Beginner Flag Football Playbook Install Practice Plan

Set cones in a 15x15 box. Everyone has a partner and a ball if you have them; if not, groups of 3 with one ball.

Go 60 seconds each: jog, high knees, butt kicks, side shuffle, backpedal. Then partners go quick hands: chest pass catch, then soft toss catch (football) with eyes-to-hands.

• Cues: “Eyes first, hands second.” “Thumbs together above the waist.” “Catch, tuck, point the nose down.”
• Common issue: Kids try one-hand catches and the ball pops out. Fix: Stop and make everyone clap both hands together before the next rep — two hands is the rule today.

Finish with 2 quick cadence reps as a whole group: QB says “Ready…Set…Go” and everyone freezes on “Set” so you can see who’s listening.

Use flat discs to mark outside numbers, inside slot landmark, and the ball spot. Put the offense out there with no defense. You stand behind the QB so everyone can hear you.

Teach one formation at a time. You call it, they sprint to spots, then you check and fix. After each check, the QB claps and everyone resets to a “home base” cone behind the play.

• Cues: “Find the ball first.” “Outside guys: widen to the numbers.” “Stack: one behind one — don’t stand hip-to-hip.”
• Watch for: You should be able to count the eligible receivers to the call side out loud (Trips = 3, Bunch = 3 tight, Stack = 2 in a line) without moving anyone.

Add one small tempo challenge: on your whistle they have 10 seconds to be set. If they miss it, you re-run the same formation until they hit the time.

Stay 5v0. Put one motion cone 2 yards outside the slot landmark so the motion player has a starting point. QB is in shotgun/pistol—whatever you use—just be consistent.

Install two motions: Jet (across the formation) and Short (step in/out to change leverage). Run it as: call formation → call motion → motion starts on “Ready” → everyone freezes on “Set” → snap on “Go.”

• Cues: “Motion is a jog, not a race.” “Freeze on ‘Set.’” “Ball doesn’t move until everyone is still.”
• Common issue: Center snaps while motion is still moving and the play is chaos. Fix: Make the center look at the QB’s hands; QB shows hands only when ready to snap.

Finish with 3 fast reps where you purposely try to speed them up; if alignment breaks, slow right back down and get one clean rep to end.

Quick water. While they drink, hand out wristbands (or have them already on). Explain the call format in one sentence: Formation → Motion → Play.

Have everyone point to where the play is on the wristband when you call it. If a kid can’t find it, pair them with a buddy who can and keep moving.

Set two “release lanes” using discs: one lane on the right, one on the left. Put a coach or a cone as a defender at 5 yards. Work in groups of 4–5 per lane so lines stay short.

Each rep: WR lines up with correct split (outside or slot), hears the play tag (stick/slant/hitch), then releases past the 5-yard marker with eyes up. No ball first 3 reps — just alignment and first three steps. Then add a soft throw for the next reps.

• Cues: “Win with your first three steps.” “Don’t drift into your buddy.” “Show your hands late.”
• Watch for: Slots stay inside and don’t fade to the sideline; outside WRs don’t crowd the ball.

If kids keep colliding, physically widen the split discs by 2 steps and re-run. If they’re too wide and routes die, bring them back in and explain, “We need room for #2 and #3.”

Set two throwing stations if possible. Station A: Stick/Hitch to the right. Station B: Slant/Flat to the left. Use cones for the QB “no drift” line (2 yards behind) and a 5-yard route depth line.

Run it rapid-fire: center snaps (or coach rolls the ball if snaps aren’t ready), QB catches and throws on rhythm. After each throw, QB jogs to the back; receivers rotate one spot so everyone learns multiple routes.

• Cues: “Catch, set, throw.” “Front foot to the target.” “Ball out before the break on hitch.”
• Common issue: QB stares down one receiver and the ball comes out late. Fix: Make the QB say the read out loud pre-snap: “Stick first, flat second.” Then run the rep immediately.

Keep it clean: if a snap is bad, don’t lecture — just re-do the snap and take the throw again so timing stays the focus.

Work on one half of the field so the QB has space to sprint out. Put three cones for Flood landmarks: flat cone at the sideline, over cone at 7–10 yards, deep cone at 12–15 yards (adjust to your QB’s arm).

Run 5v0 first for 3 reps: QB sprints out, shoulders square, and hits the flat/over/deep based on who is “open” (you point to a cone as the “open” one). Then add 2 defenders: one rusher with a contain rule and one middle defender.

• Cues: “Sprint to space, then slow your feet to throw.” “Eyes go flat → over → deep.” “Receivers: hit your landmark, then show your hands.”
• Common issue: Everyone runs to the sideline and there’s no throwing window. Fix: Reset and physically walk the over route to the inside cone—tell them, “Over is inside space, not sideline space.”

End with one perfect rep at controlled speed. Don’t chase speed if they’re still learning where to be.

Water and quick regroup. While they drink, you pick the 6 plays you’re calling in the team drive script and tell the QB the order.

One sentence to the group before you break: “If you don’t know the route, line up right and run hard — we’ll fix the rest after the rep.”

Set a mini field with cones: start line, midline, and end zone. Offense is 5. Defense is 5 if you have it; if not, use 3 defenders and keep them honest (one rusher, one middle, one deep).

Script two drives. Drive 1 is huddle: QB calls it from wristband, everyone repeats formation out loud (“Trips right!”), then break and run. Drive 2 is no-huddle: QB stands over the ball, calls the wristband number, and you give them a 25-second snap clock.

• Cues: “Say the formation out loud.” “Get set, then look at the ball.” “If you’re confused, ask the nearest teammate—don’t wander.”
• Watch for: Clean pre-snap picture: correct formation, motion starts on time, snap happens with everyone set.

Common issue: Kids celebrate or argue after a play and tempo dies. Fix: Whistle, point to the ball spot, and say, “Next call—move.” If it happens twice, you go back to huddle for one rep, then return to no-huddle.

Keep coaching between snaps to one correction max. If you need a longer talk, save it for the closing huddle.

Bring them in, take a knee, and do a quick “teach-back.” Ask three players to answer: “What’s Trips?” “When does motion start?” “What’s the QB read on rollout?”

• Standard to leave: Everyone can line up in Trips/Bunch/Stack and can find the play on the wristband without help.
• Coach action: Tell them the 6 plays you’re keeping for next practice and who the two backup QBs are for reps.

Finish with 30 seconds of light jogging to the sideline and a reminder: flags on the hips, mouthguards if your league requires them, and be early next time.