Football Tryout Evaluation Form: Free Printable Template for Coaches
A clean, consistent evaluation form that rates players on speed, tackling, blocking, catching, footwork, and football IQ. Built for youth and high school coaches running position evaluations and tryouts, with space for measurables and notes on every player.
Running football tryouts without a consistent football tryout evaluation form means you're grading fifty-plus kids from memory, and players slip through the cracks. A good evaluation form puts every athlete through the same skills on the same 1-5 scale, so your roster and position decisions are based on what you actually saw, not who you happen to remember.
This free printable form rates players on the things that win football games: speed and athleticism, tackling, blocking, catching, footwork, ball security, and football IQ. There's space for measurables like the 40-yard dash, height and weight, a projected position, and evaluator notes. Print one sheet per player and clip a stack to every coach's board.
Football is the most position-dependent sport there is, so we built in a by-position guide too: what to look for in a quarterback versus an offensive lineman versus a defensive back. Once your roster is set, organize it with our football depth chart template, then get your custom football jerseys and youth football uniforms ordered early.
Football Tryout Evaluation Form
One form per player. Print a stack for each tryout session, or save it as a PDF for your clipboard.
| Skill | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athleticism & Measurables | ||||||
| 40-Yard Dash / Speed Straight-line speed, acceleration, top-end gear | | |||||
| Agility / Change of Direction Pro-agility shuttle, cone drills, lateral quickness | | |||||
| Strength / Power Explosiveness, lower-body drive, play strength | | |||||
| Footwork / Body Control Balance, foot quickness, coordination | | |||||
| Football Skills | ||||||
| Tackling Breakdown, wrap-up, form, pursuit angles | | |||||
| Blocking Hand placement, pad level, drive, sustaining blocks | | |||||
| Catching / Hands Hands away from body, tracking, contested catches | | |||||
| Throwing / Arm Arm strength, accuracy, mechanics (QB) | | |||||
| Ball Security Carrying technique, protecting it in traffic | | |||||
| Intangibles | ||||||
| Football IQ Assignment recognition, reads, situational awareness | | |||||
| Effort / Motor Hustle, finish, plays to the whistle | | |||||
| Coachability Listens, adjusts, attitude, communication | | |||||
Overall Rating
Projected Position(s)
Roster Recommendation
Evaluator Notes
What This Evaluation Form Covers
Every skill category that matters for placing players and making roster decisions.
Speed & Athleticism
40-yard dash, agility shuttle, acceleration, change of direction, top-end speed
Strength & Power
Explosiveness, play strength, lower-body drive, contact balance, finishing through contact
Tackling
Form, breakdown, wrap-up, pursuit angles, open-field tackling, take-on of blocks
Blocking & Hands
Pad level, hand placement, drive, catching, route running, ball security
Football IQ
Assignment recognition, reads, situational awareness, instincts, anticipation
Effort & Coachability
Motor, finish, hustle to the whistle, attitude, takes coaching, communication
What to Evaluate by Position
Football is position-dependent. Here's what stands out at each spot on the field.
Quarterback
Arm strength, accuracy at all three levels, release quickness, footwork in the pocket, decision-making, and ball security. Watch how he commands the huddle.
Running Back
Vision, burst through the hole, contact balance, and ball security. Hands out of the backfield and pass protection separate starters from backups.
Receiver / Tight End
Hands away from the body, route running, release off the line, speed, and run-after-catch. Test contested catches in 1-on-1s.
Offensive Line
Size and length, pad level, hand placement, footwork in the pass set, and drive in the run game. Look for players who finish blocks.
Defensive Line
First-step quickness, hand use to shed blocks, pad level, gap control, and motor in pursuit. Get-off is everything.
Linebacker
Tackling, sideline-to-sideline range, read-and-react speed, taking on blocks, and coverage ability. The quarterback of the defense.
Defensive Back
Hips and change of direction, recovery speed, ball skills, press technique, and tackling in space. Test them in 1-on-1 coverage.
How to Use This Evaluation Form
Run organized tryouts that give every player a fair, consistent look.
Assign numbered pinnies
Give every player a number (a pinnie or tape on the helmet) and write that number on their evaluation form. Color-code by position group if you can. This lets evaluators track players by number during drills without needing names, which keeps things moving and reduces bias.
Run measurables first
Start with the 40-yard dash, pro-agility shuttle, and broad jump so every athlete gets a baseline number. Record height and weight too. Measurables give you objective data to pair with the eye test, and they help you compare players across position groups.
Break into position drills
Send skill players to routes and 1-on-1s, linemen to bag and sled work, and the front seven to tackling circuits and pursuit drills. Put one evaluator (ideally the position coach) at each station to score the rows that matter for that group, in real time.
