The 5 Biggest Misconceptions of Youth Football | Coaching Standpoint

There are plenty of misconceptions when it comes to coaching youth football. For me, there are 5 that standout from the rest. Here are the 5 Biggest Misconceptions of Youth Football, from a coaching standpoint.

The 5 Biggest Misconceptions of Youth Football

1. No Huddle = Calling Plays Fast

There is a big difference between going no huddle and executing a hurry up offense. When you go No Huddle it will allow you to look at the defense and see where you have numbers, leverage and/or player advantage. It’s all about seeing how the defense is aligned and calling a play that will give our kids the best chance of success. No huddle isn’t about tempo / calling plays fast for us- it’s about calling a play that gives our kids the best chance of success vs. the alignment and/or personnel we are facing.

With all that said, going no huddle does give you the ability to play fast if you want to. 

Benefits of Playing Fast: 

• Control the pace, play fast or slow the game down.
• Makes subbing in or subbing players out for the defense much more difficult.
• Tires the defense out and makes them align and adjust on the fly.
• Most youth football teams aren’t ready for a fast / no huddle practice- most coaches don’t practice aligning with an offense that utilizes fast no huddle.

2. More Contact in Practice Makes Kids Tougher

Full-contact practices every day don’t toughen kids up; they increase the risk of injury and burnout. Proper tackling technique, controlled contact drills, and player safety should always come first. I am not saying you don’t need to practice live tackling every week- that would be a big mistake. What I’m saying is, there are several different non-live tackling drills that can be executed without beating your kids up. Yes, you need to practice talking every single day- we definitely do. But we mix in non-live tackling drills that focus on the proper techniques and fundamentals of how to tackle safely and effectively. When you have kids that aren’t aggressive, it’s critical that you slowly build up their confidence.

3. You Need a Complex / Extensive  Playbook

Some coaches think they need an NFL-style playbook to be successful. In reality, execution beats complexity. A well-run simple play (like Power and  Counter) will always be more effective than a confusing, poorly executed scheme. I always tell coaches have an interior run, off-tackle run, outside run / toss, have a off-tackle counter play, and have a play that reverses field. Also, have two play-action passing plays off of your two best run plays. This will give you an attack that force the defense to defend the entire width of the field. Get really good at those couple plays and run them out of several different formations.

Coaching Tip

Run the same plays out of different formations. Run your core plays out of a balanced (more compressed formation), unbalanced, and spread formation. It’s much easier to add formations than it is to add plays. This will allow you to be multiple (to the defense), while keep things simple for your kids on offense.

4. All Players Learn the Same Way

Every player is different. Some learn best by watching, some by doing, and others by repetition. Coaches need to adjust their teaching styles to ensure all kids understand what you are asking them to do. Every player is different in regard to motivation as well. Some players respond better to  encouragement. Some respond better when you are little bit harder on them. Again, every kid is different. At the end of the day, you can’t go wrong when you coach with enthusiasm, positivity, and with a building their confidence approach.

5. The Spread Offense = Passing the Football Every Play 

Out of the 5 biggest misconceptions of youth football this is the one that makes me cringe the most. So many coaches hear ‘spread offenses’ and think oh, you  can’t run the spread offense on the youth football level- because it’s all passing. I hear that I just think to myself- YIKES! When a coach runs the spread offense that doesn’t mean he is throwing the football every single time. Spread is really just a formation.

You can spread the field 2×2, 3×1, go empty, trips bunch, and run the football! Spreading the field and running the football is a thing. It’s a great way to take defenders out of the box. If they don’t you can easily get the ball to your athletes in space. Coaches, when coaches say they run the spread, that doesn’t mean they are just passing the football every play. YOU CAN SPREAD THE FIELD AND RUN THE FOOTBALL! We do it all the time.