These are 10 Best Youth Football Plays updated from my original 2012 blog post article; Best Offensive Plays in Youth Football The Top 10 Plays. It is hard to believe its been almost 10 years. In retrospect these are still great youth football plays.
In this youth football coaching tips article I will update the original best youth football plays list. Each play update will discuss the original play and add the same core or base play in a four play diagram with 3 new plays from top youth football formations. For example the Double Wing FB Wedge play can also be effectively run from the T Formation, Off-Set I and Wing-T. All the play diagrams are below.
10 Best Youth Football Plays Updated
Best Youth Football Plays Video
The plays that made this best youth football plays list are plays that most youth football Offenses can implement, execute, and win games versus plays they will never run effectively to gain first downs, score, win games and get to the Big One. Some coaches will say these best youth football plays are too conservative or not creative enough for today’s football. I laugh because I see these plays on Saturday and Sunday when I watch College Football and the NFL. When you don’t know what you don’t know you can’t see them. And also, some youth football coaches may not have the perfect roster so these plays can work for the majority of youth football teams. Enjoy my list of best youth football plays.
Many of these top youth football plays and concepts come from my Power Wing Beast Offense Playbook and other Selected Youth Football Plays eBooks.
Power Off-Tackle Play
From my original best youth football plays list, the Beast Right Tankplay was the number 1 play. Many people were unhappy with my #1 FB play choice but I did state that I was biased toward my favorite Beast Tank Play. The Yale Single Wing Beast Off-tackle play has served me very well, since 1994. When my teams get in trouble we rely on the Beast Tank play to bail us out of a jam. I know it works because so many of my competitors now run a version of the Beast.
At the heart of this play is a power Off-Tackle play and many formations, not just the Beast, have a great power off tackle play. I call a Power Lead play a double or triple lead play. As you can see below, the Full House T-Formation, Power I and Wishbone offer a similar RB / blocking back alignment and play concept as the Beast formation’s Power Off-Tackle play.
Why do I like this youth football play? The Power Off-Tackle play is a simple and highly effective hand-off dive play with multiple blockers at the point of attack. What is not to like. Overpower and run over your Opponent. This is a very easy youth football play to learn and execute. Even a Rookie pee wee football coach should be able to install this play in less than one practice.
What play do you consider #1 in your the Best youth football plays list? Persuade me in the comments below or send me an email or Direct Message on Twitter @coachparker_org.
Wedge Play
I love the Wedge play! In my original best youth football plays list the Double Wing FB Wedgewas the #2 choice. I will say it, The Wedge is my favorite play behind the off-tackle play. The DW FB or QB wedge is a good youth football play because the Defense is watching the misdirection candy in the backfield while the Wedge back sneaks up the Gut for a big gainer or Touchdown. Read the original article above and learn the 6 step Wedge Dance.
You can run a Wedge play from just about any formation. Below are Wedge plays in the Old T Formation, Off-Set I and Wing-T Offense. It is also very effective from the Spread 2×2 or Flexbone look.
Why do I like this play? In youth football, the Wedge is a power play that works against most youth football defenses playing weak A gap players. Many youth Defenses will try to hide weak players in the A Gaps so any power run up the middle is usually a big gainer for the Offense with the Wedge. This happened to me last season. I was hiding two weak A Gappers and a rival coach took me to school on the first series. He no huddle Wedged for a quick 40 yards on 3 plays. I finally had to call a time out since we could not audible adjust quick enough. Ouch! Watch out for the Wedge play!
Like the Power Off-tackle play, the Wedge is another unstoppable youth football play with multiple blockers at the point of attack.
What play do you consider #1 in your the Best youth football plays list? Persuade me in the comments below or send me an email or Direct Message on Twitter @coachparker_org.
Jet Sweep Play / Motion Sweep
When I have one of the fastest running backs in my age group division I love to run the Motion Sweep play in either Jet Motion or Orbit motion. In the original best youth football plays post the Spread 2MO Jet TB Sweep 27was the #3 play on my top FB play list.
This play is also very effective from the Double Wing, Off-Set Wing, and the Wing-T Offense. This play will work from Pee Wee to the NFL, but does require Speed.
Why do I like this play? Well it can be a huge gainer or TD when you have the Speed back to get around the edge. This play is like a long pass play in youth football, since pass plays at young ages are tough to execute and complete. The motion lets you Speed back get up to speed to hit the edge faster and outrun the Defense. I’ve had several Speed backs and this play in either Orbit and Jet motion is fun to execute. Plus it will set up many other plays in your play series.
