Football Evaluation Form

Score players on a five-point scale across six core football skills. The rubric below describes specific behaviors at each level so your evaluators stay calibrated. A player who "reads defenses pre-snap" earns higher marks than one who "knows own assignment but gets confused by motion."

Football evaluation differs from other sports because of position specialization. A coach evaluating soccer players can use similar criteria across the field. Football demands position-specific assessment. What makes a great linebacker is irrelevant for evaluating quarterbacks.

Start with Athleticism, Then Add Position Skills

Raw athleticism matters across all positions. Speed, explosion, and change of direction translate regardless of where a player lines up. The 40-yard dash and agility drills reveal athletic baseline. From there, layer in position-specific evaluation.

Watch how players move without the ball. Do they maintain good pad level? Can they accelerate out of cuts? Do they play with their knees bent and ready to react? These movement fundamentals predict success better than size alone.

Football IQ Separates Good from Great

Physical tools get a player on the field. Football intelligence keeps them there. Watch pre-snap reads: does the player recognize formations? Can they adjust to motion? Do they understand their assignment within the larger scheme?

The best players process information quickly. A linebacker who reads the pulling guard and fills the correct gap demonstrates football IQ that practice time can't easily teach. Look for players who anticipate rather than react.

Evaluate Contact Skills Safely

Tackling and blocking reveal a player's willingness to compete. Use controlled drills like the Oklahoma drill to evaluate contact in a structured environment. Watch technique: do they strike with proper pad level? Can they sustain blocks through the whistle?

Note that professional valuation models focus on market value and transfer fees. Tryout evaluation is different because you're projecting development potential, not calculating replacement cost. Focus on coachable fundamentals over current production.

Youth football evaluation requires age-appropriate criteria. The USA Football Development Model(opens in new tab) emphasizes that young players develop at different rates, and what you prioritize in a 10-year-old should differ from evaluation criteria for high school players.

Ages 8-10: Focus on Fundamentals and Fun

At these ages, players are learning basic movement patterns. Prioritize athleticism, willingness to learn, and enjoyment of the game over position-specific skills. Most youth programs don't specialize positions this early, and they shouldn't.

Look for players who move well and want to compete. A player who attacks drills with enthusiasm, even when they make mistakes, shows the mentality that develops into football ability.

Ages 11-12: Add Football-Specific Fundamentals

Players at this level show more differentiation in skills. You can start evaluating tackling technique, blocking fundamentals, and ball security. Watch who can follow simple assignments and execute with consistency.

This is when you begin identifying position fits based on body type and skill set. Taller players with good hands might project as receivers or tight ends. Quick, decisive players often develop into running backs or defensive backs.

Ages 13-14: Evaluate Position-Specific Skills

By this age, players should understand their position responsibilities. Evaluate route running for receivers, pass rush moves for defensive linemen, and coverage techniques for defensive backs. Physical attributes matter more, but football intelligence often predicts success better than size.

Recommended Evaluation Weighting by Age

Green highlights show the highest priority category for each age group. Athleticism matters most at younger ages; position-specific skills become primary as players mature and specialize.

Football positions demand wildly different skill sets. Use position-specific evaluation when you've identified where a player projects, or when evaluating returning players who already have a role. Once you've evaluated a player's position fit, a football player profile helps track their development trajectory.

Quarterback Evaluation

Quarterbacks need arm strength to make every throw and accuracy to hit receivers in stride. Watch footwork in the pocket: do they set their feet before throwing? Can they slide away from pressure while keeping eyes downfield? Decision-making separates good quarterbacks from great ones. The best make the right read quickly and deliver the ball on time.

Running Back Evaluation

Vision matters most for running backs. Can they see the hole develop and hit it at full speed? Watch their cuts: do they plant and accelerate or round off their angles? Ball security is non-negotiable. A fumble can cost games regardless of how many yards a back gains. Evaluate pass catching and pass protection because modern offenses need backs who contribute in all phases.

Wide Receiver and Tight End Evaluation

Route running precision separates receivers. Watch their releases off the line: can they beat press coverage? Do their routes have crispness at the break points? Hands determine who makes plays in traffic. Tight ends add blocking responsibility. A tight end who can seal the edge and also threaten the seam becomes a matchup problem.

