8U Flag Football Practice Plan (60 minutes for 7 and 8 year olds)
A 60-minute practice plan for 7 and 8 year olds. Players at this age can run real routes, so the plan adds a route drill and three passing plays on top of flag pulling and ball carrying.
Goal for today
Take good angles to pull flags, make one juke and go, run a slant, out and curl at the right depth, and learn Curl-Flat, Stack Go-Out and Snag.
The schedule
- 0:00
Warm-upWarm-up6 min
Jog, high knees, butt kicks, side shuffles, backpedal, then 3 short sprints from a ready stance.
- 0:06
DrillSideline Flag Pull Drill8 min
Full speed after two walk-throughs. Keep score by line to make it a game.
- 0:14
DrillCone Weave and Juke Drill8 min
One juke only. Carriers who spin get another turn.
- 0:22
WaterWater break4 min
Everyone drinks, even the kids who say they are not thirsty. Coaches set up the next station while they drink.
- 0:26
DrillRoute Tree on Cones9 min
Use color names for the routes if football words are new to the group.
- 0:35
Team installTeam install12 min
Four minutes per play. Walk it on the whistle, then run it against air three times. Everyone learns every position.
- 0:47
ScrimmageScrimmage with a rusher10 min
Offense runs only the three installed plays. Defense uses one rusher from 7 yards. Rotate the QB every 3 snaps.
- 0:57
HuddleCool-down huddle3 min
Water, then a quick quiz: call a play name and ask two kids where they line up. Team cheer.
- 1:00
Done
What to say to the kids
- "Cut at the cone, not before it."
- "Ball carriers: one move, then go straight!"
- "On Curl-Flat, the QB watches one defender. If they go to the curl, throw the flat."
- At the end: "Who can tell me what route the X runs on Curl-Flat?"
What to bring
- Flag belts for every player
- 12 to 14 cones
- 4 footballs (Pee Wee or Junior, per your league)
- Wristband cards if you have them
- Water
Drills in this practice
Plays to install
More plans: First practice · 6U · 10U · 12U · 14U