Twenty-five drills for youth flag football practice, each with a short video, setup instructions and the coaching points that matter at this age. Organized the way a practice runs: warm up, offense, defense, agility, then a game to finish. For 5U to 14U.
2 drills · 18 minutes if you ran them all
Dynamic stretch line followed by a short ball handling station and a flag pulling partner drill. Built so the whole team is moving and touching a football within the first few minutes of practice.
Keep the lines short so nobody stands around. Use a word of the week to set the focus for practice while bodies warm up.
Watch on YouTubeTwo lines of players jog, high knee, butt kick, side shuffle, carioca, and backpedal between cones 10 yards apart. Finish with two half speed sprints and two full sprints.
Start slow and build each rep so no one pulls anything cold. Make it a race only on the final sprints.
Watch on YouTube9 drills · 58 minutes if you ran them all
Receiver catches a short pass, tucks the ball, and immediately makes a cut past a cone or defender standing a few yards past the catch point. Rotate so every player catches and cuts in both directions.
Secure the catch before thinking about the move. Plant the outside foot and cut upfield, do not drift sideways toward the sideline.
Watch on YouTubeTeach the grip, stance, and follow through for a clean shotgun snap, then rep it against a fence or to a partner. Progress to snapping and releasing into a short route like a center would in a game.
Grip on the laces, wrist flicks straight back, and the hand finishes pointed at the QB. Count out loud so the snap stays on the cadence.
Watch on YouTubeRun the same handoff setup but alternate real handoffs with fakes where the runner clamps down on an empty pocket and keeps sprinting. The QB keeps the ball on the hip and either runs or throws after the fake.
The fake only works if the runner sells it with the same speed and body position as a real carry. The QB hides the ball on the back hip after pulling it.
Watch on YouTubeSet cones for five base routes such as slant, out, curl, post, and go. Receivers rotate through each route while the QB throws on timing, then switch QBs so everyone throws and catches.
The receiver sells the first three steps and breaks sharp, not rounded. The QB throws to the spot the route ends, not to where the receiver is.
Watch on YouTubeGroups of three: center, QB, and runner. Snap, the QB turns and seats the ball into the runner's pocket, and the runner finishes through a cone five yards away before rotating positions.
The runner makes the pocket with the inside elbow up and never reaches for the ball. The QB extends the ball and lets the runner take it.
Watch on YouTubeA coach or rusher counts to the league rush count and comes at the QB while a receiver runs a short route. The QB must slide away from the rush, reset the feet, and deliver the ball on the move or run if the lane is open.
Eyes stay downfield while the feet move. Teach the QB to escape toward the sideline where the throw is shorter and safer.
Watch on YouTubePair every center with a QB and rep shotgun snaps at game distance. The center snaps on the cadence, the QB catches and immediately gets into a throwing or handoff position, then reset and repeat.
The center looks back through the legs at the target before snapping. The QB shows soft hands and catches the ball with the eyes, not the hands.
Watch on YouTubeReceivers run quick three to five yard routes such as hitch, slant, and flat while the QB takes one step and throws. Rotate receivers fast so the QB gets 20 to 30 throws in the period.
Quick routes need quick feet; the ball should be out before the rusher counts to three. Receivers turn and look for the ball right out of the break.
Watch on YouTubeQBs start five yards from a partner and complete a throw, then each takes a step back after every catch. Keep going until the throws start to sail or fall short, then step back in and rebuild from there.
Front shoulder points at the target and the ball comes out over the top, not sidearm. Finish with the throwing hand near the opposite hip.
Watch on YouTube7 drills · 45 minutes if you ran them all
Defenders backpedal five yards on the coach's point, then open the hips and run to the direction the coach signals. Add a receiver and a thrown ball once the footwork is clean.
Keep the chest over the toes in the backpedal so you can break in any direction. Open the hips, do not turn the whole body and lose sight of the QB.
Watch on YouTubeStart with partners walking toward each other and pulling flags, then jog, then full speed through a narrow lane. Defenders work on breaking down, aiming at the hip, and ripping the flag down and away.
