Everything in a youth football offense starts with the center. So many youth football coaches don't have successful seasons because they refuse to invest the time to do the ordinary extraordinarily well.

It doesn’t matter if a quarterback lines up under center, the pistol formation or in a deep shotgun formation, if the center-quarterback exchange isn’t consistent, the offense will sputter. Turnovers and poor ball exchanges are a youth football team’s kryptonite. Nothing deflates a sideline quicker than constant exchange problems.

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So how do coaches solve that issue once it rears its ugly head? Attack the four different ways, with personnel, technique, practice reps and pressure.

Here, we'll focus on the latter two.

If a center gets to practice early, that player should always take part in pre-practice reps, snapping to kickers, punters or quarterbacks throwing warmups. After the first two weeks, a center should spend about half their individual practice time with these groups, with quality and high-quantity reps.

Our practice methodology requires individual groups to practice at a pace of one rep every six seconds, so in a single 10-minute drill segment, centers should get about 100 reps. Those reps can be split between two centers, or if the team has multiple quarterbacks, separate the groups to have both centers work at the same time. Another option is to alternate the amount of time centers work with the group. The starter gets the first 15 minutes with the quarterback or kicking group, and No. 2 gets the final 15 minutes.

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During those individual group snaps with the kickers, a coach or other individual should be over the top of the center with a shield or tall bag to make contact with them on every snap. Though initial contact with the long snapper is illegal at most youth and high school football levels, it does happen, so make sure to bump the center at various angles and speeds. Then move into either A gap and try to penetrate.

The center has to get comfortable with snapping, stepping and absorbing contact. We train ours to base block, double team block, down block and crab block. Crab blocking can be effective against big, aggressive nose tackles or to fill a gap for a pulling player. Make sure centers use a variety of the techniques when they make that block on the bag. Defenders come at the center in all different shapes, sizes, techniques and angles. It’s the coaches’ job to prepare them to counteract it all.

Coaches can also help the center improve their snap during individual offensive line drills or group periods. In every drill, add a ball to snap after technique introduction so the center feels good about the progressions. First- and second-step drills in group drills can be effective at getting necessary reps. Add a stand-in QB behind the center on these drills, as well as someone with a shield over the center. As players rotate into the group, rotate at the QB spot as well.

Fits on static standing defensive fronts are important to help offensive linemen know who they're supposed to block. Use extra players to form a defensive front, standing in their positions, and have the offensive line take their steps and fit on the defender. The defenders stay static, while the offensive linemen freeze in place once they make contact.

Offensive players can’t move until a coach releases them with a tap on the shoulder pad – and only after doing a quality control check on the angle of block, hip level, pad level, head placement, hand placement and positioning. Always do a handful of live reps in group at the end of fits.

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The fit drill with a quarterback taking snaps is effective. Rotate a lineman at QB and put someone with a shield over the center to provide constant contact. By adding the snap to the individual and group drills, you can get your center an additional 250-plus contested snap reps every offensive practice.

Excellence in youth football on the offensive side of the ball is fun for the kids. In order to achieve it, do the ordinary extraordinarily well. That starts with snaps.

Dave Cisar has coached youth football for more than 20 years. He founded and ran two large youth football organizations in Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska. He has been named a Nike Coach of the Year five times and has spoken at more than 200 coaching clinics worldwide. Dave helps youth coaches and teams with his book and instructional videos offered at winningyouthfootball.com. 

This is an updated version of a blog that originally published March 11, 2015.