Clark Wilkins is one of the best youth coaches I know. Every year he coaches kids with ADD, ADHD, and other physical and mental handicaps. Not only does he consistently make the playoffs despite these stumbling blocks, but he is also usually the league leader in passing offense. 

He doesn't completely agree with my beliefs on passing at the youth level, so he teamed up with another youth coach named "Dew" who won a National Championship with a passing offense and a team of eleven year olds.

I strongly suggest you carefully read their article.

This article is reprinted by permission of Coach Wilkins. The copyright on this article is held by Coach Wade in Coach Wilkins' name. You may only make copies of this article for personal or team use without express written permission of the original author. 

~D.

If you have the opportunity to pass there are several good reasons for doing so. First, and foremost, it's fun.  It allows a player to contribute to the team's scoring who might otherwise be too small to be a blocker or a runner.  This description applies to about 20% of the youth players out there.  Second, passing works.  I think most of us don't want to face an opponent with a successful passing game. It's just  one more thing we have to defend against.  Third, if you're not coaching the pass then you're only coaching half the game.  That's actually a pretty big statement if you think about it.

Yet even coaches like myself who want to pass and have more practice time and less rain to accomplish it in still have to overcome the problems Coach Wade described in his article.  To complete a pass you must

1) Avoid the QB being sacked

2) Find the open receiver 

3) Avoid the interception and

4) Not drop the ball.

To fail at any of these can kill a drive and cost you a game. There are several different philosophies available in how to feature an effective passing game as part of your offense. These range from play action "dirt" passes to the wide open "run and shoot" offense.  In my own particular case, I run an offense that is predominantly run ("dirt") oriented.  We only throw about 20% of the time or about 5-8 times per game.   

The philosophy here is to place the defensive backs in conflict.  If they play the pass, they'll be wrong 80% of the time.  Yet if they play the run then 20% of our plays can, or will, go for touchdowns. We generally pass for as many touchdowns as we run, seldom (if ever) throw an interception, have a 67% pass completion ratio, and, in twelve years, have given up only three QB sacks. I accomplished this by asking and learning from others, one of those lessons of which I will share with you here. The coach who provided this information asked not be identified but he is a former national champion with a streak of over fifty consecutive wins in the age 10-11 category. His belief in the forward pass is so firmly founded that, when his first string is in, he throws the ball approximately 60% of the time.

Below are some of the questions I asked him and his answers.  I hope you will find them useful.

QUESTION: Did you get a chance to check out Coach Wade's site?

ANSWER:  The site was great, thank you.  It rains so seldom here and I can have as manyas 20 practices before my first game that I can't fathom being able to compete in just 6 practices.  My hat is off to him. 

QUESTION:  In developing a passing game, what kind of players do you look for?

ANSWER:  Speed is a very important asset in a receiver.  He has to be able to outrun the safety and the corner if he is to score.  Good hands are another.  I look for kids who play first base or catcher in baseball.  Baseball pitchers often make good QB's.

QUESTION: What is your passing philosophy?

ANSWER:   Never throw into the defense.  Never take more than a three step drop. Never throw to a receiver.  Throw to an area.  If you throw into the defense you are inviting an interception or knockdown by the safety.  If you take more than a three step drop it's hard to protect the QB.  You want to get the pass off in three seconds.

I teach two specific pass patterns, the "streak" (fly) and the "comeback" (hitch). To mix it up, I use multiple formations such as twins (double wing), pro set, and trips.

QUESTION:  How does your pass blocking work?

ANSWER:   Our offensive line set looks like this:   

 E   T   G   C   G  T   E

                QB

                FB

The running backs either line up as HB's, wing backs, or flankers to create the multiple formation looks.  If we're throwing a "comeback" pass (say, to a flanker)  we only have to block for one  second.  In that case, the offense lines up toe to toe and everyone blocks their inside gap.

QUESTION: Is your "comeback" blocking drive and chop?