Offensive Line Evaluation

Stance and first step reveal offensive linemen. Do they fire out low and with power, or do they stand up and lose leverage? Hand placement and sustaining blocks matter on every rep. Pass protection demands different footwork than run blocking. Evaluate both. The ability to pull and trap shows athleticism that creates explosive plays.

Defensive Line Evaluation

Get-off the snap determines who wins at the line of scrimmage. Watch the first two steps: explosive and low, or slow and upright? Hand usage and the ability to shed blocks separate productive linemen from those who get washed out. Gap control reveals football intelligence. Pass rush moves become important as players advance.

Linebacker Evaluation

Linebackers must read keys and fill gaps against the run while also covering in space. Watch their eyes: do they read the right keys and react decisively? Tackling in the open field matters because linebackers often make plays in space. Coverage ability has become essential in modern offenses that spread the field.

Defensive Back Evaluation

Backpedal technique and hip fluidity determine coverage ability. Can they transition from backpedal to full speed without losing position? Ball skills separate good defensive backs from great ones. Watch if they can track the ball and make plays at the catch point. Tackling remains important because defensive backs are often the last line of defense.

Flag football requires different evaluation criteria than tackle football. Without blocking and tackling, the game emphasizes speed, agility, and ball skills. The Special Olympics Missouri Flag Football Assessment(opens in new tab) provides a framework for evaluating players in this format.

Flag Pulling as a Core Skill

Defense in flag football centers on flag pulling. Watch technique: does the player track the ball carrier's hips and time their grab correctly? Effective flag pullers anticipate cuts rather than reaching and missing. This skill correlates with overall defensive awareness.

Route Running and Throwing

Without contact at the line, receivers can run precise routes from the snap. Watch crispness at break points and the ability to create separation without physical releases. Throwing accuracy matters more in flag football because defenses can't rush the quarterback as aggressively. Evaluate arm strength and the ability to place the ball where receivers can catch in stride.

Agility and Sportsmanship

Flag football rewards quick-footed players who can make defenders miss in open space. Speed matters, but change of direction often determines who scores. Sportsmanship and rules awareness deserve evaluation weight because flag football relies on honest play. A player who understands and respects the rules contributes more than one who constantly draws penalties.

Football tryouts demand organization across multiple position groups. With offensive and defensive skills to evaluate, plus special teams considerations, you need a structure that keeps players active and evaluators focused.

Position Stations and Evaluator Calibration

Calibrate your staff before players arrive. Review video clips or run demonstrations: "This is what a 3 looks like on the shuttle drill, this is a 4." When evaluators see the same examples, they apply the same standards. Assign specific evaluators to specific positions or skills for consistency.

Set up your field before tryouts begin. Mark cones for agility drills, position the blocking sled, and designate areas for position-specific work. Chaos on tryout day undermines fair evaluation because evaluators watch setup instead of players.

Sample Tryout Drills

These drills reveal football skills that don't always show in scrimmages. Each drill targets specific abilities you need to evaluate.

Scrimmage: Reading the Whole Field

Scrimmage time reveals who performs under pressure. Watch how players respond to adversity: does a receiver who drops a pass bounce back on the next rep? Does a lineman who gets beat work harder on the next play? Mental toughness shows in team settings more than individual drills.

Assign specific evaluators to watch specific position groups during team periods. One evaluator watches the offensive line, another tracks receivers, a third focuses on the defensive secondary. Each evaluator sees every rep for their assigned group, creating consistency that general observation cannot match.

Film Room and Final Cuts

Gather your staff after the final whistle. Consistent scores across evaluators point to clear roster decisions; split opinions often reveal players who flash at one position but struggle at another—worth a second look as position converts. Disagreements highlight players worth another evaluation. Digital evaluation tools let you compare ratings across your staff in real time.

Share specific observations with players or parents who request feedback. "You track the ball well but your hips are stiff in transition" gives a defensive back something concrete to work on. Vague advice like "be more athletic" doesn't help anyone improve.

Sample Station Schedule

Example schedule for evaluating 50 players in 2.5 hours with 6 evaluators and 1 full field.