5X5 Flag Spring Football Signing Up

[delvis 0]

As we enter the last few weeks of Winter Flag Football we are already signing up the Spring team.

What strategy difference do you use if any in the Spring Football prep where it can be wetter than the Fall or Winter seasons? We saw in two rainy games that flags were harder to pull out.

[Texas_D_Coach 14]

As we enter the last few weeks of Winter Flag Football we are already signing up the Spring team.

What strategy difference do you use if any in the Spring Football prep where it can be wetter than the Fall or Winter seasons? We saw in two rainy games that flags were harder to pull out.

We really don't do anything different. We let the kids wear gloves if it helps them catch or hold onto the ball better. For some kids this is a "mental" edge, but hey if it makes them believe they catch better I'm all for it.

I definitely push all the parents to buy cleats, as the natural grass fields we play on are horribly slippery after a rain.

I have used a ball that has better grip in previous seasons than the standard balls used in the leagues. You can find a discussion about that about halfway down in this thread:

http://www.y-coach.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1799&st=15

That's about it.

[delvis 0]

As we enter the last few weeks of Winter Flag Football we are already signing up the Spring team.

What strategy difference do you use if any in the Spring Football prep where it can be wetter than the Fall or Winter seasons? We saw in two rainy games that flags were harder to pull out.

We really don't do anything different. We let the kids wear gloves if it helps them catch or hold onto the ball better. For some kids this is a "mental" edge, but hey if it makes them believe they catch better I'm all for it.

I definitely push all the parents to buy cleats, as the natural grass fields we play on are horribly slippery after a rain.

I have used a ball that has better grip in previous seasons than the standard balls used in the leagues. You can find a discussion about that about halfway down in this thread:

http://www.y-coach.c...opic=1799&st=15

That's about it.

Thanks...

The gloves and cleats we did for the winter league also. Will the games be played at the same place for Spring? I know last Spring our girls played at Brushy Creek fields. Very windy and muddy.

[Texas_D_Coach 14]

Thanks...

The gloves and cleats we did for the winter league also. Will the games be played at the same place for Spring? I know last Spring our girls played at Brushy Creek fields. Very windy and muddy.

No they don't have the nice turf fields in spring and fall. Usually we play at the Round Rock HS practice fields. Basically just a large grass field that they section off into 4 regulation flag fields. They're not too bad, unless it rains.. then they turn into a muddy mess.

[delvis 0]

Thanks...

The gloves and cleats we did for the winter league also. Will the games be played at the same place for Spring? I know last Spring our girls played at Brushy Creek fields. Very windy and muddy.

No they don't have the nice turf fields in spring and fall. Usually we play at the Round Rock HS practice fields. Basically just a large grass field that they section off into 4 regulation flag fields. They're not too bad, unless it rains.. then they turn into a muddy mess.

Yeah the girls Spring and fall have been at Brushy Creek Park field and the Football field at the Christian Bible church off 620. The Church field is not bad, but Brushy Creek can be a mud hole.

It's football when you get a little mud in your mouth piece...

[Johnp2 21]

What strategy difference do you use if any in the Spring Football prep where it can be wetter than the Fall or Winter seasons? We saw in two rainy games that flags were harder to pull out.

Our Spring season goes through mid-July, thus HEAT is always our primary concern. We try to combat that by playing a few evening games right before dawn (I love evening games), and the tournament lasts a week (i.e. no team will have to play four games in a single day).

Regarding rain and pulling flags: we use the suction type flags. What we've found (because a team actually got caught doing it once) is if you put water in the flag's "base" where it connects to the belt, it is incredibly difficult to pull off. If you use those type flags, it will certainly make it extra difficult when it rains.

[delvis 0]

What strategy difference do you use if any in the Spring Football prep where it can be wetter than the Fall or Winter seasons? We saw in two rainy games that flags were harder to pull out.

Our Spring season goes through mid-July, thus HEAT is always our primary concern. We try to combat that by playing a few evening games right before dawn (I love evening games), and the tournament lasts a week (i.e. no team will have to play four games in a single day).

