Install
Football Skills & Drills
The fundamentals, with a coaching cue you can take to the park today and video demonstrations from across the web.
Throwing
Grip with fingertips on the laces, elbow up, step at your target and finish with your thumb pointing down. Accuracy comes from your feet.
Catching
Hands, not body. Thumbs together above the waist, pinkies together below it, and watch the ball all the way into the tuck.
Route running
Sell every route as a go. Sink your hips at the break, plant on the outside foot and snap your head round.
Flag pulling
Watch the hips, not the ball or the shoulders. Break down, shuffle, and pull with both hands.
Footwork & agility
Short, quick steps and a low centre of gravity. Quality beats fatigue — stop when your form goes.
Quarterback reads
Know your first read before the snap, get through your progression on time, and throw it away rather than force it.
Coverage & defence
Stay square as long as you can, keep the receiver in front of you, and play the hands at the catch point.
Kicking & punting
Plant foot beside the ball, head down through contact, and follow through toward the target.
Tackling form (youth tackle)
Head up and to the side, never leading with the crown. Chest to chest, wrap, and drive. Teach it progressively and without pads first.
Speed & conditioning
Short sprints with full recovery build speed; tired sprints build something else. Warm up properly — hamstrings are the rec player's enemy.
These are general fundamentals, not a substitute for a qualified coach. If you coach children, get certified through your league's governing body — most require it.