At-home football drills for 7 to 10 year olds

This is a free sample week of at-home football training for 7 to 10 year olds: 3 of the 7 plans SSTracker has for this group, each 12 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 football for 7 to 10 year olds

Session 1

Hands like a diamond 12 minutes

Close tosses above the waist · 4 min
Thumbs together, look it into your hands
Tosses below the waist · 4 min
Pinkies together
Step-back catch game · 4 min
Count your best streak in a row

Session 2

Flag pull tag 12 minutes

Breakdown stance · 3 min
Feet wide, chest up, eyes on the belt
Mirror the runner · 4 min
Shuffle, do not cross your feet
Flag pull tag with a parent · 5 min
Grab the flag, never the shirt

Session 3

Speed: Flamingo Stand Count 12 minutes

Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 2 min
Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
Flamingo Stand Count · 4 min
Eyes on one spot. Safety: Practice on soft ground or near a wall with clear space around you, so a wobble is no problem.
Tracking Angle Walkthrough · 4 min
Near foot, near shoulder. Safety: No contact in this drill.
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 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

Flamingo Stand Count

Ages 5 to 10 · 5 min

Stand on one leg like a flamingo and count how long you can stay steady. Try the other leg too.

Stand on one foot, the other foot lifted near your knee.
Hold your arms out to help.
Count how long you can stay without touching down.
Do 3 tries each leg; try to beat your own count.

Coach's cue: Eyes on one spot.

Bring: none

Safety: Practice on soft ground or near a wall with clear space around you, so a wobble is no problem.

Tracking Angle Walkthrough

Ages 7 and up · 8 min

Learn to close on a ball carrier at an angle that cuts off their path.

Your partner walks along a line of cones.
Approach from the side at an angle that meets them ahead, not behind.
Stop one yard away with feet under you.
Do 10 each side at walking speed.

Coach's cue: Near foot, near shoulder.

Bring: 4 cones, partner

Safety: No contact in this drill.

Safety for ages 7 to 10

Plans for this age group use beginner drills only. Advanced drills open from age 13 in the app.
Tackle-football contact drills are never shown under 14; younger players keep flag and non-contact fundamentals.
Home plans use only drills for a room, garage or yard. Stop if anything hurts.

Before you start: football

Helmet fitted by a coach, mouthguard and full pads for any contact.
A cup and well-fitted cleats.
Tackling and blocking contact only with a coach, in a helmet and pads. Never practise tackling at home.
Tackle with the head up and out of contact (shoulder tackle). Never lead with the helmet.
Full-contact practice is capped (USA Football: 30 minutes a day, 120 a week). Many experts advise flag before 14.
Hot preseason: 14 days to get used to heat and gear, water at every break, stop on dizziness or headache.

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 28 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.

Football: governing bodies, safety and development (8)

Youth athletic development and safety (20)