Objective
Run a structured, safe 90-minute youth practice that maximises reps per player, installs a few simple plays, and ends with players wanting to come back.
Setup
Area
Half a full-size field, split into 3–4 stations of about 20x20 yards
Players
20–30 youth players, 3–4 coaches
Equipment
8–10 balls, 20+ cones, Tackling rings or tube bags, Hand shields, Water for every player
Duration
90 minutes
How it works
- 1
0–10 min: dynamic warm-up
Jogging, high knees, butt kicks, carioca, lunges and short sprints over 10–15 yards. Finish with stance-and-start: every player gets in a two- or three-point stance and fires out on a cadence. Keep it moving; no static stretching lines.
- 2
10–30 min: individual periods
Split by position group. Linemen work stance, first step and hand placement on shields. Backs and receivers work the center-QB exchange, handoffs, ball security and short routes. Defensive players work shoulder tackling at walking pace into rings or bags, head up and to the side.
- 3
30–35 min: water break
Everyone drinks, even players who say they are not thirsty. Send groups to water from their stations to save time. In hot weather, add a second break and shorten the periods, following your league's heat guidance.
- 4
35–55 min: team install
Teach three plays at most: a dive, a sweep and one quick pass such as a slant or hitch. Walk each play at half speed, then run it on air against cones, then against a scout team holding shields. Rotate every player through at least one position on offense.
- 5
55–65 min: special teams
Walk through kickoff and punt alignment with a simple rule for each player. Many youth leagues modify or remove kicking plays, so rehearse only what your league uses and keep coverage at walking or thud pace. Some staffs batch special teams into one practice a week instead.
- 6
65–80 min: conditioning as games
Replace laps with competitive games: relay races carrying a ball, a sharks-and-minnows flag-pull game, or a 7v7 touch game using the plays you installed. Players get their running in without feeling punished.
- 7
80–90 min: cool-down and huddle
Walk, stretch lightly, and bring the team in. Name one thing the team did well, one thing to fix next time, and the plan for the next session. Then stop on time, even after a rough practice.
| Period | Minutes | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Dynamic warm-up | 0–10 | Movement prep, stance and start on a cadence |
| Individual periods | 10–30 | Position skills: stance, first step, exchange, handoffs, routes, shoulder tackling on bags |
| Water break | 30–35 | Hydration by group, reset stations |
| Team install | 35–55 | Dive, sweep and one quick pass: walk, on air, then against shields |
| Special teams | 55–65 | Kickoff and punt alignment, only what your league allows |
| Games | 65–80 | Relays, flag-pull games, 7v7 touch using the installed plays |
| Cool-down and huddle | 80–90 | Light stretch, one positive, one fix, next session plan |
Coaching points
Keep lines to three or four players; if more than that are waiting, split the station or add a second ball.
Name the contact level before every drill (air, bags, control, thud or live) so players and parents know what to expect; USA Football uses these five levels.
Talk for less than a minute at a time: show the drill, run a rep, then correct during the next rep.
Praise effort and specific technique by name, because young players repeat what their coach notices.
Variations
Flag or no-contact week
Swap the tackling period for flag pulling and angle drills, and run the team install against cones. It keeps the practice structure while reducing contact, which suits early-season acclimatisation or tired groups.
60-minute version
Cut warm-up to 8 minutes, individual to 15, team install to 15 and games to 10, with one water break. Drop special teams to one short walk-through a week. This length suits most players under 8.
Build it in Coach Board
Players arrive knowing their assignments when they have already watched them at home. Build each install play on a Coach Board American football field, animate the dive, sweep and quick pass, and organise them in a playbook for this age group. Share the links with parents before the week, and show the animation on a phone during the install instead of drawing in the dirt.