Fun Football Drills for Kids

By 4Football Staff · October 7, 2026 · 10 min read

A collection of safe, non-contact football drills and games for young players, organized by skill, with setup, coaching points and ways to make each one easier or harder.

Every youth coach and football parent eventually faces the same problem: how to keep a group of eight-year-olds busy, learning and smiling for an hour. A lecture about stances loses the group in ninety seconds. A long line for a drill turns half the team into spectators. A drill that looks great on a coaching video falls apart when you have eleven kids, three footballs and a field with no cones.

The best drills for young players are simple. They get every child moving, they teach one skill at a time, and they feel like games. Children learn throwing, catching, running and teamwork far more readily when it is wrapped in a challenge, a race or a bit of silliness than when it is drilled as a chore.

This article collects drills and games you can run with a few cones and a handful of footballs. All of them are non-contact. They work for flag and tackle players alike, since early practice should focus on skills rather than collisions. For each, you will find the setup, how to run it, the coaching point and a way to adjust difficulty. Always follow your league's rules, adapt to the ages and abilities in front of you, and supervise children closely. If a child is injured or feels unwell, stop and get help.

Principles for good kids' drills

Before the drills, a few ground rules make any activity work better.

1. Keep everyone active. Use small groups and many stations. A line of six children waiting for one turn is a bad drill.
2. Teach one thing at a time. Pick a single skill, such as "eyes on the ball," and repeat it.
3. Explain in under thirty seconds. If it takes longer, simplify.
4. Demonstrate, then play. Show the drill once, then let children try.
5. Keep it short. Five to ten minutes per drill is plenty for young children.
6. Praise effort and specific actions. "I love how you looked the ball into your hands" teaches more than "good job."
7. Make it a game. Add points, races or team goals. Avoid eliminating children early, since it leaves them idle.
8. Adjust for ability. Offer an easier version and a harder one at the same time.
9. Stay safe. Check the field for holes and debris, keep hydration available and avoid collisions.
10. End with fun. Finish with a favorite game so children leave smiling.

Warm-up games

A warm-up wakes up muscles and sets the tone. Skip long static stretches for young children; use movement.

Red light, green light

Setup: Players line up across one end of a field. The coach stands at the other end.

How it works: When the coach says "green light," players run toward the coach. On "red light," they freeze. Anyone who moves goes back a few steps, or to the start for a fun version. Add "yellow light" for jogging.

Coaching point: Stopping under control is a football skill. Remind players to bend their knees and keep their weight balanced.

Make it easier or harder: For younger children, use "tiptoe" and "giant steps" as variations. For older children, add a ball carried in both hands.

Flag tag

Setup: Mark a square with cones. Every child wears a flag belt, or tucks a bandana into a waistband.

How it works: Two or three children are "chasers." They try to pull flags from other players. A child whose flag is pulled does ten jumping jacks and rejoins.

Coaching point: Change direction, use fakes and keep your head up.

Make it easier or harder: Make the square larger for young players or smaller for a challenge. Add more chasers as skill grows.

Follow the leader

Setup: Children line up in a row behind a leader.

How it works: The leader runs, skips, shuffles, hops and backpedals around the field, and everyone copies. Switch leaders often.

Coaching point: Good athletes move well in all directions, including backward.

Running and agility drills

Cone weave

Setup: Place five to eight cones in a straight line, about a long stride apart.

How it works: Children jog or run through the cones, weaving in and out. Time them lightly or compete in relays.

Coaching point: Stay low, keep feet moving and look ahead, not down.

Make it easier or harder: Space cones farther apart for beginners. Have older children carry a ball.

Obstacle course

Setup: Lay out cones to jump over, hoops or ladders to step through, a line to crawl under and a finish line.

How it works: Children run the course one at a time or in small groups. Cheer for everyone.

Coaching point: Balance, quick feet and listening to instructions.

Make it easier or harder: Shorten the course for the youngest players. Add a catch at the finish for experienced ones.

Shuttle relay

Setup: Mark two lines about 10 yards apart, with a ball or cone at each end. Divide children into teams.

How it works: One player runs to the far line, picks up an object, returns and hands it off. Next player goes. First team to finish wins.

Coaching point: Plant a foot, turn and accelerate. Do not slide into the line.

Make it easier or harder: Shorten the distance for younger children. For older ones, add a ball carry.

Mirror drill

Setup: Partners face each other about three yards apart.

How it works: One partner moves left, right, forward and back. The other mirrors the movement, trying to stay in front. Switch roles after thirty seconds.

Coaching point: Hips low, eyes on the chest of the partner, feet shuffling without crossing.

Make it easier or harder: Slow the pace for younger children. Increase it for older.

Throwing and catching drills

For a deeper look at safe throwing practice at home, see our article on safe throwing and catching practice at home.

Partner catch

Setup: Pairs stand a few yards apart, each pair with a size-appropriate ball.

How it works: Partners throw and catch. Start close; step back one step after each successful catch.

Coaching point: Eyes on the ball, hands up, thumbs together for balls above the waist and pinkies together for balls below. Pull the ball into the body.

Make it easier or harder: Use a softer, smaller ball for beginners. For older children, add moving targets.

Target throw

Setup: Hang a hoop, set up a bucket or stand a cone or tire at various distances.

How it works: Children throw the football at the target and score points. Keep the targets low and the throws light.

