6U Flag Football Practice Plan (60 minutes for 5 and 6 year olds)
A 60-minute practice plan for 5 and 6 year olds: short blocks, lots of running, one skill at a time, and two simple plays. Keep every block moving so nobody waits in line for long.
Goal for today
Pull a flag from a moving runner, take a clean handoff, snap the ball, and run Crossbuck and Sweep the right way.
The schedule
- 0:00
Warm-upWarm-up5 min
Jog, high knees, bear crawls and frog jumps across the field and back. Finish with 2 quick sprints.
- 0:05
DrillCone Box 1-on-1 Flag Pull8 min
Use the narrow 6-yard box. Carriers walk fast for the first round.
- 0:13
DrillHandoff Exchange Drill8 min
Runners start 3 yards from the QB. A coach plays QB first, then let kids try.
- 0:21
WaterWater break5 min
Everyone drinks, even the kids who say they are not thirsty. Coaches set up the next station while they drink.
- 0:26
DrillCenter-QB Snap Drill7 min
Skip the pass at first. Count good snaps out loud as a team.
- 0:33
DrillDiamond Hands Partner Catch7 min
3 yards apart. Big cheer for every catch.
- 0:40
Team installTeam install10 min
Point where each player goes instead of drawing. Walk it, jog it, then run it. Name the plays with something fun the kids pick.
- 0:50
ScrimmageScrimmage8 min
Coach plays QB for both teams if your league allows it. Run only the two plays you installed. Rotate the ball carrier every snap.
- 0:58
HuddleCool-down huddle2 min
Take a knee, water, and one sentence about next game. Team cheer.
- 1:00
Done
Short on time? The 45-minute version
Keep both install plays and the scrimmage. Five-year-olds remember what they got to run in a game, so the cuts come from the skill blocks instead. Here is exactly what to trim and the one block to cut when you only have 45 minutes.
What to say to the kids
- "Big eyes on the belly button! Hips don't lie."
- "Make a pocket: one arm up like a door, one arm down like a shelf."
- "Where do we run on Sweep? To the sideline, then turn up!"
- At the end: "High five your partner and tell them one thing they did great."
What to bring
- Flag belts for every player
- 10 cones
- 3 or 4 Pee Wee size footballs
- Water
- Stickers or a small reward for good effort (optional)
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 · 8U · 10U · 12U · 14U
Shorten the explanation before shortening the repetitions
Show the next skill with two players while the others watch from a clear waiting area. Use one instruction, then let each player try it. If a line grows, open another small station with an assistant rather than adding a longer explanation. Keep the water and regrouping breaks when compressing the plan.
Check that the runner knows the direction
At the end of the install, ask each runner to point toward the correct goal before the snap. A secure handoff and a run toward that goal are useful early outcomes. Choose from the 5- and 6-year-old plays based on what your group can repeat, and confirm younger-division rules.
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