Free drill library · Flag Football

At-home flag football drills for 7 to 10 year olds

This is a free sample week of at-home flag football training for 7 to 10 year olds: 3 of the 7 plans SSTracker has for this group, each 12 to 13 minutes, with every step and minute. Nothing here is written for this page alone; it is what the app gives a family.

Everything here can be done in a room, garage or yard. Drills that need a team are left out; a parent can be the partner in a pair drill.

A free sample week of flag football for 7 to 10 year olds

Session 1

Throwing at home 13 minutes

  1. Grip and Throwing Stance · 4 min
    Fingers on laces, shoulder points.
  2. One-Knee Throws · 5 min
    Elbow up, thumb down.
  3. Basket Target Throws · 4 min
    Point, step, throw.

Session 2

Catching at home 13 minutes

  1. Diamond Hands Catch · 4 min
    See it into the diamond.
  2. Pinkies Together Low Catch · 5 min
    Low ball, pinkies together.
  3. Self-Toss Catches · 4 min
    Hands catch, body stays still.

Session 3

Flag pulling: Eyes on the Hips 12 minutes

  1. Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 2 min
    Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
  2. Eyes on the Hips · 4 min
    Watch the belt, not the head. Safety: Non-contact: reach for the flag, not the player. No holding, pushing or blocking, and slow down before you get close. Wear a mouthguard in any partner or game drill (and soft headgear if your league requires it). Keep your head up, call for the ball, and give way in traffic.
  3. Cone Path Follow the Leader · 4 min
    Turn right at the cone. Safety: Warm up first and run on flat, non-slip ground. Stop if a muscle feels tight.
  4. Cool-down: walk and easy stretches · 2 min
    Breathe slowly and hold each stretch about 20 seconds, never to pain.

Want the rest of the plan?

This sample is 3 of the 7 flag football plans SSTracker has for this group. In SSTracker every step is on the screen, your child logs the work, and you see it. No club needed: the family plan is $7.50 a month per player, or $12 a month for the whole household, and the first 14 days are free.

Get the full plan free for 14 days Coach or club director? Set up your team free Print a free week for another sport or age

The drills in this week

Grip and Throwing Stance

Ages 7 and up · 8 min

Learn how to hold the ball and stand side-on before you throw.

  1. Put your fingers across the laces with a small gap under your palm.
  2. Stand side-on with your front shoulder pointing at your partner.
  3. Bring the ball up by your ear and throw 5 yards.
  4. Make 20 throws, checking your grip each time.

Coach's cue: Fingers on laces, shoulder points.

Bring: flag football, partner

Safety: Warm up your arm first and stop if your shoulder or elbow hurts. Throw only where the area is clear.

One-Knee Throws

Ages 7 and up · 8 min

Kneel to practice a high elbow and a strong follow-through with your upper body only.

  1. Kneel on your throwing-side knee, 5 yards from a partner.
  2. Lift your elbow to shoulder height.
  3. Throw and finish with your thumb pointing down.
  4. Make 20 throws, then switch knees for 10.

Coach's cue: Elbow up, thumb down.

Bring: flag football, partner

Safety: Warm up your arm first and stop if your shoulder or elbow hurts. Throw only where the area is clear.

Basket Target Throws

Ages 7 and up · 8 min

A solo home drill: throw into a basket to practice aiming with a good grip.

  1. Put a basket 5 yards away.
  2. Grip the ball on the laces and stand side-on.
  3. Throw it into the basket with a high arc.
  4. Throw 20 and count makes; move back a yard when you get 10.

Coach's cue: Point, step, throw.

Bring: flag football, laundry basket

Safety: Warm up your arm first and stop if your shoulder or elbow hurts. Throw only where the area is clear.

Diamond Hands Catch

Ages 7 and up · 8 min

Make a diamond with your thumbs and fingers to catch balls above your chest.

  1. Touch your thumbs and pointer fingers to make a diamond.
  2. Your partner tosses the ball to your face height from 5 yards.
  3. Look the ball into the diamond and pull it in.
  4. Make 20 catches.