What play do you consider #1 in your the Best youth football plays list? Persuade me in the comments below!
Reverse Play
Ah, the Reverse Play. I could have put the Reverse play at #1 but it does take some time to implement and perfect. So the Spin 2MO 38 Double Reverse is at #4 in the original best youth football plays list. The original Reverse play is what I call a Double Reverse since the QB hands off to One player then another player reverses back. The Double Reverse misdirection play is crazy good when it works; without a turnover. Rep, rep, and more reps. But if you need a big gainer on 4th down or a TD to win, this Reverse play is at the top of my list to consider.
Here are a few more Reverse plays in the T Formation, Off-Set I and the Wing T. In these new plays to the list I kept it a simple play action one way and ball carrier the other way. Only one ball carrier exchange from the QB. I the Wing-T play below it is a Tight End Reverse. I call a TE reverse Crazy Heifer.
Why do I like this play? The Reverse play in youth football is like a Hail Mary Pass play. I like the Reverse because it is devastating to an overly aggressive pursuing Defense that does not stay at home. My teams have scored many youth football touchdowns off a Reverse play. I will be honest, I love and hate this play. Sometimes you will score a TD then sometimes you might lose 10 yards. That is why I run it as a game changer play maybe once a game.
What play do you consider #1 in your the Best youth football plays list? Persuade me in the comments below!
Tight End Pass Play
Number 5 on the Original best youth football plays list is the Double Wing TE Pop Pass 90 Backside. The Tight End Quick Pass Play or the Pop Pass is a top youth football pass play. In the original play out of the Double Wing a motion WB distracts the young Defenders going the opposite direction of the main Tight End pass route. The QB will make a quick 1 or 2 step drop and football is out.
Here are a few more TE Pop Pass Quick pass plays. This play is one of the main Base 8 PWBO plays I recommend to my Beast Offense coaches. I also run it out of a Diamond T Formation I call Trig and works great out of the Wing-T Offense.
Why do I like this play? It is a simple youth football pass play. You do not need to hold the blocking too long. Very few players involved. Quick and simple, especially when you have a tall tight end and tall Quarterback that can throw at least 10 yards. For a very long time this was my extra point play from the SW, ND Box / Cake and DW formations.
What play do you consider #1 in your the Best youth football plays list? Persuade me in the comments below!
WB Counter Play
The I Formation 35 WB Counteris another easy misdirection youth football play to implement; play action one way and WB underneath QB back down the line hitting the hole. The original play from the best youth football plays list was out of the I Wing Formation and is easily set-up but the pitch Sweep then hit them with this Counter to the Gut or C gap hole. Great play when you have small running back that can be hidden behind the big Offensive linemen.
This play is also very effective out of the Double Wing, Single and Wing-T. I do prefer the play with a faking motion sweep.
Why do I like this play? I like the Wingback Counter play because, it is a simple counter play that most team can implement without much practice time. And, the WB Counter is a good youth football play that compliments the Sweep, Stretch and Reverse plays.
What play do you consider #1 in your the Best youth football plays list? Persuade me in the comments below!
Power Sweep Play
The power Sweep play is #7 on my best youth football plays list. The Power Sweep Play in Single Wing 28 TB Sweepis a beautiful play to see when all the blocking backs are aligned as the come around the edge of the Offense. As a Defender you know you are in trouble with the wall of blockers to overcome. When executed properly the Power Sweep is hard to stop.
This play is also great from the T-Formation, Wishbone and Power I since there are 3 backs in the backfield to block for the QB in a Power Sweep.
Why do I like this play? This is another unstoppable youth football play that puts many blockers at the point of attack and does not take much practice time to implement. Most of your skilled players will be lead blockers and should be able to block the DE, CB and LB to get around the edge. If the Sweep is too wide then run the Stretch Sweep right at the TE outside butt cheek. Also a very effective play.
What play do you consider #1 in your the Best youth football plays list? Persuade me in the comments below!
FB Counter / Dive
The Fullback Counter / Dive in the Spin 3MO 45 FB Divewas the #8 play on my original best youth football plays list. We want this play a ton from 2005 to 2008 when I ran the Double Wing Spin Offense as my main plays. We set this play up with our fast motioning Sweep back and then hit the quick FB Counter or Dive play. The young Defenders lose the FB in all the motioning eye candy. This is a great youth football play if your team has fullback that can carry the football with above average speed.
