Ball Carrying•beginner•15 min
Flag Sweep Drill
RB takes a handoff and sweeps wide before turning it upfield through a cone gate, building the ability to receive the ball at speed and attack the edge.
Flag Sweep Drill
DrillDescription
Running a sweep only works if the RB turns it upfield at the right time. This drill uses cone gates to teach that habit — getting players out of the east-west mindset and into the north-south mindset that wins games.
How to run it
- 1
Center, QB, and line of RBs set up in formation.
- 2
RBs line up wide left or right.
- 3
On the snap, RB runs toward the QB at full speed.
- 4
QB hands off using proper technique.
- 5
RB sweeps wide and runs through the cone gate before turning upfield.
- 6
Add a defender for live reps.
Points to stress
- Take the ball wide but TURN IT UP — don't keep running east-west.
- The cone gate is your target — hit it and go north.
- Build speed before you turn, not after.
- RB: look for the hole as you're turning up.