Youth 7on7 and Youth Tackle Football
There is a definite transition going on in Youth Football. More and more youth tackle teams are playing 7on7 football to keep their skill kids together in winter, spring and summer months to sharpen their team passing game fundamentals. Playing 7on7 is a great opportunity for Youth Football Coaches and parents to have the teams QB’s, RB, WR’s & TE’s play another 10 to 20 games per year without the risk of unnecessary contact and really enhance the skill of route running, throwing and catching. Teams that play 7on7 get a better understanding of spacing, timing and defensive alignment or leverage to determine what they can do and what they can’t in the passing scheme. Playing 7on7 year round allows Youth Football Coaches and players to develop team passing fundamentals and concepts to incorporate into their Team Offensive package.
Passing the football in 5th or 6th grade tackle football is not based on a stud QB who can fling the football 30 or 35 yards. It is about running short, quick and precise routes based on timing and correct offensive spacing, like slants, hitches, skinny post, bubble routes and quick outs. None of these are passes over 15 yards and just about every youth QB can execute with a little extra Team practice in a year round 7on7 league.
That is where Leagues and events like ours come in. Now as a team you have another 6 weeks to work with your QB, WR, Slot or TE and RB to practice, rep and go live against other Youth team skeleton defenders of 2 corners, 3 linebackers and 2 safeties. I have seen teams as young as 4th grade that have 10 total plays but are proficient at running those 10 to both sides just shred other teams because everyone is on the same page as they have repped these over and over and the team timing is so good. You would never be able to get that amount of passing game reps in your team’s Fall tackle practice as there isn’t enough time as the physical part of properly teaching blocking and tackling fundamentals would limit these passing reps.
The game of football continues to get spread out wider at every level and youth football teams that start the process early are going to flourish and give that athlete an advantage to learn spread concepts prior to arriving in middle school in 7th grade. 7on7 is a great way to learn Spread concepts.
To learn more about 7on7 Football Leagues, Tournaments or Camps in the State of Texas please visit us at www.texaselite7on7.org.
Shawn Smith
President
Texas Elite 7on7 Football
817-690-8458
Coach Shawn Smith is a contributing writer to CoachParker.org. Coach Smith has over 20+seasons coaching youth tackle football in many of the top Select and Recreation leagues in North Texas and is President of the Texas Elite 7on7 Football League. They hold tournaments across north Texas including Cowboy Stadium. Texas Elite 7on7 is one of the top 7on7 leagues in Texas.