Regarding rain and pulling flags: we use the suction type flags. What we've found (because a team actually got caught doing it once) is if you put water in the flag's "base" where it connects to the belt, it is incredibly difficult to pull off. If you use those type flags, it will certainly make it extra difficult when it rains.

Thanks, yes i have heard teams doing that, and also reversing the flags to point in not out. We don't do any of that.

Our Spring season ends in May.

[delvis 0]

Well so far so good after 3 weeks into the Spring Season 2011 of 5 on 5 Girls NFL Flag.

We are 3-0 and in first place within the divison. There are 8 teams, but divided into 2 conferences of 4 each. In our conference 2 teams are brand new and one returning team from the fall and us.

Game 1: Chiefs 43 vs Jaguars 0. The mercy rule kicked in at 30-0 in the beginning of the second half. When we were up 22-0 I started handing the ball to our new girls to try and make it fair. Two of them broke out and ran the distance for TD's. Then one of our girls picked one off and ran back for a TD.

Officially the scoring stopped at 30-0 and two more picks for TD's after that did not count. The league posted it as 28-0 since they said above 28 didn't count anyway. I tried to dispute the 2 points being cut off as other teams in different age divisions did have a final of 30-0.

Game 2: Chiefs 20 vs Cardinals - 6. We played the other good team from last fall. We got stopped 3 times inside their 5. We stopped them once at our 5. The rest of the game was all ours.

Game 3: Chiefs 28 vs Cowboys - 0. Much like the first game. We scored almost at will and let many of our new players play.

Normally we would play these three teams again, but the league is trying to flip the good team from the other conference to play our good teams and the weak play the weak. So we will see what happens over the next three weeks.

This is primarily the same group of girls I had in the Fall (1-5), Winter (3-3), and for now 3-0. We have maintained the core 5 or so and they understand our offense and defense.

We will see how the next 3 weeks go...

Del

[delvis 0]

Well so far so good after 3 weeks into the Spring Season 2011 of 5 on 5 Girls NFL Flag.

We are 3-0 and in first place within the divison. There are 8 teams, but divided into 2 conferences of 4 each. In our conference 2 teams are brand new and one returning team from the fall and us.

Game 1: Chiefs 43 vs Jaguars 0. The mercy rule kicked in at 30-0 in the beginning of the second half. When we were up 22-0 I started handing the ball to our new girls to try and make it fair. Two of them broke out and ran the distance for TD's. Then one of our girls picked one off and ran back for a TD.

Officially the scoring stopped at 30-0 and two more picks for TD's after that did not count. The league posted it as 28-0 since they said above 28 didn't count anyway. I tried to dispute the 2 points being cut off as other teams in different age divisions did have a final of 30-0.

Game 2: Chiefs 20 vs Cardinals - 6. We played the other good team from last fall. We got stopped 3 times inside their 5. We stopped them once at our 5. The rest of the game was all ours.

Game 3: Chiefs 28 vs Cowboys - 0. Much like the first game. We scored almost at will and let many of our new players play.

Normally we would play these three teams again, but the league is trying to flip the good team from the other conference to play our good teams and the weak play the weak. So we will see what happens over the next three weeks.

This is primarily the same group of girls I had in the Fall (1-5), Winter (3-3), and for now 3-0. We have maintained the core 5 or so and they understand our offense and defense.

We will see how the next 3 weeks go...

Del

We went on to win Game 4, 5, and 6. So we are now 6-0 to finish regular season play. Next weekend we start the playoffs. After that Summer break till the Fall season starts.

This core group i have had now since the Fall season.

Fall: 1-5

Winter: 3-3

Spring: 6-0

Del

[Johnp2 21]

Officially the scoring stopped at 30-0 and two more picks for TD's after that did not count. The league posted it as 28-0 since they said above 28 didn't count anyway. I tried to dispute the 2 points being cut off as other teams in different age divisions did have a final of 30-0.

Hey Del, congrats on a great season! I'm curious as to what the purpose was of "disputing the 2 points being cut off"? Is point differential taken into consideration for tie-breakers with respect to play-off seeding? Or, was it more of a principal thing? You seem like a class-act coach, so please don't feel like I am calling you out or anything, I'm just curious.

