While it may be tempting to waste practice time running plays over and again, you should devote the majority of your time to drills that will enhance your team’s individual abilities. Use the drills listed below in your children’s flag football workouts.
Two Line Passing Warm-Up
The youngsters just team up and start out a small distance apart for this warm-up. A decent thumb rule is to calculate the distance depending upon the age of your squad. Starting distance for 5-6-year-olds should be approximately 5 yards. Allow one party to take a few feet back after a few minutes. After some time, repeat this procedure one more time.
To begin practice, we usually do this for 5–10 minutes. When broken down, a child should be able to hit the ball and receive it back in roughly 10 seconds which makes 30 passes/catch every 5 minutes. I’m only 10 minutes into practice, and I’ve already accomplished one of my objectives.
Read more: 8 LESSONS PARENTS CAN TEACH KIDS PARTICIPATING IN YOUTH SPORTS
Handoff Drills
With younger kids, handoffs are crucial — not just in terms of speed, but also in terms of completing a crisp handoff without losing the ball. You may expect a couple of mistakes every game early on in the season if you’re coaching a squad of new flag football players. Fumbles are tough because, if you teach as I do, every youngster will get the chance to run the ball at least one time per game. With some fumbles, the number of opportunities to get everyone the ball is reduced.
Leading the Receiver
In this practice, you’ll use cones to draw off a couple of locations on the ground. The recipient’s objective is to make the catch inside one of these zones. Rather than throwing to a receiver who has just run a hook and is towards the quarterback, the quarterback will be taught to direct the receiver to an area. While receiving the ball, the receiver will be taught to run away from the defender. This is a terrific man-to-man defense practice as well.
Flag Pulling
Flag pulling is vital at all stages, but it is the most essential element of the defense at the smaller ages. Throughout practice, you can use a variety of flag pulling drills.
One on One Flag Pulling
The offense runs straight ahead as quickly as they can, while the defense cuts over, attempting to reduce the speed of the ball carrier by reaching in front of him and then pulling the flag. This drill may be done quickly, allowing you to complete a large number of reps in a short period of time.
Read more: FLAG FOOTBALL PARTICIPATION IS AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH
The Gauntlet
One of the team’s favorites. For this exercise, the offensive creates a tiny running zone. You only have one defender on either end. The remainder of the squad is on offense and will line up on the opposite end of the field. The first attacking player on the “Go!” attempts to overcome the defense. You send the next runner whenever the flag is withdrawn or the defense is defeated. In this practice, the defender must process information rapidly in order to pull as many flags as possible. This practice can also be used to improve conditioning.