Coaching point: Step toward the target, point the front shoulder, and follow through with the throwing hand pointing at the target.

Make it easier or harder: Make targets larger or closer for younger children, and smaller or farther for older.

Catch on the move

Setup: Two lines of children face each other about ten yards apart. A coach or parent stands at the front of one line with a ball.

How it works: A child runs a short, straight path across, catches a gentle toss and returns to the back of the other line. Rotate throwers.

Coaching point: Look the ball in. Do not turn your head early to see where you are running.

Make it easier or harder: Throw softly and slowly for beginners. Increase pace and change angles for experienced children.

Monkey in the middle

Setup: Three players form a triangle, two throwers and one defender in the middle.

How it works: The throwers pass back and forth. The middle player tries to touch or intercept the ball. If they succeed, they trade places with the thrower.

Coaching point: Throwers use quick, accurate passes; the defender stays active and aware.

Make it easier or harder: Use a larger space for beginners. Shrink it for a challenge.

Ball carrying and running back drills

Hold it tight

Setup: Each child has a football.

How it works: Show the carry position: ball tucked high and tight against the body with the point in the hand and the arm wrapped around. Children jog around the area, holding the ball, while a coach calls changes of pace. A friendly "tickle" challenge, where a partner tries to take it with light taps on the ball, can follow once children understand the grip. Keep any contact gentle.

Coaching point: Fingers over the tip of the ball, the forearm along its side, and the ball pressed against the body. Protect the ball with both hands when needed.

Make it easier or harder: Skip the challenge for the youngest. Add direction changes for older players.

Pass the ball down the line

Setup: Children stand in a straight line with feet apart.

How it works: The first child passes the ball between their legs to the next, and so on. Switch ends. Race against another team.

Coaching point: Pass accurately, with both hands; keep eyes forward.

Cone cuts

Setup: Place four cones in a "Z" shape.

How it works: Children carry a ball and run to each cone, planting an outside foot and cutting to the next.

Coaching point: Plant, push off, head up.

Flag pulling and defense drills

Chase and pull

Setup: A ball carrier starts a few yards ahead of a defender. Both wear flag belts.

How it works: The ball carrier runs along a line; the defender chases and tries to pull a flag. Switch roles.

Coaching point: Chase the hips, not the head. Approach under control and reach for the flag rather than lunging.

Make it easier or harder: Give the defender a bigger head start, or start both at the same time.

Mirror and shuffle

Setup: A defender faces a "receiver" across a three-yard space.

How it works: The receiver moves side to side. The defender shuffles with them.

Coaching point: Stay on the balls of your feet and keep your hips square.

Zone guard

Setup: Mark a small box with cones. Place one child in the box as a "zone guard," with others trying to throw a ball through or run past.

How it works: The zone guard moves to stop the ball or the runner without touching other players.

Coaching point: Stay between the ball and the goal.

Small games to finish the session

Games combine skills and keep energy up.

• End zone tag: Two teams, a ball and two end zones. Pass or run the ball across the line; only touch tag or pulled flags allowed.
• Relay races: Teams carry a ball through a short course and hand it off.
• Seven-on-seven scrimmage: A flag-style game with simple rules, short fields and no contact. Rotate positions every few plays.

For more game ideas and the rules of backyard play, see backyard football games and rules.

Putting a practice together

Here is a hypothetical 60-minute practice for eight-year-olds. Adjust for your group.

This follows the pattern described in our guide to what to expect at a first football practice, and you can adapt it for older groups by lengthening drills and adding positions from teaching kids the basic positions.

Safety notes

• Warm up and cool down. Light movement before and after helps prevent strains.
• Water often. Give water breaks at least every fifteen to twenty minutes in warm weather, and more often in heat. Know the signs of heat illness: headache, nausea, dizziness, confusion and heavy sweating or hot, dry skin. Stop and get medical help if you see them.
• Check the field. Look for holes, rocks, glass and wet spots. Keep cones and equipment out of running paths.
• Match activities to size. Pair children by size and skill when practical.
• Keep it non-contact. Unless your league and coaches are trained to teach contact safely, keep drills free of tackling and heavy blocking.
• Stop if someone is hurt. A child with a head injury, a suspected broken bone or trouble breathing needs a qualified medical professional, not a drill. Have a plan for emergencies.

Making drills inclusive

Every group includes children of different sizes, abilities and confidence. Small changes help everyone feel part of the team:

• Give choices. "Do you want to run the course or the shorter one?"
• Pair buddies. Match confident children with shy ones.
• Celebrate improvement. Point out personal bests rather than comparing children.
• Adapt for disabilities. Modify distances, equipment and rules so that children with physical, sensory or developmental differences can play. Ask families what works.
• Include girls and boys equally. Mix teams and avoid gendered assumptions about who throws or runs.

For more ideas, the Play section of this site has background on how the game works, and you can check your team's schedule to plan practices around game days. Older players can see how high school programs run in the high school directory.

The short version

• The best kids' drills are short, active, one-skill games with no waiting in line.
• Warm up with movement games such as red light, green light and flag tag.
• Teach throwing, catching, ball carrying and flag pulling through partner and small-group drills.
• Offer easier and harder versions so every child succeeds.
• Keep everything non-contact, watch the heat, and stop for any injury.
• End with a game, and keep praise specific and focused on effort.