First Flag Football Practice of the Season (60 minutes)
A 60-minute plan for the very first practice with a new team, any age. It covers names, how flag belts work, pulling flags, the handoff, catching and two easy plays, and it ends with a short scrimmage so everyone goes home having played football.
Goal for today
Every kid learns every teammate's name, can put on a flag belt, pull a flag, take a handoff and catch a soft pass, and knows two plays by name.
The schedule
- 0:00
HuddleWelcome and flag belts5 min
Circle up. Each player says their name and favorite animal. Show how to put a flag belt on: flags on the hips, belt snug, jersey tucked in so it does not cover the flags.
- 0:05
DrillSharks and Minnows Flag Game7 min
A fun, fast warm-up that also teaches what a flag pull is. Start with one shark.
- 0:12
DrillSideline Flag Pull Drill8 min
Walk the first two reps. Praise good angles, not just pulls.
- 0:20
WaterWater break5 min
Everyone drinks, even the kids who say they are not thirsty. Coaches set up the next station while they drink.
- 0:25
DrillHandoff Exchange Drill8 min
Coaches play QB for the first round so every runner gets a clean handoff.
- 0:33
DrillDiamond Hands Partner Catch8 min
Short, soft throws at 3 yards. Step back only after 5 catches in a row.
- 0:41
Team installTeam install10 min
Walk through each play three times at half speed, then run it at full speed against no defense. Give each play a name the kids shout in the huddle.
- 0:51
ScrimmageMini scrimmage7 min
Half the team on offense, half on defense. Coach calls one of the two plays each snap. Switch sides halfway. No score, just reps.
- 0:58
HuddleCool-down huddle2 min
Take a knee. Ask each kid one thing they learned. Team cheer on three.
- 1:00
Done
What to say to the kids
- "Welcome to the team! Today we are going to learn names, pull flags and run our first two plays."
- "When I blow the whistle, everybody freezes and looks at me. Let's practice that right now."
- "Mistakes are fine. Trying hard is what I care about."
- At the end: "Who pulled a flag today? Who caught a pass? Everybody did something new. See you next practice!"
What to bring
- Flag belts for every player (plus a few spares)
- 8 to 12 cones
- 3 or 4 footballs in the right size
- A roster with parent phone numbers
- Name tags or tape and a marker
- Water and a small first aid kit