12U Flag Football Practice Plan (60 minutes for 11 and 12 year olds)
A 60-minute practice plan for 11 and 12 year olds. It sharpens QB play on the move and deep catching, drills zone defense, and installs three passing concepts before a situational scrimmage.
Goal for today
Throw accurately while rolling out, catch the deep ball over the shoulder at full speed, and run Smash, Drive and Slant and Go on time.
The schedule
- 0:00
Warm-upWarm-up5 min
Jog, lunges, skips, backpedal, then 3 sprints from a receiver stance.
- 0:05
DrillQB Rollout Throw Drill8 min
Every player takes a few QB reps. Run both directions.
- 0:13
DrillOver-the-Shoulder Catch Drill8 min
Throw to the outside shoulder first, then mix in inside throws.
- 0:21
DrillZone Drop and Break Drill8 min
Add two receivers running through the zones for the last few reps.
- 0:29
WaterWater break3 min
Everyone drinks, even the kids who say they are not thirsty. Coaches set up the next station while they drink.
- 0:32
Team installTeam install13 min
Spend four minutes on Smash, four on Drive, and the remaining five on the slant progression. Walk and run a plain slant first, then add the second move for Slant and Go only when the receiver can repeat the first break. Keep the plain slant if that movement is still unclear.
- 0:45
ScrimmageSituational scrimmage12 min
Start each series on third down with 5 or 6 yards to go, then play a red zone series from the 10. Chart which plays got the first down.
- 0:57
HuddleCool-down huddle3 min
Water, share the chart results, and pick the plays that go on the game day wristband. Team cheer.
- 1:00
Done
Short on time? The 45-minute version
Protect the situational scrimmage. At 12U, game situations teach more than another drill does. Here is exactly what to trim and the one block to cut when you only have 45 minutes.
What to say to the kids
- "QBs: shoulders to the target, then let it go."
- "Receivers: keep running when you look back. Slowing down lets them catch up."
- "In the scrimmage, we are going to play third down. Every play has to get the first down."
- At the end: "Which play worked best against our defense today, and why?"
Drills in this practice
Plays to install
Game this week? Open these plays as big sideline cards with a playing time tracker in Game Day.
Planning the whole season? The 8-week season plan tells you which plays, drills and defense to add each week. Want to write your own? Print the blank practice plan template.
For players at home: want more football between practices? Football Bros is a free arcade football game that runs in the browser with no download or login. It's no substitute for reps, but it keeps kids thinking about passing, running and tackling.
More plans: First practice · 6U · 8U · 10U · 14U
Separate throwing difficulty from reading difficulty
Begin the rollout drill with a predictable target before asking the quarterback to choose between receivers. In the install, keep the quarterback stationary while learning a new coverage read. Combine movement and decisions only after both parts are understood; otherwise a bad rep gives you little information about what needs fixing.
Choose the next lesson from the scrimmage
Note whether missed deep passes came from tracking, placement or late release. Return to the relevant drill instead of adding a fourth concept. If the deep throw is unreliable, keep the shorter option on the call sheet. The route guide helps assistants use the same names and landmarks during the next practice.
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