Ultimate Football Game / Drill Parker’s Ultimate Touch Football

BySteve Parker
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ultimate football game drill parker

Here is an update to the Ultimate Football Game / Drill. Coach Parker’s Ultimate Touch Football Game is a fun youth football drill that he has used the last 10 years as a conditioning drill and game to find skill players and reward his youth football teams for wins.

My version of Ultimate Football is a combination of football, 7on7 and flag football with a little bit of the old Ultimate Football game mixed in for fun. My Ultimate Touch FB version is not the old / original version of Ultimate Football that is like basketball with continuous play and passing forwards and backwards. Both are fun.

I slowed the Ultimate Football game down a bit with incompletions so I could manage the QB position with subbing a little easier. And help the slower linemen. Plus, it is a little bit closer to football.

We use this Ultimate Football drill at the first of the season to find skill players. This drill / game also makes a fun conditioning drill instead of running 40-yard wind sprints.

Below are the rules for my Ultimate Touch Football Version.

Ultimate Football – Touch Game / Drill

General Rules – Ultimate Football Touch Game

  • Players or Coaches pick two teams of 5 to 11 players of equal skill. Try to get skill / fast players especially QBs and RBs mixed between both teams. 
  • Field is 40 to 50 yards long and at least 35 yards wide. Basically, about half of the football field.  You can adjust number of plays to score and win for shorter field.
  • Coin Toss or Choice of 1 or 2 fingers behind Coach’s back, or which team did not get the stud or pick first determines team for the first possession.
  • Offensive Play starts from the 40- or 50-yard line going toward the end zone / TD markers.
  • Offense has 6 plays to score a Touchdown worth 1 point. Game is to either 3 or 5 points.
  • To advance the football the Offense must pass the football forward to open receivers who are defended by the Defense. The receiver may lateral the football after a forward pass completion on the play.
  • An Offensive player can take up to 3 steps after catching the football, no more. That is the new Line of Scrimmage, new down and continuous play. He is now the new QB. QB does not need to call a snap count.
  • A completed forward pass more than 3 yards allows continuous play without setting up a new LOS but does start a new down. Offensive players do not have to line up at a LOS to start the play on a competed pass. A completed pass play begins from where the receivers were on the field at the time of the completion. 
  • An Offensive player can step into the End Zone if within their 3 steps and not yet downed by a Defender.
  • Offensive Player is down where the Defense touches him with one or two hands. Ex: Receiver may only get 1 step out of 3 if a Defensive player downs him with a touch.
  • All incomplete pass plays start from the play’s original line of scrimmage. Only incompletions start at the play’s original LOS. QB must call the snap count on this play to start the play. “Ready Set Hut Go.”
  • If football dropped / incomplete pass, all Offensive players must sprint back to the play’s original line of scrimmage within 10 seconds otherwise a loss of down.
  • If the Offense has 3 incompletions in a row, it is a change of possession. Defense becomes Offense back at the starting line of scrimmage and has 6 plays to score.   
  • If the Defense intercepts the football, they have 6 plays to score from mid-field. If the Defense intercepts within the End Zone, it is a point. 
  • Defense must defend the receivers man to man. They can play one safety. We want the players running for conditioning.
  • Defensive player downs an Offensive receiver after the catch with a touch one or two hand, not a tackle.
  • Once a TD is scored the football changes possession and play starts back at the starting LOS 40- or 50-yard line.

Adjustments to Rules

  • For younger teams have a coach play all time QB.
  • If you want to see certain players, then assign the QB duties. You also can make players rotate at QB.

Number of Players

  • Two teams of 5 to 11 players of equal skill.

Scoring

  • Offense scores when receiver crosses the end zone. Scores 1 point. Receiver can step over into end zone on third step for score if not downed by Defensive touch.
  • Defense scores if intercepts football in the end zone. Scores 1 point.
  • There are no tie games. Tie games are solved by Coach throwing 10-yard bullets or 25-yard bombs to team elected receiver and who ever catches the most wins or whomever drops first after first throws to each is the losing team.

Timing and End of the Game

  • The game ends with first team to either 3 or 5 points, tie breaker, or the highest score at the allotted practice time for the drill / game.
  • There are no timeouts. We want the players always moving for conditioning.

Running the Football

  • There are no running backs or behind the LOS handoffs in this game. All plays are forward pass plays.
  • Players / Receiver may only take up to 3 steps after the football is caught.

Passing

All plays are forward pass plays, shuffle pass plays are legal if more than 1 yard across the LOS.
All pass plays must be more than 1 yard across the line of scrimmage. Prefer 3 yards or more.
Interceptions are change of possession plays and start at mid-field. Unless End Zone interception, which are a point for the Defense. And then Offense is back to the starting LOS with new play series.

Game Penalties

Offensive Penalties

  1. Running With Ball
  2. Pass Interference
  3. Time- Penalty
  4. Blocking/Picks/Contact

Offensive Penalties will result in automatic loss of one down.

Defensive Penalties

  • Defensive Pass Interference is down over
  • Pass interference in the end zone is in an automatic TD for the Offense
  • No Tackling, this Drill is Touch – automatic TD for Offense if player tackled

Un-sportsmanship Penalties will result in 1 Point for the other team. 2 UP’s or more loss of game and wind sprints or up and downs for team.

More Youth Football Drills

For more youth football drills check out my Drills page 1 and drills page 2. You can also check out my Drills eBook and O-Line Drills eBook.

What are your favorite youth football plays?  Did my like my Ultimate Football Touch Game or the original? Let me know I would love to hear from you. Contact me anytime. I love to talk coaching youth football and any updates to the Ultimate Football game you might use.

Remember, Play for Fun and Winning is Funner!

Good Luck this Season,
Coach Parker
Keller, Texas, DFW, Dallas, Fort Worth, Texas