ANSWER:  Yes.  But you have to practice it several ways because different things work on different teams.  The goal is for the linemen to take one step forward into their inside gap and hold.  The reason you take that first step is because some teams are strong enough to drive your linemen back.  Taking that one step forward prevents this.  If this doesn't work, submarine block with everyone taking their inside gap.  You only have to hold them for one second.

QUESTION: What does the line do on a three step (streak) drop? 

ANSWER:   The line starts the same as before.  The side of the line we are throwing towards gap blocks inside while the FB picks up the DE.  The TE on the side we're throwing to stays in and pass blocks.  The other end releases.  The backside guard and tackle use "cup" protection.  The QB sets up to pass to the side we're throwing  to. 

QUESTION:  What does the QB do on a comeback pass?

ANSWER:  If the pass is to the left, he takes one step back on his left foot, pivots on his right, and unloads the ball.  This should only take one second.  Reverse this for passes to the right.

QUESTION:  What does the receiver do on the comeback?

ANSWER:  The receiver is usually a flanker lined up 10-15 yards to the outside and one yard off the line.  He takes one step forward and then one step back.  The ball is already in the air by the time he turns.

QUESTION: What determines how far the flanker is set out?

ANSWER:  The formation.  He's out about 15 yards on trips or the double wing and 10 yards on the pro set but, to me, that's a coach's call.  You have to find the sweetspot. That's a winning tip.

QUESTION:  What do the QB and receiver do on a streak?

ANSWER:  The QB takes a three step drop towards the side called, holding the ball chest high.  On the throw he will twist his hand to where his thumb points down on the release. He throws to an area, not a receiver, throwing a high, arcing pass the receiver can run under. A good QB will actually time and lead a receiver but I don't teach it.

The receiver runs full speed downfield with the intent of putting distance between himself and the coverage.

QUESTION:  Any reads?

ANSWER:  QB never reads.  There is no time.

QUESTION:  Most free safeties will play the middle of the field.  How do you keep him from intercepting?

ANSWER:  You must move the free safety before the snap, then throw to the opposite side he moves.  For example, we can line up in our twins sets (double wing) and put the FB in motion towards one of the flanker/HB's, then throw a comeback to the flanker/HB who laterals back to the motioning FB.  After you've done this a few times the safety will learn to move with the FB's motion.  Now you can throw back to the other flanker/HB and the safety will be on the wrong side of the field.  You can also line up in trips (both flanker/HB's to the same side) and throw to the outside one, which will cause the safety to move over.  Then you can hit  the TE on the backside.

QUESTION:  Do you favor certain ends for comeback vs. streak passes?

ANSWER:  Excellent question and winning tip.  Some kids can catch certain passes better than others.  Some will never miss a pass left but never catch a pass right. Right-handers usually catch better on the right and vice-versa.  Comeback catches are often harder to catch than a streak since the ball has no arc to it and the ball is coming head-on.  Also, a right-handed QB generally throws better to his right.

QUESTION:  Any special drills?

ANSWER:  We put a line of receivers 10-15 yards out from the QB and start running routes.  To teach the kids to catch the ball with their hands and not with their body we can put a pole between them and the ball.  It takes about three practices to install this offense for a "dirt" team.

QUESTION: When do you know which pass to call?

ANSWER:  We call comebacks when the defender is 7 or more yards off the receiver. This will usually give us a 5 yard gain.  If the defender is three yards or less off the receiver, we’ll call the streak.  That's a touchdown.  You use a play to set up a play.  Streaks set up comebacks and comebacks set up streaks. If the defender is off the receiver throw comebacks until he moves up, then streak until he moves back.  It's Football 101.

QUESTION:  Did I leave anything out?

ANSWER:  The secret to success is timing, practice, and speed.  The QB must be able to execute a three step drop and have thrown enough passes in practice to have the confidence he can complete one in a game.  The streak receiver must have speed.