/ Why this drill
What it teaches.
Half the kids in your program slow down before they reach the goal line. Finishing Sprint trains the mental discipline of running THROUGH the line, not TO the line — the difference between a 19-yard gain and a touchdown.
/ How to run it
Step by step.
- Mark a 20-yard distance with two lines (cones, lines, or chalk).
- Player sprints from start to finish.
- MUST cross the finish line at full speed. No slowing in the last 5 yards.
- Time each sprint. Track 'finishing' speed (final 5 yards) separately if possible.
/ Coaching points
What to watch for.
- Finish line is 5 yards PAST the line. Run there, not to the line.
- Drive arms through the finish — don't ease up.
- Keep eyes ahead — looking at the line means decelerating.
- Praise kids who cross at full speed. Call out kids who slow up.
/ Variations
Progress the drill.
Race to the line
Two players race. Loser does 5 push-ups.
With a ball
Sprint while carrying a ball. Tests game-realistic finishing.
Catch and finish
Receiver catches at the 15, finishes through the 20. Adds a play element.
/ Common mistakes
Where it goes wrong.
- Slowing up before the line — the exact habit you're trying to fix.
- Lazy arm drive in the last 5 yards.
- Looking back at the timer — costs 0.2 seconds.
- Not timing — without numbers, the kids don't compete.