r/flagfootball

In Washington state, there seems to be no 5v5 Boys flag after U14. Is this common?

Can someone share one or two plays they use against man coverage ?

Does anyone have any good video for girls flag football side-snapping from the center position? Ball position? Ball delivery? Etc?

Hey guys looking for tips and or drills for my undersized QB. It's 5v5 7th/8th division NFL flag football rules. He's got a rocket for an arm I have tried all my other players and no one on my team can even barely throw a tight spiral or not let it hang up in the air wobbling around. Our last game the defense was sending 2 blitzers every time and he took about 6 or 7 sacks. He didn't throw any picks and had 2 td passes but besides shotgun and rollouts what kind of routes should I focus more on? And does anyone have some drills I can use in practice to help him make his throws faster with the pressure coming. Basically drills that would simulate game situations. Thanks in advance

Rec league, 3rd and 4th grade, 6v6.

Last game coming up and I have a couple players who haven't touched the ball often enough. Run plays are ok but they get tackled immediately. What are your go to plays for getting someone open who doesn't have size or speed? I have a few man-beaters that work well, but we do face zone occasionally, and I'm always looking for something new.

6v6 co-ed, no blitzes, k-2nd, defenders can come in if there’s a handoff or fake hand off.

We play against a team that likes to run a play where they keep their best, fastest player behind the QB while sending everyone else deep to clear space. Then before the 4 second throw clock runs out they hand it off and the RB runs up field. We’ve stopped it before but inconsistently as the two closest defenders don’t always wait in the right spot or pull the flag.

I’m trying to optimize a defense that can cover a potential deep pass but is much more concerned about the run with all the space. I have the best safety in the league so I can keep him deep and run a single high if needed.

The title is really generic, the contest is: I started 2 weeks ago with flag football, I love the feeling to sprint as fast you can for a route and overcome the defense, but I don't know to catch properly. I have a track and field background, did sprinting, and it feels so unatural to check the QB to see if the ball is coming, like is super uncomfortable, I can catch the normal balls not with super confiendence but the minimum, but when I have to do a fly to catch a over-shoulder it is really difficult, I mean like I can't coodinate ma body to turn a little bit and stare at ball in air while trying to run as fast as I can.
So how can I improve generally with catching if I don't have an american football ball and we train only 2 times a week, and is like we don't do a role work in specific but just game simulation and stuffs like that.
And I also wanted to say I have small hands so what exercises/drills or work can I do to improve catching in especially while running

In the leagues your kids play in, is ther a constant issue with illegal tackles? Im talking like a kid pulld shorts the pulls the flag. I have a video from our league where a kid completely wraps up the ball carrier then pulls the flag. Its a constant thing it takes the skill of pulling flags out of the game

If I have a bunch of play images, what would i use to lay them out so there's 4 or 6 or 8 or whatever number I want on a piece of paper I can later laminate for a playsheet or to shrink them and print them out for wristband inserts?

Hey, what is the general consensus on goaline defense? I find it very hard to stop extra points. For argument sake, let’s say they’re just going for 1 from the 5 (no run zone). I feel like the good teams go to here is the quick pass or quick “pitch”. I’ve seen this mostly done from bunch formations as I think that’s what a lot of teams tend to set up in on the goaline. Out of bunch it’s more of that quick pitch forward, but I’ve also seen it done out of a spread formation when a defense sees gaps, QB goes under center with two wr’s out wide to either side, one guy in the slot. And the slot wr get an immediate quick pass usually into open gaps and he walks right in.

The logical thing I feel is 4 across maybe 1 yard in from the goaline and still send a rusher. But I think this setup is better against bunch, not if they go spread or something. If you lineup 4 across against a spread there’s gonna be gaps. Idk open to suggestions 🤷‍♂️

Hi All - in a 6v6 9U NFL Flag rules league, we move the ball just fine but we are basically an embarrassment once we get to the 5 and have to pass, along with xtra points (I’d guess our conversion rate is about 10% after today). So I am looking to see if anyone has any red zone “go to” plays with kids who struggle to catch on the run and meh arm talent?

We are a mostly 2nd grade team that has overachieved to make it to the last week with control of its own destiny, we get a weaker opponent but I don’t think they’re good enough to think they can just roll over anyone, and should they get in, to actually not get smoked (were going for seed 4 with a 3-3 record, the other 3 playoff teams will all be 5-1 with insane point differentials, we are here because we are the only bottom 5 team to steal a win against one of the 3 better teams winning with D as always) they must convert on their red zone chances.

Defense they’re solid, running the ball and even passing the ball in the non condensed parts of the field, they’re good enough, but once that end zone shrinks the field the limitation with our QB really comes out. Ive tried flooding zones, gimicky backyard plays that try to take advantage of the 7 seconds to throw rule and get guys lost in their coverage, quick throws back to the center, underneath passes… nothing ever works it seems like lol, if we could convert down here we’d actually be one of the best teams in the league as almost all of our drives end at about the 10. Today we lost to the best team 21-0 but got to the red zone 5 of our 6 drives, its miserable knowing they’re so close but my plays might be failing them.