Watch the belt buckle, not the ball or the eyes. Pull with a downward snap and hold the flag up so the official sees it.
Watch on YouTubeRusher lines up at the legal rush distance and attacks the QB on the snap, staying in a straight lane to the throwing shoulder. The QB holds the ball and tries to escape so the rusher learns to keep leverage.
Sprint the first three steps, then break down with the hands up when the QB sets. Rush the throwing arm side and force the QB to move his feet.
Watch on YouTubeRunner starts on one hash and runs toward the far sideline while a defender starts inside and behind. The defender takes an angle to where the runner is going, not where he is, and pulls the flag before the sideline.
Aim for a spot in front of the runner and adjust as he speeds up or slows down. Never chase from directly behind.
Watch on YouTubeDefender shuffles laterally between two cones while a runner jogs across in front. On the coach's signal the runner attacks a gap and the defender must close and pull the flag without crossing feet.
Stay low in the shuffle with weight on the balls of the feet. Close the gap under control so the runner cannot cut back past you.
Watch on YouTubeFull defense lines up against a scout offense that only runs the ball. Each rep the defense must fit their gaps, communicate, and get two defenders to the ball before the runner crosses the first down line.
Everyone pursues until the whistle, even players on the far side. The first defender slows the runner down and the second pulls the flag.
Watch on YouTubeDefenders line up in their zone spots and drop on the snap, reading the QB's eyes while two or three receivers run routes into the zones. The coach throws the ball and the nearest defender breaks on it.
Drop to your landmark, then find the receiver in your area. Break on the ball when the QB's front shoulder opens, not after the catch.
Watch on YouTube4 drills · 23 minutes if you ran them all
Players run six ladder patterns such as one foot in, two feet in, lateral shuffle, in and out, and icky shuffle. Finish each ladder rep with a sprint through a cone five yards out.
Quick feet beat big steps; stay on the balls of the feet and pump the arms. Fix the pattern before you add speed.
Watch on YouTubeSet cones in a zigzag and have runners sprint to each cone, plant the outside foot, and cut hard to the next. Add a coach holding a flag at random cones so the runner has to react, not memorize.
Plant on the outside foot and drive the knee the new direction. Low hips on the cut, then burst for three steps.
Watch on YouTubeThree cones in an L shape five yards apart. Sprint to cone two and back, then around cone two and three in a figure eight, finishing through the starting cone.
Touch the line, do not just get close. Dip the inside shoulder around cones and keep the feet moving.
Watch on YouTubeRunner enters a narrow cone tunnel while defenders stand on each side and reach for flags as he passes. The runner must cut, spin, and accelerate through without stopping.
Change speed, not just direction. Keep the ball high and tight so a swipe at the flag does not knock it loose.
Watch on YouTube3 drills · 22 minutes if you ran them all
Mark a box about 10 yards square with a defender inside. The runner enters from one side and has to cut past the defender and exit the far side without losing a flag; score points for both sides.
One on one in a box rewards sharp cuts and patient flag pulling. Switch roles every rep so everyone plays both sides.
Watch on YouTubeRunner carries the ball through two lines of defenders who each get one reach at a flag as he passes. Count how many make it through clean and rotate the runners through fast.
Defenders break down and reach, they do not step into the lane. Runner keeps the shoulders square and never slows down.
Watch on YouTubeSet up a winding cone path with a defender stationed in each turn. The runner snakes through trying to beat each defender with a move while each defender gets one shot at the flag.
Runners set up the move early, not at the defender's feet. Defenders stay patient and attack the hip when the runner commits.
Watch on YouTubeVideos are linked, not hosted, and belong to their creators: Flag Football with Coach D. Drill write-ups are by Cheat Code Coaching. Durations are what we run them at with a youth team; adjust for your group.
Every drill here is already in the Cheat Code Teams Practice Builder for Flag Football. Drag them into a plan, tap Start practice, and the clock, the whistle and the next drill are on your phone and your lock screen.