• Drill Type
  • Youth Focus
Flag Football Drill – Shark Game & Tackling Drill football drill
Flag Football Drill – Shark Game & Tackling Drill visual

What is Flag Football Drill – Shark Game & Tackling Drill?

Flag Football Drill – Shark Game & Tackling Drill is a free football drill on FantasyHQ’s Football Coaching hub for youth work. Use the setup notes and coaching cues below to add it to this week’s practice plan.

  • Flag Football Drill – Shark Game & Tackling Drill is part of FantasyHQ’s free football drills library.
  • Focus: Youth.

How to run this drill

Flag Football Drill – Shark Game & Tackling Drill is built for youth, high-school, and volunteer coaches who need clear drill language — not a random cone circuit. Beginners can install the first progression; experienced staffs can layer competition.

  1. Read the purpose once, then walk the setup on air before live tempo.
  2. Demonstrate one clean rep so players see landmarks, pad level, and finish.
  3. Run short competitive periods — quality reps beat long lines.
  4. Close with one coaching cue players can repeat in the huddle next period.

Full drill

If you’re looking for some fresh ideas for coaching your flag football team, give these a try.   They work on conditioning and tackling and your players will have fun at the same time. One thing I have done with my young flag football team 5,6,7 yr olds, is to play a game I call SHARK. It involves the whole team and the kids get some major practice in while they think it’s a game.

SHARK
This can work on any size boundaries that you want to setup.
We start with 3-4 kids with footballs on one side (minnows) and the rest of the 10 kids on the other side (sharks).

The object is for the sharks to pull flags off as many minnows as possible before they reach the other side. Then, repeat until only one minnow is left. The kids just love it and they get their cardio (running) in without even knowing it.

Flag Football Tackling Drill
Set up: 4 cones in a square about 7-10 yds a part
4 groups of girls with their flag belts on, line up behind each cone   (usually there are 4-5 players in each corner)
Drill:
On coach’s command, 1st player in line from one corner proceeds clockwise as fast as he can to each of the other three corners, and pulls both flags off the belt of a player standing in a football ready position.

Rotate through each corner, then go counterclockwise.   The tackler practices what we call “popping the hips” –   with thumbs up, hands slightly curved, attacking (tackling) the hips of the player to be tackled before pulling the flag   in a downward directions.   We focus on the “popping the hips”, making contact with a ball carrier, and avoid reaching or grabbing at flags.

We have three other four corner tackling drills we build from this basic flag pulling (tackling) drill.

Coaching tips

  • Keep one cue per rep so kids hear the same language every time.
  • Film the first live set; pause on footwork and finish, not just the ball.
  • Pair this drill with a matching play install so practice transfers to game day.
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Flag Football Drill – Shark Game & Tackling Drill FAQ

What is the Flag Football Drill – Shark Game & Tackling Drill drill?
Flag Football Drill – Shark Game & Tackling Drill is a free football drill on FantasyHQ’s Football Coaching hub for youth work. Use the setup notes and coaching cues below to add it to this week’s practice plan.
Who should use this football drill?
Flag Football Drill – Shark Game & Tackling Drill is built for youth, high-school, and volunteer coaches who need clear drill language — not a random cone circuit. Beginners can install the first progression; experienced staffs can layer competition.
How do I run Flag Football Drill – Shark Game & Tackling Drill in practice?
Read the purpose once, then walk the setup on air before live tempo. Demonstrate one clean rep so players see landmarks, pad level, and finish. Run short competitive periods — quality reps beat long lines.
Is this drill free?
Yes. Browse FantasyHQ football drills, youth plays, and coaching guides free on Football Coaching.

Guide · Football Coaching

Flag Football Drill – Shark Game & Tackling Drill

Flag Football Drill – Shark Game & Tackling Drill is a free football drill on FantasyHQ’s Football Coaching hub for youth work. Use the setup notes and coaching cues below to add it to this week’s practice plan.

If you’re looking for some fresh ideas for coaching your flag football team, give these a try. They work on conditioning and tackling and your players will have fun at the same time.

What you get

Practice drills with setup notes, youth play diagrams ranked easy to hard, FLAG and tackle coaching guides, and a path into live NFL coaching staffs.

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