Thoughts On Installing Your Youth Football Offense
Where does a new Pop Warner coach even begin when it comes to installing their youth football offense? It can be challenging for several reasons. You may have played high school, college or even NFL football and be lost when it comes to formulating a football offense that takes all of the important things into consideration.
Here at FirstDown PlayBook we have been helping coaches do this for 16 years so take a seat and listen up. We can help you. Be sure to watch the video at the end of this short blog.
It’s very easy to get lost in all of the BS out there these days on the internet. 95% of it is created by AI and is dangerous to your youth football players. Before I give you a few tips about installing your youth football offense, remember this. This is not about you. If you are coaching a youth football team to get credit for winning, do everyone a favor right now. Quit. Quit and let someone else do it who is doing it for the kids.
AI Generated Youth Football Play Help Is Bad For You & Dangerous For Your Kids
Now for the things to think about as you install your Pop Warner offense. It may seem obvious to some but take a look at your players. We have been talking about this here for years and it has helped a lot of coaches. There are the obvious things to look for. Can my quarterback throw? Probably not, at least against a defensive coach who knows what they are doing.
Look deeper than that though. Do you have an abundance of offensive linemen? Big kids who can block? How many backs do you have. Is there a big kid or two who can maybe catch a pop pass and block on the end of the line of scrimmage? You found a tight end!
Who Are My Core Players, My Core Plays & My Complimentary Plays?
Looking at your players will lead you to what formations you want to run. When I say formations, understand I mean two or three at the most. The formations should make sense for your game planning. For example if you have two formations and one is the Power I and the other is spread…not so smart.
After you decide on your best Pop Warner formations, choose base plays and also complimentary plays. Your base plays should be run from your core formations. These are the plays that feature your players I just referenced. They should also take into consideration the defenses you will face.
Now here is a very important part. Look at your formations and make sure you are attacking the defense in different ways. The best players with the best plays will not succeed if the defense can cheat based on the formation. Include some counters and play action passes to keep this from happening.
Some of you will listen to this and others will not. That’s your call. For you who want to dig deeper on how to build your youth football offense, watch this FirstDown PlayBook video. Carry on!