We have a must win coming up to make the postseason with 2 weeks (so 2 practices) to prepare since there are no games on Mother’s Day. So I have one more shot to try and install something new. I am also planning to put my “stud” back/safety in at QB for red zone only, doing so takes away our best target but it’s not working as it is so this will help with our “arm strength” problem. Availability for my primary QB let this kid get a whole game once, results were slightly better but still not good. So this alone I don’t expect to save us, but maybe helps us skate by our final opponent.

All advice is appreciated!

Looking for some advice—same predicament as in a lot of rec sports: balancing talent, fairness, and playing time. We’re finishing up our first season of 2nd grade 5-on-5 at the YMCA and we’re currently 0–7. We DO have some serious talent, though: about 7–8 kids are fast (really fast), listen, and understand the basics, and then we have a handful who still don’t really know where to go on offense or what the line of scrimmage is, LOL.

I knew what I was signing up for but I’m struggling to make it work with 14 kids on one roster. I have two assistants, which helps, but games are chaotic.

There’s a tournament at the end of May, and I don’t see how taking all 14 kids makes sense when every other team has 7–8 players. My current idea is to invite whoever wants to participate to a low-key tryout / extra session and then take 7–8 kids to the tournament. Then in the fall, I’d coach two teams: one practice together, but separate games/rosters. Is this a good idea? I mean clearly parents have to know that their kid has zero athletic talent? I love coaching those kids but I want to help out the kids that have great ability. Thnx!

I had assistants but work schedules changed its just me now, I've been coaching awhile now. Every season we are the smallest team, this is the most frustrated I've ever been.

I feel dumb posting because of their age but I coach a group of 6 and 7 year olds who play 5v5. Obviously just learning the basics still but most of these kids are playing in their fourth or fifth season of football so they are playing great and tend to actually listen when I speak which feels like a huge win. I have said my job is to make sure everyone plays/has fun, no one gets hurt, instill a love for the game and continue to build on their skills.

Our players are super aggressive on defense. They are great flag pullers and are constantly pulling flags for a loss. But that’s actually the issue. They are getting there way too fast. They start with a 5 yard buffer but the offenses are slow forming and the intended ball carrier tends to be obvious. My players are reading it and crossing the line as soon as the ball is handed off and sometimes too soon. I am trying to get them not to move off the five yard line until the ball is handed off as no gain or a small gain isn’t going to hurt us, but they are having a tough time staying.

This is likely going to lead us to getting more penalties as I think coaches are now purposely delaying the handoff so we cross the line before the handoff occurs.

We are also going to be playing a team that runs misdirection and reverses next week. They also do a lot of what is essentially a 6 years olds version of a play action pass. I have one player stay back as a safety but, if the other team runs a reverse or do play action and my front overcommits as they tend to do, the safety is on an island. The only big plays we have given up all year have been on reverses.

I am less concerned with giving up points and/or losing, as I am trying to build improvement into their game. My focus for this week is to try to find a way to get them to pause for a second to let the play develop and not overcommit.

Are there any good drills/games for this? I only have six kids on my team so I can’t show them through an actual offense vs defense play. We do plenty of flag pulling games like sharks and minnows, flag tag, 1 on 1 box, 1 on 2 box, etc but none really deal with being patient. I do a 3 v 3 scrimmage when I can, but even that doesn’t feel like it helps because the positions are different.

TLDR looking for a drill/game to teach kids to wait for potential reverses or play action

League details = 6/7 grade. 6v6. No blitzing, no run plays allowed. 4 seconds to throw. Also, its indoors on short field...40 yards. 3 plays to get first down, 4 plays to score.

We're pretty much locked to make the Super Bowl, but the team ahead of us is a juggernaut. They're blowing everyone out including us in our first game. We got them again Friday night. I'm coaching with another dad, he handles offense I'm handling defense. This team is a well oiled machine they've played in this league for 2 or 3 years so they have their system down pat.

All they run is underneath stuff, crosses, mesh, slants etc. We normally have a 4-2 thats been good for us but they just picked us apart the first game. I changed to man in the 2nd half and things were the same. When I say every single drive they had was identical I mean it. Same number of plays to score. Same plays. We didn't get a stop the entire game.

What can I do here coaches?

I play 5v5 women's league for reference

Recently I've transitioned out of blitz into coverage roles and to aid this I'm trying to put together a sort of personal training regimen to improve at the position, I want to be the best.

Aside from general speed training and working to increase my vertical jump, I'm not sure what other directions to go in. Any advice is appreciated! I have some issues with game IQ was well (when to instinctively bite short vs let the play develop and cover deep) but that just comes with time on the field I assume.

Does anyone have effective bunch formation plays they’re willing to share ?