Finish with team periods
Drills only tell you so much. Run 7-on-7 and team periods on the last day to see football IQ, competitiveness, and who shows up when it's live. Use the notes column for things a number can't capture, like "great hands but raw routes" or "undersized but plays angry."
Compile scores and build your depth chart
Gather every form and total the scores per player. Use the projected-position line to slot athletes where they fit best, then sort within each position group to set your starters and backups. The notes column helps you make the close calls between similar players.
When to Use This Form
Any time you need to evaluate football talent objectively.
Preseason tryouts and position evaluations. The primary use case. Whether you're a travel program cutting a roster or a high school staff placing eighty kids into varsity, JV, and freshman groups, this form gives you consistent data on every athlete who shows up.
Spring ball and offseason camps. Use the same form during spring practice or summer camps to evaluate younger players and project where they'll fit in the fall. It's a clean way to track who's earning a bigger role.
Mid-season position reviews. Re-grade players midway through the year to check development and justify lineup or depth-chart changes. Comparing tryout scores to mid-season scores shows you who's trending up.
Youth combines and showcases. If you're running a combine or showcase, use this form to give participants written feedback. Parents appreciate a concrete assessment with measurables and skill grades instead of a generic "nice job."
Tips for Running Football Tryouts
Make tryouts fair, efficient, and useful.
Let position coaches grade their own group
Your O-line coach knows what good pad level looks like better than anyone. Put each position coach at the station that matches their group, and have at least two evaluators see every skill player so you can compare notes before making calls.
Run tryouts over multiple days
Football is physical and some kids have a rough first day. Seeing players over two or three sessions gives you a truer picture, and it lets you save live team periods for the final day when everyone has shaken off the rust.
Don't skip the intangibles rows
Motor, toughness, and coachability win football games. Score effort and football IQ honestly. At the youth and high school level, a player who finishes every rep and takes coaching often develops faster than a more gifted athlete who coasts.
Keep the forms on file
Don't toss tryout forms. They're your documentation if a player or parent questions a roster or position decision, and they're gold for tracking development year over year as kids move up from freshman to JV to varsity.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What skills should you evaluate at football tryouts?
Evaluate three buckets: athleticism, football skills, and intangibles. Athleticism covers the 40-yard dash, agility and change of direction, strength, and footwork. Football skills means tackling, blocking, catching, throwing, and ball security. Intangibles cover football IQ, effort, and coachability. Because football is so position-specific, weight the skills that matter for each position group: hands and route running for receivers, pad level and hand placement for linemen, hips and recovery speed for defensive backs. Rate each on a 1-5 scale so you can compare players fairly.
How do you run an organized football tryout?
Set up stations and rotate position groups through them. Start with measurables (40-yard dash, pro-agility shuttle, broad jump) so every player gets a baseline number. Then run position-specific drills: routes and 1-on-1s for skill players, bag and sled work for linemen, tackling circuits and pursuit drills for the front seven. Finish with 7-on-7 or team periods so you can see football IQ and competitiveness live. Give each player a numbered pinnie that matches their evaluation form, and put one evaluator at each station.
What should you evaluate by position at football tryouts?
Each position group has its own checklist. Quarterbacks: arm strength, accuracy, footwork, and decision-making. Running backs: vision, burst, contact balance, and ball security. Receivers: hands, route running, release, and speed. Offensive linemen: size, pad level, hand placement, and footwork. Defensive linemen: first-step quickness, hand use, and gap control. Linebackers: tackling, range, and read-and-react. Defensive backs: hips, recovery speed, ball skills, and tackling in space. The printable form has a projected-position line so you can place each athlete where they fit best.
What is a good rating scale for football tryouts?
A 1-5 scale works best. 1 = well below the level, needs major development. 2 = below average. 3 = average for the age and level. 4 = above average, stands out. 5 = exceptional, a difference-maker. Skip half-points and decimals; they slow evaluators down and create false precision. The goal is fast, consistent grades you can total and rank after tryouts, not a science project.
Should you evaluate effort and coachability at football tryouts?
Absolutely. Football rewards effort and toughness more than almost any sport, and a player's motor often matters more than a tenth of a second in the 40. Score effort, finish, and coachability honestly on every player. A kid who plays to the whistle, takes coaching, and brings energy can outproduce a more gifted athlete who coasts. At the youth and high school level, those intangibles also predict who develops over a season and who stays the same.
Do football programs cut players at tryouts?
It depends on the level. Many youth and high school football programs are no-cut and carry large rosters, so tryouts are really position evaluations: you're deciding where each athlete fits and who earns varsity, JV, or specific roles, not who goes home. Travel, select, and some competitive high school programs do make cuts. Either way, a written evaluation form gives you documentation you can stand behind when a player or parent asks why they were placed where they were.
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