Crazy 8 Drill – Youth Football Drills with Cones

The Crazy 8 football drills with cones is a great youth football drill for speed and agility. The Crazy 8 youth football drill is perfect for quarterbacks.

5/2020 Back in 2008 I developed the Crazy 8 youth football drills with cones for my oldest son playing quarterback. He was growing and his footwork and balance needed work. The Crazy 8 youth football drills for speed and agility helped him increase his foot speed. You can do all kinds of different drills with 5 cones and the Crazy 8 youth football drill has served me well since 2008 developing footwork speed for QBs, RBs, and most of all lineman.

Even though I first started using the Crazy 8 drill for quarterbacks and running backs, my assistant coach thought it would be great for lineman too. We now use this youth football drill as a pre-practice drill for big offensive and defensive lineman along with bag and agility ring drills.

It does take the players a few times to learn the proper technique but once perfected they can easily do the drill. We try to set up competition with several Crazy 8 Stations. Most youth football players want the competition and will enjoy the drill if there is a competitive aspect of the drill.

5/2008 Over the last few months, I have been working with my two sons to quicken their feet at the QB position and work on their ball handling.  I found a drill that I love, the Crazy 8, 5 cone drill.  I set up the drill in either a 5 yard box configuration or a 1 yard box configuration with one cone in the middle. 

The player starts at one of the outer cones and runs an 8 shape cutting off the cones and then runs to the next cone to repeat until back at the starting cone.  At each cut the ball carrier positions the ball in their outside cradle, so they are continuously moving the ball from left to right depending on the cut.  As QBs, I also have them run the drill with the ball nestled in their chest moving the ball left and right to help them cut quicker off the cones.

Updated Video 10/7/16

Crazy 8 Football Drills with Cones

The key to the this youth football drills with cones is short compact choppy steps.  The player must keep compact with arms inside and cut with the outside foot.  My oldest son is tall and lanky and this quickness cone drill is perfect for him to learn to keep his steps short and compact. Otherwise his long giraffe legs creep wide.  I tell him to think of himself as a leopard.

I also have them do 3 step drop drills using the 5 yard box set up.  They position themselves like they were under center, take a quick three step drop then sprint forward, then shuffle down to next cone and repeat until back at first cone.  We do this clockwise then counter clockwise.

The boys love this youth football drills with cones.  I think because of the crazy 8 figure.  I set up a five yard box and a yard box and have them compete against each other; Two one yard finishes to one five yard finish. In my youth football practices, setting up four boxes before practice and having the lineman run through the drill is great for their footwork.

I will be using this drill in practice this year.  Good Luck this season!

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Find more youth football drills videos at my YouTube Playlist for Youth Football Drills.

 Contact me anytime to chat coaching youth football, I would love to hear from you.

Remember to Play for Fun and Winning is Funner!
Coach Parker
Fort Worth, Texas / DFW