How should I use Coaching the NFL Way to Play in practice?

Skim the overview, then pick one formation or concept to install this week — not the whole guide at once. Walk the landmarks on air with your staff using the same names printed in the guide. Pair the guide with matching drills and easy plays so language stays identical from practice to game day.

Yes. Browse FantasyHQ coaching guides, youth football plays, and drills free on Football Coaching.

What topics does Coaching the NFL Way to Play cover?

This guide includes Angles, Capable, Defense, Head Up, Offense, Posture….

Coaching the NFL Way to Play — NFL Coaching Guide

What is Coaching the NFL Way to Play?

Coaching the NFL Way to Play is a free NFL coaching guide on FantasyHQ’s Football Coaching hub. It covers Angles, Capable, Defense and more with clear coaching language for youth and volunteer staffs.

Coaching the NFL Way to Play is part of FantasyHQ’s free youth coaching library.
Category: NFL Way to Play.
Inside: 12 teaching sections.

How to use this guide

Coaching the NFL Way to Play is built for youth, peewee, Pop Warner, and volunteer coaches who need clear NFL language — not a paywalled PDF. Beginners can install one concept per practice; experienced staffs can use it as a shared playbook vocabulary.

Skim the overview, then pick one formation or concept to install this week — not the whole guide at once.
Walk the landmarks on air with your staff using the same names printed in the guide.
Pair the guide with matching drills and easy plays so language stays identical from practice to game day.
Export or share the page link so assistants and parents see the same teaching picture.

What’s inside

Angles
Capable
Defense
Head Up
Offense
Posture
Head Out
Language
Pads Down
Confidence
Knees Bent
All Players

Full guide

Angles

The game is about leveraging angles to create space, close space, block and make tackles

Capable

The game is a tool to build the physical, mental, and emotional capacity of players

Defense

• Head-butt and Press
• Bite the Ball
• Helmet to Chin Relationship

Head Up

Focusing on the head being up from player stance and through contact

Offense

• Get Your Head Across
• The 3-Points Contact
• Head and Hands
• V-Neck Aiming Point

Posture

Playing with proper spinal alignment by keeping the shoulders back and the head up

Head Out

Moving the game toward the helmet being viewed only as a protective device

Language

Coaching language should reflect how the game must be played by always encouraging proper posture and by removing the head/helmet as a coaching cue.
Learn about coaching language to use.

Pads Down

Pad level affects a player’s ability to deliver and receive contact
AP/Gerald Herbert

Confidence

Players must trust they’ve received the best coaching and preparation

Knees Bent

Creating movement by beginning and moving in an athletic position

All Players

• Emphasis on “Hat Placement”
• Screws on Screws
• Helmet Screws
• Drive Helmet through Target
• Earhole

Consistency

Practice is the key to creating replicable skills

Hands First

When possible, the hands should always initiate contact with an opponent

Best Practices

The game of football is constantly evolving, and its paramount for all involved to stay current on the latest science, data, video, and peer to peer experiences to achieve and preserve on field excellence at all levels.

Drill Examples

• Fit Position Starting Point: Engaged with opponent or blocking shield
• Pad Level Drills: Individual drills OL vs. OL, DL vs. DL with blocking pad
• 9-on-7 and 11-on-11 with Run Pass Reads: All short yardage and goal line should be worked in 11-on-11 team drills

Drill Selection

Drills selected and practiced throughout development have the power to create and reinforce postural habits. The earlier appropriate drills are introduced to athletes, the better the long-term success in protecting players.

Space And Speed

The area of the game where players cover distance with speed, prior to contact. Two areas of focus are tackling and mobility blocks.

Prohibited Drills

• Board Drill / OL vs. DL In-Line Run Blocking (artificially confined)
• Bull in the Ring / King of the Circle
• Oklahoma Drill
• Half Line Drill / Pods / 3-Spot without Run Pass Read
Learn which drills to use and which drills to avoid

Phases Of Football

• STANCE = Stability. Strength. Vision.
• APPROACH = Head Out. Shoulders Down. Knees Bent.
• FINISH = Capable. Confident. Consistent.

Drills To Use And Avoid

Consider these five factors when selecting drills:

Using The Right Coaching Language

Coaching cues focus the athlete’s attention either externally or internally. The ideal way to coach is through external coaching cues , which are more effective in producing high-quality whole-body movements.
Click on the tabs below to learn more about internal and external coaching cues.
External Coaching Cues
Use external coaching cues to focus players’ attention on environment.
EXAMPLE: "When you are attempting to jump as far as possible, I want you to focus your attention on pushing the ground away from you as fast as you can."
Internal coaching cues
Avoid internal coaching cues that focus players’ attention on a body part or piece of equipment.
EXAMPLE: "When you are attempting to jump as far as possible, I want you to focus your attention on extending your knees as rapidly as possible."

The Five Shields Of Tackle Football

The Five Shields of Tackle Football represent the best means of protecting players from unnecessary risk and promoting on-field excellence. NFL Way to Play techniques focus on these core areas and serve to protect the game and its players.

The Nfl Way To Play Helps Coaches Teach The Skills Techniques And Habits That Bring Players Success On And Off The Field

The NFL Way to Play is football’s practical development model that applies science, research, data, and peer-to-peer experience to protect players from unnecessary risk, enhance global development, and foster culture change to attain and preserve on-field excellence at all levels of football.

Coaching tips

Keep huddle language identical to the guide headings so kids hear one name for each look.
Install FLAG or tackle safety language before live tempo.
Script 2–3 related concepts from the same family so defenses cannot key a single look.

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Coaching the NFL Way to Play FAQ

What is the Coaching the NFL Way to Play guide?: Coaching the NFL Way to Play is a free NFL coaching guide on FantasyHQ’s Football Coaching hub. It covers Angles, Capable, Defense and more with clear coaching language for youth and volunteer staffs.
Who is this coaching guide for?: Coaching the NFL Way to Play is built for youth, peewee, Pop Warner, and volunteer coaches who need clear NFL language — not a paywalled PDF. Beginners can install one concept per practice; experienced staffs can use it as a shared playbook vocabulary.
How should I use Coaching the NFL Way to Play in practice?: Skim the overview, then pick one formation or concept to install this week — not the whole guide at once. Walk the landmarks on air with your staff using the same names printed in the guide. Pair the guide with matching drills and easy plays so language stays identical from practice to game day.
Is this guide free?: Yes. Browse FantasyHQ coaching guides, youth football plays, and drills free on Football Coaching.
What topics does Coaching the NFL Way to Play cover?: This guide includes Angles, Capable, Defense, Head Up, Offense, Posture….

Back to NFL guides