen get to be Offensive and Defensive Backs.
No player plays his normal position.

Coaching Points:
1.  This is for fun , however play fundamentally smart at all times.
2.  Learn to respect each others positions.
3.  Get a better idea of the entire game of football.

The idea came from a statement Lou Holtz made talking about big kids being offensive linemen all their life, coming to college at Arkansas and never having had the opportunity to run the ball, intercept a pass or score a touchdown.

This is usually a reward for hard work or for a time when we just need to lighten up and have some fun.

Technorati Tags: a football practice, football, practices, scrimmage, coach, plays, Backfield, linemen, run, intercept, touchdown

From Joyce…
This is a pass play–I don’t have a name for it. But here’s how it’s run.

You have a 7 men front which includes the split end, left and right guards, the left and right tackles, the center and the tight end.

Then you have four men in the back field with the flanker lined up in the left slot between the split end and the left tackle.  Your half back will be on the left side of the quarter back and the full back will be on the right side.

On the snap of the ball the flanker reverses the field to the right side of the line, hands in the air calling for the pass. The quarterback fakes the pass to the flanker and passes to the split-end on a 15 yard slant pass play.

You have to try this football play because it will work!

Technorati Tags: amazing football plays, pass play, split end, center, tight end, flanker, quarterback, football, play

What you need – Line up a fullback and a tail back in the backfield.  You can use a quarterback, or you can start the ball in the RB’s hands.

How this drill works – When the fullback goes forward on the snap of the ball to make a block, the running back will follow.  Once the fullback makes a block the RB needs to decide which way he is going to cut.  It should be dependent on which direction the blocker takes the block.

It is very important for an RB not to outrun his block or to run into the block.  A good runner can often anticipate where his block is going to go, based on the flow of the play.

Run this football drill to either side, and then you can even add another linebacker.  This makes the drill for both the fullback and the running back.  They will have to choose the right person to block, and where the cut is.  This is a drill for the running backs to learn where to cut – not for the LB’s to make the tackles.

Result – This is a great drill for RBs to learn, and it is also good for the fullback to learn to go with the flow of the block.

Technorati Tags: block, free online football drills running backs, football, drill, fullback, running back

What you need – Two offensive linemen will be up against one defensive lineman.

How this drill works – This football drill focuses on the GAP on the lines.  The two offensive linemen will line up with normal splits, and the defensive player will line up right in the middle of the split.  The coach will blow the whistle in order to start the drill.

The defensive player will attack the center of the gap and try to penetrate in between the two offensive linemen.  The DL needs to get a quick burst and they have to bull rush through thelinemen.

The offensive linemen will cover the gap and prevent the bull rush.  They will come together to prevent the penetration between them, and move the player from the hole.

Result – Both sides will get work on how to attack the gap, and also how to prevent it.  Make this a competition drill between the two.

Technorati Tags: defensive football plays and drills, defensive lineman, football, drill, offensive linemen, coach, linemen

What you need – Have a skeleton offense set up – no lineman.  The coach will have a stopwatch or they will just count.

How this drill works – The coach will call a play, and depending on whether or not it is a 1, 3, 5, or 7 step drop, the quarterback will have a certain amount of time to drop back and make the read and then make the pass.

The QB will deliver the cadence and then he will drop back according to the play that is called.  The coach will have a stopwatch with the appropriate amount of time to make the reads and deliver the ball.

The object of this football drill is to help the QB develop the ability to make quick reads and release the ball to avoid the sack.  If the coach blows the whistle when the time is up, then that will be considered a sack.

To make this drill more challenging, the coach will also say which receiver to throw to, and then watch to make sure the QB goes through his read progression before throwing the ball to that receiver.

Result – This is going to help the QB learn to read quickly and then to release the ball fast enough to avoid the pass rush.

Technorati Tags: quarterback throwing drills, offense, coach, quarterback, pass, football, drill

What you need – A skeleton offense, and a linebacker (maybe more later).

How this drill works – This is a running play to the outside, and the lead back is going to take on the first linebacker to make the block so the RB can get to the outside and make a big run.

The object for the outside linebacker is to get to the outside shoulder of the blocker (shoulder nearest the sideline) in order to turn the play back inside where there is defensive help.  The outside shoulder is key!  If a player goes for the inside shoulder, they can be caved inside and the play can easily get outside.

Repeat this football play until the defense can force the ball inside and make the play.  Switch up linebackers and RBs each time the drill is successfully run by the LBs.

Result – You will save a lot yards on the outside if you can teach your LBs to attack the outside shoulder of blockers on their way to making a tackle.

Technorati Tags: linebacker drills for football, offense, linebacker, blocker, defensive, football

What you need – A receiver matched up against a defender for the purposes of this football drill.

How this drill works – Coaches should be teaching their receivers the value of having a good juke move that frees a receiver from close coverage by a defender.  A good juke will always freeze a defender and allow the receiver to make their break while the defender is back on their heels.

When making a good juke, the receiver must remember they can’t completely stop their forward progress.  It all needs to be in one swift and agile movement.

In this drill, just start off with a quick slant – one way or the other.  The juke move should create separation from the defender.  Work on different jukes for different patterns, all with the same purpose in mind – to freeze a defender and to create a bit of separation.

Result – With your receivers learning to juke, they will create more separation and increase their ‘openness’ on the field.  This will help the QB get the ball into them easier.

Technorati Tags: offensive line football drills, juke, wide receivers, football, drill, defender, juke move