Thirty tackle football drills for youth teams, with video, setup and coaching points. Built for a two-coach staff running stations with limited field time. For 7U to 14U tackle.
2 drills · 14 minutes if you ran them all
Line the team up on a sideline in rows. Run high knees, butt kicks, lunges, carioca, lateral shuffles and backpedal out to the ten yard line and jog back. Finish with two build-up sprints to twenty yards.
Movements should be controlled, not raced. The point is to raise the heart rate and open the hips before contact work.
Watch on YouTubePlayers pair up ten yards apart and throw back and forth, catching with proper hand position and tucking before each throw. Move to a short route: break at five yards, catch, tuck and jog back. Everyone throws and catches, not just quarterbacks and receivers.
Hands up and ready before the ball is thrown. Tuck the ball every catch so it becomes a habit.
Watch on YouTube10 drills · 71 minutes if you ran them all
Runner carries the ball through a short cone pattern with sharp cuts while a coach or partner trails and punches at the ball on each cut. Switch the ball to the outside arm on direction changes. Run three patterns per back, then switch roles.
The ball switch happens before the cut, not during it. Keep the elbow tight to the ribs so there is no gap for a defender to rake.
Watch on YouTubeA ball carrier runs a lane while a defender holding a shield gives chase from a trail position. The blocker starts behind and must sprint to get his body between the defender and the runner, then screen him off with hands inside and feet moving. Run it from both sides of the field.
Blocker must get in front of the defender before making contact; no blocks from behind. Finish the block by staying between the runner and the defender, not by knocking him down.
Watch on YouTubePair linemen up facing each other. The blocker steps into the fit position with hands inside the chest, elbows tight, head to the side, and holds that position for a five count while the partner gives light resistance. Then they drive five yards on the whistle and switch.
This is a position drill, not a hitting drill. Check thumbs up, elbows in, flat back, and a wide base before anyone drives.
Watch on YouTubeSet up a pod with a ball carrier, a lead blocker and a defender holding a shield at a hole marked with cones. On the whistle the blocker attacks the defender, fits with hands inside and drives him away from the hole while the runner reads the block and cuts off his backside. Rotate all three spots every rep.
Blocker keeps his head up and to the side of the defender, never in the middle. Runner stays patient and presses the hole before cutting.
Watch on YouTubeOne lineman versus one defender with a shield at a line of cones. Lineman fires out of his stance, strikes with both hands inside the frame and drives the shield three yards past the cone line. Score each rep so the players compete for starting spots.
First step is short and quick, second step lands with the punch. Hips low and feet keep chopping after contact.
Watch on YouTubeQuarterbacks pair up ten yards apart. Start on one knee throwing with upper body rotation only, then stand and add a step toward the target. Progress to a three step drop and throw, ten reps at each stage.
Front shoulder points at the target and the elbow stays above the shoulder. Finish with the thumb down and the throwing hand across the opposite hip.
Watch on YouTubeReceivers face a coach at five yards and catch balls thrown high, low, left and right, forming a diamond with the hands for balls above the chest and pinkies together for balls below. Move back to ten yards, then add a short route before the catch. Every ball gets tucked before the receiver turns upfield.
Catch with the hands away from the body and watch the ball all the way into the tuck. Drops are fine, lazy hands are not.
Watch on YouTubeSet two lines of players three yards apart holding hand shields or using open hands to slap and tug at the ball. The runner takes a handoff and runs through the gauntlet with the ball high and tight, finishing ten yards past the last defender. Rotate so every back gets four to six reps on each arm.
Five points of pressure on the ball: fingers over the tip, forearm, bicep, chest and the ball tucked under the chin side. Eyes up, not on the ball.
Watch on YouTubeLine players up on a yard line and build the stance from the feet up: feet shoulder width, weight on the balls of the feet, knees bent, back flat. Have them hold a two point stance, then drop a hand to a three point stance on command. Coach walks the line and corrects one thing per player before they fire out two steps.
Flat back and eyes up every rep. Weight should stay balanced so the player can step in any direction without a false step.
Watch on YouTubeReceivers line up on a yard line in a two point stance with the inside foot forward and weight on the front foot. On the cadence they explode off the line for five yards with no false step, then jog back. Add a release move around a cone after the first set.
No rocking back on the snap. Eyes on the defender, not the ground, and the first three steps should look like a sprinter leaving the blocks.
Watch on YouTube10 drills · 70 minutes if you ran them all
Defensive backs backpedal from a two point stance and weave between cones set in a zig zag for fifteen yards, following the coach's hand signal. Finish with a break forward on the coach's throw and a catch. Two to three trips each.
Shoulders over the toes and arms pumping in the backpedal. Weave with the hips, not by turning the shoulders.
Watch on YouTubeSet a pod with a defensive end, outside linebacker and corner on one side against a ball carrier who can run inside or bounce outside. The contain player keeps outside leverage and turns the runner back inside while the other two fill and tackle a shield. Run it to both sides.
Outside shoulder stays free on the contain man. Everyone else squeezes inside out so the runner has nowhere to go.
Watch on YouTubeDefensive linemen start in a three point stance one yard off a shield held by a partner. On ball movement they fire out, shock the shield with both hands under the pads and reset. Five quick reps per player, then switch.
Step and strike on the same count. Thumbs up and elbows in so the punch lands inside the frame.
