Coaching Football – Making Football Safer for Children

Coaching Football – Making Football Safer for Children

Football is a high-contact, intense sport. Parents worry that football might be too risky for their child. Kids football can be fun for children if they have the right coaching.

Equipment

Coaching football effectively begins with making sure that the equipment is in good working order. These items should be in working order and must be available to everyone:

  • Helmet with face protection
  • Protective cup for the athlete supporter
  • Shoulder pads
  • kidney pads
  • Pants with knee and thigh pads
  • mouthpiece
  • Shoes with short cleats
  • Socks for sweat
  • jersey

Conduct

The next step to ensure safety for young football players is proper conduct. The game will be more enjoyable if the referees and players are familiar with the rules.

With a few adjustments, most kids football leagues follow high school football rules. Kickoffs and blitzes are often more dangerous in football so children leagues can avoid these aspects until they have more experience.

The receiving team can now spot the ball at the 35-yard line instead of kickoffs. Red-dogging, also known as blitzing, adds an element of surprise to the game. The rules can be modified so that the defensive back cannot make a premeditated rush.

Restrictions and Limitations

To make football safer for children, there are two additional restrictions and limitations. Over-practicing can lead to fatigue in young football players. Therefore, coaches should limit how many practices they allow for children’s leagues. The primary goal of practices should be to teach children the basics of football, and not to prepare them for the grueling matches.

Coaches should limit the number of possible formations in a game. Although football can seem complicated, children can learn to adapt. They should start by learning the basics of football. If they feel comfortable with the formations that they will encounter during play, they will be easier to control and safer.

Although football is a difficult sport, it can be fun for kids if they remember to keep it simple and ensure that the players are well-trained and equipped.

Conclusion

Any coach can make good decisions when coaching football with just a few tweaks. Make sure to inspect the equipment of your players before you start practice. Also, make sure that you enforce good behavior on the field. Safety is everyone’s responsibility. However, the coach must be the one to lead!

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