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 ball security, handoffs and short routes. Defensive players work form tackling at walking pace into rings or bags, heads up and to the side.
- 3
30–35 min: water break
Everyone drinks, even if they say they are not thirsty. In hot weather, add a second break later 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 actually uses and keep coverage at walking or thud pace.
- 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.
Coaching points
Keep lines to three or four players; if more than that are waiting, split the station or add a second ball.
Teach tackling with the head up and out of contact every session, starting at walking speed before any live reps.
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.
Build it in Coach Board
Build each of your three install plays 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 so players can watch their assignments at home, and show the animation on a phone during the install period instead of drawing in the dirt.