Watch on YouTubeA runner starts five yards wide of the defender and runs a lane toward the sideline. The defender takes a proper pursuit angle, keeps inside leverage and makes a wrap tackle on a shield or tackle ring held by the runner. Rotate runners and defenders and work both directions.
Take an angle to where the runner is going, not where he is. Break down in the last two yards and strike with the near shoulder.
Watch on YouTubeTackler starts in a fit position on a standing dummy or partner holding a shield: shoulder on the thigh board, head to the side, arms wrapped behind the knees. On the whistle he lifts with his hips and drives the dummy five yards with chopping feet. Three reps each side, then progress to starting one step away.
Power comes from the hips rising, not from the arms pulling. The head stays up and to the side the whole way through.
Watch on YouTubeLinebacker aligns across from a blocker holding a shield. The blocker steps to block, the linebacker strikes with both hands inside the shield, locks out, rips or pulls through to one side and runs to a cone representing the ball. Alternate the side the blocker comes from.
Hands strike first, hips stay back so the blocker cannot get into the body. Shed and go, do not stand and wrestle.
Watch on YouTubeTackler starts on one knee with a partner holding a shield one yard in front. On the coach's cue he explodes up through the shield with his shoulder, wraps with both arms and drives his feet for three steps. Switch knee and shoulder each rep.
Great first contact drill for new players because the approach is removed. Watch for the chin up and the eyes through the target at the moment of contact.
Watch on YouTubeA coach rolls a tackle wheel across the front of the tackler at five yards. The tackler breaks down, closes with short steps, strikes the wheel with his shoulder and near-side arm, wraps and rolls with it to the ground. Run from both sides so players strike with each shoulder.
Eyes on the target, head across the front and never down. Shoulder lands on the wheel first and the arms wrap second.
Watch on YouTubeA coach walks a dummy or tackle wheel slowly past the tackler. The tackler tracks it, dips to get his shoulder on the thigh, wraps and rolls to the side so the dummy comes down on top of him rather than him driving through. Start slow and only speed the target up when the technique is clean.
Shoulder to thigh, cheek to the back pocket, wrap and roll. This is the safe way to finish a tackle on a bigger runner.
Watch on YouTubeTackler aligns one yard inside a runner or rolling dummy coming at an angle. He shuffles to keep inside leverage, takes away the cutback, then strikes with the near shoulder across the front of the runner and drives through. Alternate sides every rep.
Near foot and near shoulder work together. Head always goes in front of the runner, never behind.
Watch on YouTube3 drills · 20 minutes if you ran them all
Line the kickoff team up in cover lanes with cones marking each player's lane twenty yards downfield. On the kick the coverage sprints to the cones, stays in lane, breaks down and squeezes to a returner who runs with a shield. Repeat with returns to the left, right and middle.
Stay in your lane until the returner commits, then come under control before contact. Never cross a teammate's lane.
Watch on YouTubeKicker practices a short hop kick that travels ten yards, while the front line drills recovering the ball by falling on it with both arms wrapped. Then run the full unit against a return team hands unit to see who recovers. Rotate kickers and recovery players.
The recovery player pulls the ball into his chest and curls around it rather than reaching for it. The ball must go ten yards before the kick team touches it.
Watch on YouTubeReturners field kicks or coach-thrown high balls in a group of two or three. The returner calls the ball, catches it with elbows in and secures it against the chest before taking one step upfield. Increase difficulty by adding a jogging coverage player holding a shield.
Loud call so teammates get out of the way. Catch and secure first, run second.
Watch on YouTube3 drills · 24 minutes if you ran them all
Lay five step over bags a yard apart. Run groups through lateral oversteps, forward high knees, shuffles and a change of direction on the coach's point. Keep lines short so players are moving, not standing.
Knees up and feet quick between bags. Finish every rep through the last bag at full speed.
Watch on YouTubePlayers chop their feet in a football position and respond to the coach's commands: backpedal, shuffle left or right, seat roll, and sprint. Mix the commands and finish with a sprint to a cone. Keep each round under thirty seconds with short rest.
Players stay low in the chop the whole time. Watch for players who stand up between commands.
Watch on YouTubeSet three or four stations such as cone shuttles, bear crawls, sprints and ladder work. Groups spend ninety seconds at each station with a thirty second water break between rotations. Two full rotations for ages seven to nine, three for older groups.
Keep it football movement, not laps. Praise effort and watch younger players for signs of overheating.
Watch on YouTube2 drills · 20 minutes if you ran them all
Full defense aligns against a coach who throws or tosses to a ball carrier running to one sideline. All eleven sprint their pursuit angles and touch or tag the runner, with the backside players checking for reverse before pursuing. Run six to eight reps alternating sides, then run it against a live offensive look.
Every player sprints to the ball every rep; nobody jogs. Angles should converge, not follow the player in front.
Watch on YouTubeSplit the team into two squads. A coach rolls a large tackle ball or tackle wheel and each squad sends a tackler in turn to break down, strike with the shoulder, wrap and drive the ball past a cone for a point. First squad to ten points wins and the losers do a short sprint.
Competition keeps the energy up but technique still scores the point. A bad head position rep earns zero.
Watch on YouTubeVideos are linked, not hosted, and belong to their creators: Coach Parker - Youth Football Coaching Tips. 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 Youth 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.