NATCHEZ — Adams County Christian School’s football team will compete in a 7-on-7 event today, one of many scheduled for the Rebels this summer.

The drills are set up where a quarterback is hiked the ball, and receivers go out to catch passes while linebackers and defensive backs are in coverage.

There are no offensive or defensive lines, no contact, no jerseys and no helmets. The drills are designed to allow athletes to get work in without risking injury, and they have become popular for teams during the days of summer workouts.

Schools have also started hosting 7-on-7 events to allow several teams to face off against each other, allowing players to practice against someone other than their teammates.

“We go to about one a week pretty much all the way through July,” ACCS head coach Paul Hayles said. “A couple of weeks, we go to two a week.

“We prefer to play against one team so we can put a lot of coaching in instead of rotating with five or six teams. Some days, though, we’ll go against two teams in the same location.”

Hayles said the drills have several advantages from a coaching standpoint.

“It’s a very low-contact (drill), and that’s a huge plus, because you do not want your kids banged up,” Hayles said. “It’s a great teaching tool where you can look back and say, ‘I want to explain why you did this wrong or how it should be done.’”

But Hayles also said there are some disadvantages.

“It doesn’t paint a true picture as far as pass rush and in-game things, but the positives far outweigh the negatives,” Hayles said.

Cathedral football coach Ron Rushing said the drills are helpful in developing his team’s passing game.

“A lot of it is about timing between the quarterback and the receivers,” Rushing said.

“We emphasized last summer throwing downfield, and it made a difference (during our season). More than anything, it helps out with the defensive secondary.”

Not every local coach is a big fan of 7-on-7 drills, though. Trinity Episcopal head coach David King said the drills don’t suit his style of coaching.

“The only thing I really like them for is that it’s another way to condition the kids and let them have fun,” King said. “I’m a control freak, and you can’t control as much (during the drills), because a lot of it is just backyard stuff.”

King said he understands the advantages to the drills, but he still prefers other methods of practicing.

“It is good for teams when coordinating their passing routes,” King said. “We went to several last year, and we’ll go to some this year, but we really just do it to break the monotony.”

Natchez High School has already hosted several 7-on-7 events, which featured local teams. Bulldogs head coach Lance Reed said the events are way to get practices in, as well as let local teams square off.

“It’s really just a form of practice,” Reed said. “It’s a competitive environment when you play against other teams, and it’s also conditioning.”

And Reed said he enjoys using the events as outlets to promote other local schools.

“We want all the players to have the mindset that we root for all local teams in the area,” Reed said.

“The only time we don’t is when we line up across from them. It’s a good opportunity for them to compete against each other and get better.”