Sweep Most Of The Time?

[skullsplitter 0]

Per a previous post I am new to the youth football scene. I am coaching a 3rf and 4th grade team. I've been told that most of the plays last year were sweeps or various other outside runs. Is this the norm? I had planned to run some up the middle teaching both the line how to block for the middle plays and the backs how to run hard up the middle. Sweep left and sweep right is easy enough, but it seems to lack any learning of the game. Am I off base here?

[AWILDCAT312 0]

Skullspitter,

Hey. I am fairly new to the football coaching scene myself, seeing as I have been primarily involved in Basketball, and have only been involved in football these last couple of years, so I feel your pain. The answer to your question from my youth football experience, at the younger ages any way is that, yes, the sweep does often rule. At least that has been my experience in our league. Do the teams run up the middle? Yes, at times. This year with our 7-8 yr. old team we are adding to our plays the FB dive, counter, and most teams have the QB keeper. Some run the reverse. While the reverse is lethal to a defense in youth F-ball, we have noticed that it is not always easy to master with our kids. But these are some ideas. As far as defense goes, if you can stop the sweep in youth football you have a chance at winning. The reason why the middle(1-6 holes) are so hard to run is that at this age the kids just seem to pile up and clog the running lanes so much. So on defense we have overloaded our outside in a very spread 6-2 with only four down linemen and our DE's two yards off TE. It is making life miserable for those teams who depend upon the sweep. But, yes it is surely good to teach other plays besides the sweep. As far as the sweep not helping them learn...if your kids are working to block, tackle, and learning to read the plays on D, and understand the plays on Offense then you are gonna be just fine. Hope this helps! Best of Luck!

Tim

My link

[skullsplitter 0]

Had our jamboree today and we did well. It was a lot of sweeping as I had heard, with a few tries to the inside. I ended up going outside more than I had planned because that's what was available. We ran a 6-3 and totally stuffed the other team inside and out. My boys were flying to the ball. A reverse would have killed us.