This FB play is also very good from the T Formation, Off-Set and the Wishbone. I prefer to run this play with a motion back to help distract the Defense. One good fake with worth 2 blocks.
Why do I like this play? I guess I am starting to repeat myself but this is an easy play to implement. Your key running backs goes one way and your FB goes the other way. Many youth football Defenses do not read the FB but the Main RB, so the LBs will lose track of the FB. When I use the DW as my main Offensive series this FB Counter / Dive play will usually be one of my best youth football plays by yardage. Of course when I have a good FB too.
What play do you consider #1 in your the Best youth football plays list? Persuade me in the comments below!
Crossbuck Counter
The #9 play on the original best youth football plays list was Split Wing Left 36 HB Cross Buck Counter. The Crossbuck Counter has become one of my favorite youth football plays. When you have the skilled youth football running backs to implement this top misdirection play it can be magic for your Offense. I love this play from the Split Back Wing-T, especially when you add a motioning Wingback to the mix. One halfback runs one way the other HB counter jabs hesitates then back to cross the path to opposite hole for the Counter.
The Crossbuck can also be run from many top youth football formations like the T Formation, Power I and Wishbone. The Crossbuck is #9 on the list because it takes time to implement and execute.
Why do I like this play? Well, I came to love this Crossbuck play because one of our key rivals about 10 years ago ran this play to perfection against many teams in our league. You could say it was their signature play and I had to added to my best youth football plays list. They won so many games with this play that I started playing around with it and added it to my playbooks.
What play do you consider #1 in your the Best youth football plays list? Persuade me in the comments below!
Power Dive Play
The Power I Left TB 23 Power Lead DiveOverloadwas #10 on my original youth football plays list. It is a simple double lead TB dive play to an A,B or C gap hole. Coaches call the open bubble hole or QBs audible to the hole and wham bam downfield power lead. Easy and powerful for at least 3 yards and a cloud of dust.
The Power Dive can be run by many 3 back formations like the T Formation, Diamond T Gun and Wishbone. I prefer it from my version of the Power I, PIE which is shown here in the original play in green.
Why do I like this play? Again, this is a simple play to learn, implement and execute. Handoff to your main running back downhill and QB boots out. Many blockers at the point of attack. Why complicate an easy game like football?
What play do you consider #1 in your the Best youth football plays list? Persuade me in the comments below!
Lead ISO BONUS PLAY
The Lead ISO play is a Bonus play that was not on my original youth football plays list. The Lead ISO is another top youth FB play that everyone should have in their youth football playbook.
I prefer this play out of the Off-set I like shown below. But is also good from the T-Formation, Power I, Pistol and the Wishbone not shown.
Why do I like this play? This is another easy play to learn for a youth football offensive team. You can give it some eye candy with a WB motion like in the Off-set I play above and turn it into a quasi-counter play.
What play do you consider #1 in your the Best youth football plays list? Persuade me in the comments below!
Conclusion
After almost 10 years, in my opinion, I believe my original youth football plays list holds up to the test of time. I still have many of these youth FB plays on my game play sheets or cousin plays.
I do think of individual plays differently now and see them more of concepts than just one-off plays. That is why the updated best youth football plays list looked at the plays as play concepts that could be implement into any formation. Dave Nelson in his Wing-T books helped me learn how to look at plays differently and develop play series concepts.
I hope you enjoyed the original and updated best youth football plays list. If you disagree or want to change a few plays, then comment below or email me or just grumble to yourself my list is not perfect. I agree it is not perfect.
I hope to put out a creative youth football plays list soon that I just dream about implementing for my youth football teams.
The plays that made this list are plays that most youth football Offenses can implement, execute, and win games versus plays they will never run effectively to gain first downs, score, win games and get to the Big One. I see too many weak roster teams try to run complicated plays just to get crushed by the Beast Yale Single Wing or the Power I.
What are your favorite best youth football plays? Did my best offensive plays in youth football match yours? Let me know I would love to hear from you.Contact meanytime. I love to talk coaching youth football.
Remember, Play for Fun and Winning is Funner!
Good Luck this Season,
Coach Parker
Keller, Texas, DFW, Dallas, Fort Worth, Texas
