By Smart Coach This plan is freely available for viewing
Part of Smart Coach - NFL Flag football

Lesson Plan Overview

By the end of the lesson the students will be able to describe and demonstrate how to grip and throw a football & will be able to describe and demonstrate how to catch a football.

Key Objectives

  • Why is it important to secure the ball first before running with it? (Securing the ball first ensures that you complete the catch. Not securing first can lead to dropping the ball while you prepare to run.)

  • Why should the tip of the ball poke through your diamond when you try to catch? (This ensures that you have your fingers all around the ball.)

  • Why is it important to hold the football towards the back of the ball? (Hold the ball towards the rear so that less of your palm is on the ball allowing a small space between the ball and your hand. This helps prevent the ball being thrown straight into the ground.)

  • Why is it important to step towards your target when throwing the football? (Stepping into the throw gives your throw more power.)

Lesson Steps

Step 1
Catching low, medium and high
Step 2
Partner pass
Step 3
BENCH BALL NFL
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Warm Up

Catching low, medium and high

Divide players into pairs. Give them a football and 2 cones.

Players place the cones a few yards apart and practise throwing underhand.

Include catching at low, medium and high levels.

Emphasise catching the ball first and then tucking it into the chest to secure it tightly.

They can move the cones farther apart once they feel confident.

Teaching Points 

Catching a football (medium and high):

  • make a diamond (thumbs together, index fingers together)

  • diamond out away from the body

  • remember the 5 points of contact Catching a football (low):

  • make a rake (pinkies together)

  • remember the 5 points of contact

Modifications

Increase the distance over which players throw and catch. Challenge players to catch balls that are thrown from different directions. To make the activity more challenging specify the types of catches: medium, high or low.

Special Needs Modifications

use a bigger ball, Shorten the distance over which players throw and catch.

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Activities

Partner pass

Partner pass

Divide players into pairs. Give them 2 cones (or other markers) and 1 football. Partners place their cones 5 yards apart and pass the football to each other.

They begin throwing from a kneeling position with the opposite knee forward, and transition to standing positions to understand the concept of ‘opposite foot forward’.

Challenge the students to see how many successful throws they can make before the ball is dropped within a specified time.

A successful throw is a throw that arrives at their partner above their belt line

TEACHING POINTS

Gripping the football:

  • index finger near the back tip of the ball

  • middle and 3rd finger across the laces

  • thumb on the opposite side

  • ensure there is a space between the ball and the palm of your hand

    Throwing:

  • side to target

  • arm up and back (ball behind head, elbow above shoulder)

  • step towards the target with the opposite foot

  • rotate hips

  • follow through and across

Modifications

Increase the distance between the two players. Ask players to position themselves so they throw in different directions: straight, left, right.

Special Needs Modifications

use a different type of ball

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BENCH BALL NFL

Bench ball

Divide players into Team 1 and Team 2 (have lots of mini games going) and place them on opposite sides of the playing area. Mark out endzones. Send 3 players from Team 1 into Team 2’s endzone and vice versa. These are the catchers, and the rest are throwers. Throwers attempt to complete passes to the catchers over the heads of the opposing team.

If a pass is completed the thrower goes to join the catcher, and the ball goes to one of the defenders.

Defenders are not allowed in their own endzone.

Keep going until everyone is in the opposing team’s endzone.

If students are struggling to catch the ball take away the opposition team and have them practice under no pressure.

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Modifications

Decrease the size of the playing area and reduce the number of catchers to make the game more challenging. Add more people to the endzone or reduce the number of players on each team to make it easier.

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[Show All] [Catching low, medium and high] [Partner pass] [BENCH BALL NFL]

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