Youth QB Drills

Before You Start

Use your league's ball size. A ball too big for a young QB's hand is the most common cause of bad mechanics at this age: the player pushes or palms it, and that habit sticks.

Keep sessions to about 20 or 30 minutes. Once the throws start wobbling and the feet stop moving, the session is over.

Film a few throws in slow motion on your phone to see the feet and elbow, even if you never played QB.

Drill 1: Grip Check

Setup: a ball and the player. No throwing yet.

Reps: grip, hold it up, show you, reset, five or six times. Then a few short tosses to check the grip holds.

• Fingers across the laces. Where depends on hand size; the ring finger and pinky on the laces works for many players.
• A little space between the palm and the ball, so the ball sits in the fingers.
• Firm enough that you cannot easily pull it out, without squeezing so hard the forearm tightens.

Drill 2: Two-Knee Throws

Setup: the QB on both knees, a partner 5 to 8 yards away.

Reps: 10 to 15 throws. With the legs out, the player feels the arm motion on its own.

• Elbow at shoulder height or a little above as the ball comes forward, and the throwing hand finishing near the opposite hip.
• Spirals will not be perfect. Look for the same motion every time.

Drill 3: Point, Step, Throw

Setup: the QB stands sideways to a partner or target 8 to 10 yards away.

Reps: 10 to 15 throws. Say it out loud with young players: point, step, throw.

• Point: the front (non-throwing) shoulder at the target.
• Step: the front foot goes straight at the target, never across the body or out to the side. A line on the ground helps.
• Throw: hips, then shoulders, then the arm.
• When the ball sails high or wide, check the front foot first.

Drill 4: Snap and Ball Security

Setup: you or a teammate as the center, with a shotgun snap.

Reps: 10 snaps. Catch it, bring it to the chest with two hands, hold for a count of one, reset.

• Eyes on the ball until it is caught, then eyes up.
• Two hands, ball high at the chest and off the belt.

Drill 5: Three-Step Drop on a Line

Setup: a yard line or a line of tape, with a target 10 yards away.

Reps: 10 drops without throwing, then 10 with a throw at the end.

• From the gun, follow your coach's count for the drop.
• The last step stops the QB. Drifting back past it makes the throw weak and late.

Drill 6: Target Game

Setup: two or three targets (a hula hoop, a bucket, a trash can, your hands) at about 5, 10 and 15 yards.

Reps: rounds of 10 throws. Score the hits and keep track from week to week. Kids practice harder when it is a game.

• When accuracy falls apart at the far target, move closer. Good habits first.

Drill 7: Throw Away from the Defender

The first read, worth teaching early. Setup: two targets or receivers 5 yards apart and 8 to 10 yards out, with you between them as the defender.

Reps: 10 to 15. The QB takes a short drop watching you, you step toward one target, and the QB throws to the other.

• Eyes on the defender until the decision is made.
• Start slow, stepping early and big, then later and smaller as the player gets it.
• It is a real low-high or side-to-side read on one defender, so tell the player that.

Drill 8: One High or Two High

Setup: coverage diagrams or paused game film. Our Guess the Coverage page works on a phone.

Reps: 10 to 20 pictures. The player says how many safeties are deep: one or two.

• Counting safeties is the first step of reading any defense, and a young QB who does it fast is ahead of most players their age.
• Once it is easy, add whether the corners are close to the line or far off.

A 25-Minute Youth Session

1. Warm Up (5 Minutes)

   Jog, arm circles, then short easy tosses with a partner.

2. Grip and Knee Throws (5 Minutes)

   Drill 1, then drill 2.

3. Feet (5 Minutes)

   Drill 3 and drill 5.

4. Targets (5 Minutes)

   Drill 6, keeping score.

5. Read (5 Minutes)

   Drill 7, or drill 8 if the arm is done for the day.

When the Arm Is Done

Young arms need rest. On off days, the QB can do footwork and mental reps: game film, coverage quizzes or a simulator. Crucible, an iPhone and Android app with no headset, lets a young QB take the snap against a real coverage, read it, make the throw and see what they missed.