What are the Best Youth Football Plays? What are your top 10 Top Plays in youth football? What is my favorite play? These are questions I ask myself every year as I end another youth football coaching season. For so many seasons my favorite play has been the Beast Tank Play which is a power off-tackle play from the Yale Single Wing formation from my Power Wing Beast Offense Youth Football Playbook.
The Beast Tank play is my still my overall favorite play and is always part of my top youth football plays list, but this year in the Summer of 2022 the Beast Spread Sweep Option Double Rub Quick Out Pass also known as Jumbo Arby Fries takes my top spot. This is probably because I was coaching 7th graders this past Spring season and passing was a bigger part of our offense then when I coach 8 or 9U pee wees.
Beast Arby Fries Pass Play – Spring 2022 Favorite Play
This Sweep Option pass play is a simple Trips Sweep Option short pass play. The QB sweeps to the Trips side and the Wingback leaks off their block and boom 5 yards or a touchdown. See game highlight video below.
What are the Best Youth Football Plays?
Here are my top / best 10 youth football plays for any age or level of youth football. Most plays can be made simple enough to work with any age and experience level. In the past I have chosen specific plays from varying formations but as I have written about and developed plays all of these plays can be run by most top youth football formations.
- Power Off-Tackle Play
- Wedge Play
- Sweep Play
- Crossbuck Counter Play
- Fullback Blast Play
- Wingback Counter Play
- Reverse Play
- TE Pop Pass Play
- Combo Route Pass Play
- Sweep Option Pass Play
1) Power Off-Tackle Play – Beast Tank Play
Watch the video below for how to run the play and a Beast Tank play / power off-tackle play diagram. For more detail on the Beast Tank play visit Beast Tank Plays | 20+ Audibles / Adjustments.
2) Wedge Play
I guess that I am old school, but I absolutely love the Wedge play in youth football. What is funny about this play, is that I did not run this play as a pee wee player or in High School. It was only until I was introduced to the Double Wing did I appreciate the Wedge play. The FB Wedge play in the Double Tight Double Wing DTDW is pure beauty when it is working. It can be devastating to youth football defenses. I’ve seen teams run the Wedge 5 and 10 times in a row. Ouch! Did this play make your best youth football plays list?
3) Sweep Play
There are so many great Sweep Plays; Power Sweep, Buck Sweep, Toss, Sweep, Jet Sweep. It is so hard to choose. Lately I have grown to love the Wishbone Power Sweep by the Quarterback. A team in our youth football league runs this play to perfection. They have scored many touchdowns running this play and a few against my teams. When they run the QB Power Sweep they seem to align the WB formation deeper than normal in the backfield. Here is the WB QB Power Sweep play diagram and game highlight video link. Did this play make your best youth football plays list?
4) Crossbuck Counter Play
If you have noticed in my first 3 best youth football plays, I have hit the gut, middle and edge of the Defense and now we give them some misdirection with a Crossbuck Counter play. When Defenses are aggressive and over pursue it is time to hit them with a Counter Play. I am a huge fan of the Crossbuck Counter play. When it is executed properly is is beautiful to watch in action. Enjoy the video below with Crossbuck Counter play diagrams and game highlights. Did this play make your best youth football plays list?
5) Fullback Blast Play
I guess I am biased about the FB Blast play. I was a FB in High School and I ran this play many times up the B Gap on WB and Power I Option Plays. To me the FB blast play is any naked Fullback dive into the Defense supported by good play action or option. This play keeps the Defense gap sound honest and let’s them know they also need to key the Fullback not just the Tailback. Here is a nice FB Blast Play from a Rocket Motion Double Wing Shotgun Offense. Did this play make your best youth football plays list?
6) Wingback Counter Play
The Wingback counter play is highly effective, maybe even more so than the Crossbuck Counter play because many youth football teams will forget about your Wingback. Just recently an opponent almost beat us running this play with a great WB runner. He was small and very hard to see behind their offensive linemen. Below is the WB Counter they were running. Their shifty WB would cut up once he saw any open gap in the Defense. It was tough to stop. Did this make your top youth football plays list?
7) Reverse Play
The Reverse play in youth football is usually a big play in youth football if you can execute the play. When you are down 6 and need a Touchdown or need 20 yards for a first down the Reverse play is my go to play, especially when I do not have a passing QB. I like the Wing-T or Double Wing Motion Double Reverse play.
The Double Reverse is a little harder for youth players but if you can perfect the execution you will reap the rewards for your efforts, especially if you have a speedy Wingback to run it. Here is some video and play diagrams on the Reverse and Counter Plays. Did this make your best youth football plays list?
8) TE / WB Quick Pop Pass Play
The TE or WB Quick Pop Pass play is my go to pass play in youth football and has been for many years. Why? Because it is simple and effective. For shorter QBs it is easier from the shotgun vs under Center. TE or WB will run a quick fade or flat route looking for green and looking at QB who is taking a one step drop and passing. The QB could also run quick play action then throw.
I prefer for the WB to run motion and have the QB throw to the backside TE on a one or two step drop. You can see the TE wide open below. To be honest I would have preferred the TE to be a tad wider in the flat. Check out the TE Pop Pass game highlight video.
9) Hi-Lo / Go-Out Combo Route Pass Play
My second go to pass play is a twin receiver hi-lo combo route pass play. I call the route combo TD1. It is a simple Hi Low pass concept in which the inside receiver runs an out at the first down marker and the outside receiver will run a Go / Fade route for a TD. So Touchdown or First down play; TD1.
10) QB / TB Sweep Option Pass Play
As I stated earlier in this post my favorite play for this past Spring 2022 season was the Beast Spread Sweep Option Pass called the Jumbo Arby Fries. I also like the TB Sweep Option Pass for older youth football teams. It is hard for Defenses to tackle a moving passer so move your QB or Passer on Sweep Option Plays.
Check out Coach Parker’s other articles on the best youth football plays or find some Free youth football plays.
What youth football formation and or offense do you coach? What are your best youth football plays? What is your favorite play? Do you like the any of my plays? Let me know I would love to hear from you.
If you have any questions on the my best youth football plays or youth football offenses, please contact me or leave a comment below.
Thank You,
Coach Parker