Flag Football Coaching Tips for Youth – Full Spread Offense & Angle Pursuit

While coaching 5-8 year olds in flag football for 4 years, I have some favorite flag football coaching tips for youth.   I have actually been successful running a full spread offense out of a gun.   The biggest skill set required is good ball handling, whether it be for snapping the shotgun, QB, pitches/handoffs or receiving.

Full Spread Offense
Here’s the drill:
Everyday, 20 mins.   Make circle of players, arm length apart.

Underhand toss the ball with two hands around the circle.   Coach the techniques of hands together, giving the ball a cushion, catching with hands only, etc.   Keep it going, motivating the boys not to drop the ball.

Increase the size of the circle and the speed of the tosses as needed and change directions often.   Add wrinkles like tossing overhead using 2 hands to replicate a shotgun snap, one handed toss and 1 handed catch, right only, left only…or make up your own wrinkles.

We run it all out the gun with inside traps, options, etc.

Angle Pursuit Drills
We do angle pursuit drills to practice pulling flags and taking the proper angle.   We line kids up one on a sideline and the other about 10 yards away in a defensive position.   Blow the whistle and the runner runs down the sidelines and the defender needs to take a deep angle and cut off the runner and pull his flag.

We try to teach getting deep early and then keeping your head across the ball carrier when pulling the flag.