When selecting an offense for your youth football team you must have an understanding of the talent you have to work with.  You should pick an offense that you have experience with.  Picking the right offense for your youth football team is essential for overall team success.

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Your offense must be adapted to the type of skilled players you have on your team.  If you have a couple of kids that can really run, get them the ball with plays attacking the edge of the defense (out in the open field).  If you have a bigger team but lack pure speed, use plays that will pound the ball inside.  You have to work with what you have.  On the contrary, I feel that to be a successful offense you must be able to attack all areas of the field.  You can add or customize some plays to help your offense attack all areas of the field. For example, if you have a team that doesn’t have any “burners” (fast kids), maybe use an offensive system that implements the jet, rocket, or fly sweep.  The jet, rocket, and fly sweep will give your running back the ball while running full speed in motion.  This allows your running back to have a full head of steam while the defense is standing still.

Here is an additional example: say you have a smaller team and running inside successfully is difficult, you can take the scheme you are running and widen the line splits.  Spreading the defense out creates natural running lanes. It also creates easier blocking angles on bigger defensive linemen.

When picking an offense it must be a system you are comfortable and experienced with.  One of the biggest mistakes is picking an offensive scheme that you do not fully understand. If you do not have a full understanding of the offense, how are you going to teach it to your youth football team?  Pick something you understand, it will make your coaching life much easier.  The easier the better, remember they are just kids.  Whichever offensive scheme or series you go with you will have a sweep, blast / power play, counter play, trap play, a pass play or two, and maybe a screen.  It is your job as the coach to adjust your offense to your team so that you are able to attack all areas of the field.

Final note:  If you have a real athletic stud player, use him!

Check out Coach Jeff’s playbook, Youth Football Wing T Jet Series -This playbook has everything needed to have a successful offense, regardless of talent.

Included in our Wing T Playbook: two youth football blocking schemes, three different formations, line splits, numbering system, play calling progression Vs soft and loaded boxes, no huddle implementation and play calling, play diagrams vs various defenses, play calling progression, conditioning plan, practice plan and blocking.

Good Luck!