Football Throwing Practice Plan for 7 and 8 Year Olds
At 7 and 8, football throwing is playing catch with three secrets inside: a grip with fingers ON the laces and air under the palm, the sideways turn with the front shoulder pointing at the target, and the step with the opposite foot. The spiral will come and go at this age (small hands, big ball), and that is fine; the pattern underneath is the actual product.
Thirty minutes with a PEE-WEE size ball (a K2 or similar), which matters more than any drill: a too-big ball forces a palm-push that has to be untaught later. Distances stay short (ten to twenty feet) so good mechanics reach. Celebrate wobbly completions and perfect spirals alike; at this age, catch itself is the curriculum.
This plan was written for every 7 and 8 year old. ParentEdge writes one for yours.
Built around their game, their goals, and what they’re working on.
What size football should a 7 or 8 year old throw?
Pee-wee size (K2). It is the single highest-impact equipment choice in youth football: a youth or full-size ball forces a palm-push throw that takes years to undo, while the right ball lets real mechanics grow. When in doubt, smaller.
My kid can't throw a spiral. Should we drill it?
Not directly. The spiral is a byproduct of the fingers-on-laces grip and the wave-down follow-through, and it arrives on its own as hands grow. Drill the pattern (turn, step, throw, finish) and celebrate completions; chasing the spiral itself just builds tension.
How far should young kids throw?
Ten to twenty feet, stretched only as the pattern holds. Long bombs at this age are all-arm heaves that feel great and teach badly. Short, pretty, and completed is the entire ambition, and it is the fastest route to the long ball later anyway.