Coach's cue: See it into the diamond.

Bring: flag football, partner

Safety: Use a soft or youth-size ball to start, and keep your eyes on it so it never hits your face.

Pinkies Together Low Catch

Ages 7 and up · 8 min

Turn your hands so your little fingers touch to catch balls below your chest.

  1. Your partner tosses the ball low, around your belt.
  2. Put your pinkies together, palms up.
  3. Catch with your hands and bring it into your body.
  4. Make 20 catches, mixing high and low.

Coach's cue: Low ball, pinkies together.

Bring: flag football, partner

Safety: Use a soft or youth-size ball to start, and keep your eyes on it so it never hits your face.

Self-Toss Catches

Ages 7 and up · 6 min

A solo drill: toss the ball up and catch it with your hands, not your body.

  1. Toss the ball a little above your head.
  2. Catch it with your thumbs together in a diamond.
  3. Then toss it low and catch with pinkies together.
  4. Make 30 catches.

Coach's cue: Hands catch, body stays still.

Bring: flag football

Safety: Use a soft or youth-size ball to start, and keep your eyes on it so it never hits your face.

Eyes on the Hips

Ages 7 and up · 8 min

Watch the ball carrier's hips, because hips cannot fake.

  1. Face your partner in a 5-yard box.
  2. They shuffle and fake with their head and shoulders.
  3. Watch only their belt and mirror their steps.
  4. Do 6 rounds of 15 seconds.

Coach's cue: Watch the belt, not the head.

Bring: flag belts, partner, cones

Safety: Non-contact: reach for the flag, not the player. No holding, pushing or blocking, and slow down before you get close. Wear a mouthguard in any partner or game drill (and soft headgear if your league requires it). Keep your head up, call for the ball, and give way in traffic.

Cone Path Follow the Leader

Ages 7 and up · 8 min

A family game: follow a leader through a cone path that has sharp turns, like a route.

  1. A parent sets a cone path with 3 or 4 turns.
  2. Follow the leader through it at a jog.
  3. Make every turn sharp, right at the cone.
  4. Take turns being the leader and design a new path.

Coach's cue: Turn right at the cone.

Bring: cones, family member

Safety: Warm up first and run on flat, non-slip ground. Stop if a muscle feels tight.

Safety for ages 7 to 10

  • Plans for this age group use beginner drills only. Advanced drills open from age 13 in the app.
  • Home plans use only drills for a room, garage or yard. Stop if anything hurts.

Before you start: flag football

  • Mouthguard for partner and game drills; soft headgear if your league requires it.
  • A flag belt that fits.
  • No blocking, no tackling, no contact: pull the flag, not the player, and never guard your flag.
  • Keep your head up and call for the ball; give way in traffic to avoid collisions.
  • Stay on your feet; no diving for flags.
For every sport and age (7)
  • Head knock or concussion signs (headache, dizziness, confusion, feeling "off"): when in doubt, sit them out. See a doctor, and no return the same day.
  • Back to sport only with a doctor's written OK, after a step-by-step return. Every U.S. state has a youth concussion law.
  • Heat: drink water before, during and after. Take shade breaks, ease into hot weather over about two weeks, and stop if dizzy, sick or headachy.
  • Lightning: if you hear thunder or see lightning, go inside a building or a closed car. Wait 30 minutes after the last thunder (the 30-30 rule).
  • Pain is a stop sign, not something to push through. Stop and tell a grown-up; pain that lasts or comes back each session needs a doctor.
  • Water and rest are part of training: 1-2 rest days a week, plenty of sleep, a meal or snack before and after, and other sports welcome.
  • Know where the nearest AED (heart defibrillator) is, and who calls for help in an emergency.

The research behind these plans

Which drills are shown at which age, and the safety notes, follow the 29 sources below: national governing bodies, medical associations and studies on youth sport (last reviewed October 2026). Where no study gives an exact number, the plans use cautious defaults, and we change them as the research does.

Flag Football: governing bodies, safety and development (9)
Youth athletic development and safety (20)

More plans