Youth Football Passing Game & Gap Pass Pro
Here at FirstDown PlayBook we don’t talk a lot about the youth football passing game or youth football pass protection for one simple reason. You should not being doing it that often. With a rare exception or two, you are going to be much better off running the football if your Pop Warner quarterback is 10 years old. However; that does not change the fact that when you do throw the ball you need to make it count.
Your pass routes should be realistic and your pass protection rules should be very simple. As simple as gap protect to the left or gap protect to the right. A young offensive lineman is going to understand protecting an are better than a person at this age.
Having coached at the college and NFL levels I can tell you that the only reason they don’t gap protect more than they do is that they need to get receivers out. If your Tight Ends go out into the route then guess what? You have a short edge for gap protection. Short edges equal sacks in the NFL.
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Offensive coordinators need people out into the route concepts at the college level. As a youth football coach, you do not need this. If your back does not get out into the route, it is not a big deal. Most youth football pass game concepts should involve one or two options at the most.
In this play diagram you see that this is an example of gap protection to the right. You certainly need to teach your players about gap identification. It is your job to make sure your young players know what an A, B, C and D gap are. This will help you communicate with them in the run and the pass game.
Your QB Is Part Of Your Youth Football Gap Protection Scheme
It is important that your quarterback understands that they are a part of the pass protection. When the ball is snapped the offensive line is going to aggressively block anything that shows in their gap. This will not last for a long time. The defensive line is going to play hard too. Your quarterback needs to throw the ball quickly or a sack is about to happen.
NFL Coaches On 12 Formations To Consider For Your Youth Football Offense
A good aggressive gap youth football gap protection will keep the defenders hands down. To be honest, it will look a lot like a run play to the defense line. This is a good thing, because if your Pop Warner quarterback needs to pull the ball down and run with it, you want defenders that are fending off aggressive blockers.
Take a look at the diagram below. It’s a very simple double slant pass play that you will want to install if you are a youth football coach. This play is good vs whatever youth football defense you might face. It will give your quarterback and offensive line a chance to be successful.
