The Stiff arm is one of the most underused weapons in tackle football. It is illegal in many flag leagues. I would suggest you check your league rules and if the stiff arm is allowed then try this drill out.

I have replicated the drill in the format I have found it. Feel free to visit their website and grab the PDF version of this drill.

By Joe Bouffard
Youth Football Coaches Association

A 4-yard gain can turn into a 50-yard touchdown if a stiff arm is properly used.

In fact, the stiff arm is one of the offensive player's most valuable weapons. If properly taught, it can effectively prevent a tackler from getting anywhere near the ball-carrier and bringing him down.

To start teaching the stiff arm to youth football players, use a bag or tackling dummy to practice on. When runners show they have mastered the mechanics of the stiff arm, replace the bag with a live tackler and run the drill with full contact or thud mode.

Here is the diagram of a drill provided by the Youth Football Coaches Association that is great at teaching stiff arms in practice. All you need is two cones, a tackler and a ball-carrier to work on proper stiff arms:



Depending on what part of the body the tackler has exposed to the runner, the ideal aiming ponts for the stiff arm are:

Top of the helmet (not the facemask)
Top of the shoulder plate
Chest plate
For a printable .pdf of this drill and others, visit the YFBCA website.

As with all drills, please make sure you explain the concept behind it and make sure the players are not out to hurt each other with it. The Stiff Arm can be a very effective way to gain a few extra yards, but if done incorrectly, your runner can get badly hurt.