Flag Coach Plays

10U Flag Football Practice Plan (60 minutes for 9 and 10 year olds)

A 60-minute practice plan for 9 and 10 year olds. This age can learn to read one defender, so the plan pairs rushing and zone defense drills with two passing plays that beat man and zone coverage.

Goal for today

Rush from 7 yards without jumping offside, drop to a zone and break on the ball, and install Flood (a zone beater) and Mesh (a man beater).

The schedule

  1. 0:00

    Warm-upWarm-up5 min

    Jog, skips, side shuffles and backpedal, then finish with 2 minutes of partner catch at 8 yards.

  2. 0:05

    Drill7-Yard Rusher Drill8 min

    Check your league's rush distance before practice. Rotate rusher, QB and center.

  3. 0:13

    DrillRoute Tree on Cones8 min

    Run each route at full speed. Take the cones away for the last round.

  4. 0:21

    DrillZone Drop and Break Drill8 min

    Start with the QB pointing, then make it a real read by the end.

  5. 0:29

    WaterWater break4 min

    Everyone drinks, even the kids who say they are not thirsty. Coaches set up the next station while they drink.

  6. 0:33

    Team installTeam install12 min

    Six minutes per play. Show the diagram on a clipboard, walk it, then run it against a defense that plays zone (for Flood) or man (for Mesh), so the kids see why each one works.

    FloodMesh

  7. 0:45

    ScrimmageScrimmage: man or zone12 min

    Defense secretly picks man or zone each snap. The QB calls Flood or Mesh at the line. Keep score of good calls, not touchdowns.

  8. 0:57

    HuddleCool-down huddle3 min

    Water. Ask the QBs how they knew it was man or zone. Team cheer.

  9. 1:00

    Done

What to say to the kids

  • "Rushers go on the ball, not on the voice."
  • "Zone defenders, eyes on the QB. The QB's eyes tell you where the ball is going."
  • "Mesh is for when they follow you everywhere. Flood is for when they sit in spots."
  • At the end: "What did the defense show us today, and which play would beat it?"

What to bring

  • Flag belts in two colors
  • 12 cones
  • 4 Junior size footballs
  • Wristband cards for every player
  • Water

Drills in this practice

CQR7-Yard Rusher DrillDefense 8 minABCQRoute Tree on ConesRoutes 9 minQLMRZone Drop and Break DrillDefense 8 min

Plays to install

XCQYZFloodPass Trips RightXCQYZMeshPass Spread Slot Right

More plans: First practice · 6U · 8U · 12U · 14U