In 2019, USA Football began piloting the Football Development Model (FDM) before fully adopting the model post-pandemic as a method to help coaches teach athletes based on their age, the skill they are learning and game type. This year, USA Football will release the remaining three stages of the FDM, providing a clear path for athletes to stay in the sport and continue learning beyond the existing stages.  

USA Football is the sport’s governing body, a member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and a leading national voice in the football space. Its FDM is the first national application of a long-term athlete development model for American Football.  

What is the Football Development Model?  

The FDM was developed in partnership with the Football Development Model Council, which consisted of medical, child development, long-term athlete development and football subject matter experts.  

Several notable members included recently retired NCAA Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Brian Hainline, NFL Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Allen Sills, Director of the Safe Concussion Outcome, Recovery & Education (SCORE) Program at Children's National Hospital, Dr. Gerard Gioia, former U.S. National Team athlete and current Cleveland Browns assistant wide receiver coach Callie Brownson and more.  

The FDM is based on the USOPC’s American Development Model’s principles. Its progressive skill instruction focuses on developing the whole athlete, on and off the field, while meeting them at their current stage of development. This approach reduces contact early in an athlete’s progression while teaching age-appropriate skills. 

USA Football’s accredited Coach Certification program encompasses the FDM. Since 2012, USA Football has delivered more than 1.1 million coach certifications, ensuring the sport is coached and played smarter now than ever before. USA Football’s program is the only youth football coach certification to be accredited by the United States Center for Coaching Excellence’s (USCCE).  

Reintroducing the FDM Stages  

The FDM begins with the Discover and Play stage for athletes who are five years old or older. This beginning stage allows athletes who are new to the sport to explore and play multiple positions in a fun, positive environment. The focus is on providing an enjoyable experience, not keeping score. A fun introduction to the sport makes it more likely that athletes will want to continue playing. USA Football’s First Down Program is a great way to introduce the game. 

Similar to the first stage, Play and Develop primarily focuses on athletes who are new to football. At this point, younger athletes are still learning and developing basic movement skills, such as running, throwing and catching while older athletes are learning to connect the movement skills they already know with basic football skills. Most children are still deciding if they enjoy the sport at this stage, so teams should create a fun, active setting with mini-competitions and games rather than drills. This stage prioritizes the experience over wins and losses.  

Next, athletes who reach the Develop and Achieve stage are beginning to control their movements. The emphasis shifts toward teaching and learning more advanced concepts, including agility, balance, coordination and speed. Leaders should regularly encourage and congratulate athletes for learning football and life skills like teamwork. The athlete’s achievements and development are prioritized over team records and final scores as they continue learning the game. 

By the Achieve and Advance stage, football will likely be one of an athlete’s primary sports. Since players are more mentally and physically developed at this point, coaches may begin to introduce position-specific skills and football tactics. Some athletes will learn these more advanced concepts quicker than others, but it’s important to support all athletes as they adapt to this new level of play.  

Athletes in the Advance and Compete stage who started playing as youth are wrapping up middle school or entering high school. Football settings are more competitive at this stage. Athletes transitioning through puberty become stronger, quicker and more agile, allowing them to build position-specific skills. A wider range of athletic movements and competitions and now open to athletes.  

For many athletes, Advance and Compete is the first stage that plays a part in USA Football’s U.S. National Team Pathway. Athletes in this age range are eligible for positions on 15U U.S. National Teams. The next two FDM stages are also connected to pathway.  

Compete and Excel welcomes athletes who are nearing the highest levels of competitive football. At the scholastic level, this includes players who are entering the final years of their high school aged careers. The focus in this stage is on mastering position-specific techniques as well as tactics. The mental aspect of the game plays a larger role at this level as competitive opportunities.  

Finally, Excel for High Performance is the last stage of the FDM. Athletes in this stage are adults or near adulthood and play at the most competitive levels of the sport. They spend significant parts of their daily lives straining and competing to win. Players have largely mastered the game but continue to learn and develop position-specific skills, tactics and football intelligence. Proper rest and recovery play a large role as athletes mold their routines to meet the demands of the competitive environment.  

How USA Football Helps 

USA Football supports the development of pathways to bring athletes up and through Stages 5-7 of the FDM, which connect to the U.S. National Team pipeline. Our extensive grants program, which has awarded more than $20 million since 2006, solidifies grassroots organizations that prepare young athletes for the upper stages of competition.  

USA Football’s U.S. National Team program introduces athletes at the 15U, 17U and adult levels to elite international competition in flag football through IFAF World Championships, IFAF Continental Championships, the Junior International Cup, The World Games and upcoming events like the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.  

Earlier this year, USA Football unveiled the National Team Development Program. The program and its Select Teams provide athletes at the 12U level and up to with opportunities to stay engaged with USA Football and pursue invitations to U.S. National Team Trials. In July, USA Football will host the first annual Select Bowl, a premier multi-day competition between regional Select Teams at various age divisions. 

Additionally, USA Football fields junior and adult U.S. Tackle National Teams to compete in IFAF events. USA Football’s Women’s Tackle National Team, led by head coach Callie Brownson, won gold at the 2022 IFAF Women's World Championship.  

USA Football’s U.S. National Team has produced several notable alumni with significant achievements at the collegiate and professional levels, including current or former NFL All-Pros Trevon Diggs, Tyrann Mathieu, Jordan Poyer, Jonathan Taylor and Wyatt Teller. Fifteen former members of the U.S. National Team program have gone on to be first round picks in the NFL Draft. 

Former U.S. National Team athletes, like Brownson, may receive opportunities to stay involved in the sport through public speaking, coaching, scouting or other leadership opportunities. Five current or former U.S. National Team athletes sit on USA Football’s Board of Directors.