Also, I'd like to hear about your league's mercy rule. I know we've had a few threads on the "mercy rule". I'm on record as being against it, and at the same time see little point in beating a team by more than 30 points (unless you simply cannot help it and go overboard being contrite about it). I've always believed the coaches should police themselves in this matter. You noted the mercy rule kicked in at 30-0. Is play not stopped then? It sounds like they gave the offense another chance? We don't have a mercy rule in our league, which is good, as I would not have it with my team. We'd have the ol' Bad News Bears "Let them play!" chant going if needed, as we would NEVER walk off the field in shame like that.

Thanks!

p.s. Throughout all the seasons I've coached football, I've always been impressed with the few girls in our league. They know how to get after it, so I think it's awesome you guys are able to field a girls league at this age. My daughter is not interested in sports at all (as with many of the players' sisters). I'd love for my team to play a team of all-star girls in football. It would do them a world of good and keep them humble. ;-)

[delvis 0]

Officially the scoring stopped at 30-0 and two more picks for TD's after that did not count. The league posted it as 28-0 since they said above 28 didn't count anyway. I tried to dispute the 2 points being cut off as other teams in different age divisions did have a final of 30-0.

Hey Del, congrats on a great season! I'm curious as to what the purpose was of "disputing the 2 points being cut off"? Is point differential taken into consideration for tie-breakers with respect to play-off seeding? Or, was it more of a principal thing? You seem like a class-act coach, so please don't feel like I am calling you out or anything, I'm just curious.

Also, I'd like to hear about your league's mercy rule. I know we've had a few threads on the "mercy rule". I'm on record as being against it, and at the same time see little point in beating a team by more than 30 points (unless you simply cannot help it and go overboard being contrite about it). I've always believed the coaches should police themselves in this matter. You noted the mercy rule kicked in at 30-0. Is play not stopped then? It sounds like they gave the offense another chance? We don't have a mercy rule in our league, which is good, as I would not have it with my team. We'd have the ol' Bad News Bears "Let them play!" chant going if needed, as we would NEVER walk off the field in shame like that.

Thanks!

p.s. Throughout all the seasons I've coached football, I've always been impressed with the few girls in our league. They know how to get after it, so I think it's awesome you guys are able to field a girls league at this age. My daughter is not interested in sports at all (as with many of the players' sisters). I'd love for my team to play a team of all-star girls in football. It would do them a world of good and keep them humble. ;-)

Thanks for the remarks.

The way the mercy rule works in our NFL 5 on 5, is once either team gets ahead by 28 or more points, the other team has the next possession to come back to close the gap. If they fail then the game ends and goes into scrimmage mode. The team that is won stays on defense only, and the other team continues to run offensive plays till the time remaining runs out on the clock.

Having said that, in Game 5 once again we took a team to scrimmage mode. At that point we put our newer players on the field to play defense. The other teams coach was very frustrated since they had zero first downs and had his team drop back and just bomb the heck out of use. We either intercepted the ball or knocked it down. Our girls ran two of them back for additional TD's that didn't count. The other coach, who is highly respected and had many great teams was getting more and more pissed. In fairness he had 9 new players and 1 that had played 1 season before.

On the last series my defensive coach sent a blitz and made contact with their QB. I saw this and told him not to do this again. The game was over and I didn't want anyone to get hurt.

When time expired and the kids were shaking hands he got in my face and was very upset that we had blitzed, ect. I tried to explain I had not called that play, but my players were also in practice mode.

On the 2 pts thing from game 1. Since my score was 30 at the point the scoring stopped counting, in past seasons this is what would have been recorded. In other divisions on the co-ed teams it was still recorded this way. I was just wanting it to be the same across the league.

The PD or point differential is used in the placement of teams in the standings. At seasons end the standings are used in the playoffs. For total offense I was two points less than the second place team but my PD was about 30 points better. I was concerned after game 1 that this might hurt us later at the end of the season. As it worked out we finished number 1.

Girls teams vs boys teams can work both ways. In 2009 the team I was an assistant on was 2-0 and the head coach also coached a boys team of the same age group. He wanted to see what would happen in a scrimmage so he did just that. The boys put 35 points on the girls with ease. It actually crushed them and they went on to lose the next 4 games. They finished 2-4 and lost in the first round of the playoffs.

He didn't really do it to show the boys, but more to show the girls who at that point were feeling pretty cocky at 2-0.

These past three seasons with my own team of all girls I try to put into play what I have seen that was good in the 2 seasons before that where I was an assistant, but not some of the bad. With boys you can yell at them in practice or game to motivate and help them focus. A girl will many times break down and cry if you do that. My girls I just talk to them in a mode that says, we need to correct that, but I know you can do it so let's go do it.

In the two other teams I saw the coaches grabbed the girls and shake them and scream in their faces. Drop them for pushups or make them run laps. Again with the girls this seemed to have a negative effect.

I guess it is all up to each coach, and with girls it is different to me. Some of our other girls team coaches still do some of this and i have no right to tell any coach how to motivate their team.

Del

[Texas_D_Coach 14]

In the two other teams I saw the coaches grabbed the girls and shake them and scream in their faces.

Wow,

I can't believe that. That should never happen on any youth football team.

[delvis 0]

In the two other teams I saw the coaches grabbed the girls and shake them and scream in their faces.

Wow,

I can't believe that. That should never happen on any youth football team.

It was a surprise to me when I first saw it myself. On the same team the Head coach and the defensive coach got into an argument and started wrestling during a game in front of the parents, players, everyone. The defensive coach then walked off the field and drove away.

I have to say it was weird, but it inspired me to get my own team and not repeat some of this stuff.

Del

[Johnp2 21]

It was a surprise to me when I first saw it myself. On the same team the Head coach and the defensive coach got into an argument and started wrestling during a game in front of the parents, players, everyone. The defensive coach then walked off the field and drove away.

I have to say it was weird, but it inspired me to get my own team and not repeat some of this stuff.

Del

That is pathetic. I know parents often turn their kids over to the coach (especially boys) and say, "He's all yours--ride him hard." I simply don't roll that way, and I would never scold a player like that.

At the most, I might tease him "Hey Joey! Are you waiting on your girlfriend to show up and watch before you decide run your full speed?". If it is tactical, I'll pull him aside and say "Hey man, here is what I need you to do."

I wince when I see coaches do this on the field. It's funny, because everyone sees it. I think a lot of us on here were, like you, inspired by another coach and what not to do, which got us involved. I know it did for me.

[delvis 0]

It was a surprise to me when I first saw it myself. On the same team the Head coach and the defensive coach got into an argument and started wrestling during a game in front of the parents, players, everyone. The defensive coach then walked off the field and drove away.

I have to say it was weird, but it inspired me to get my own team and not repeat some of this stuff.

Del

That is pathetic. I know parents often turn their kids over to the coach (especially boys) and say, "He's all yours--ride him hard." I simply don't roll that way, and I would never scold a player like that.

At the most, I might tease him "Hey Joey! Are you waiting on your girlfriend to show up and watch before you decide run your full speed?". If it is tactical, I'll pull him aside and say "Hey man, here is what I need you to do."

I wince when I see coaches do this on the field. It's funny, because everyone sees it. I think a lot of us on here were, like you, inspired by another coach and what not to do, which got us involved. I know it did for me.

Well we won our playoff game Chiefs 34 vs Saints 6 then went on to play in our divisional Super Bowl. It was a tough game and the momentum was on the side of the Cardinals for 2/3 of the game. Late in the second half with the score Chiefs 6 vs Cardinals 16 we started our comeback. It was tough fought both ways.

With 2 minutes left in the game we took the lead 18 to 16. We had a chance to extend our lead and didn't score. On their last drive we stopped them just short.

Final Chiefs 18 vs Cardinals 16. We finish the total season at 8-0 with 6-0 regular season and 2-0 post season. Can take a 3 month rest till the fall season starts again.

Del