439 replies to this topic

[Coach Ray]

I meant to post earlier in the week...

We won our game last Saturday 27-6. We were strong defensively and only gave up one long run. I would still like to see us INT a pass (we have yet to do so). On offense, we were pretty strong. We scored on a quick screen to a wideout and ran in three others (I think all were end arounds).

We are getting more efficient at running the plays and the handoffs are getting a little better. I would still like to see them going more 'full speed' when they take the handoffs. We aren't there yet.

Our pass routes are not the greatest. With the drag plays they are all over the place depending on the player which makes it difficult on my QBs. I think we will work on running the basic routes again in practice.

I worked in a little shotgun at the last practice and hope to use it in the games a little bit in the next week or so.

We've got a DH tomorrow. Should be lots of fun.

Thanks to all for the input you have provided thusfar!!!!!

[Johnp2]

Congrats on your win! Regarding the INTs (or lack of) have you had many opportunities? In other words have your opponents passed much? We did not have many INTs last season, but we were a plus in the turnover margin (fumbles are a dead ball in our league).

I too would like to see us get more picks this year. We had one pick six last season---and could have had another but the player who got the pick did not know to run once he had it---and he had an open field. ;-) That was obviously my bad---and I've learned to teach the kids to be sure and run when you get a pick---and be sure to run the opposite direction. Ha!

[Orange]

We finally played our first game. The team we faced was pretty good but we managed to edge them 20-12. Actually we led 20-0 at the half but they got two touchdowns to our none in the second half.

I'm sure there are teams out there that are just as young as us but one of the players from the other team was overheard saying, "wow, I'm taller than everyone on their team, and I'm average size on ours." I keep telling my kids, flag football is a speed game, not a size game.

I saw two of our future opponents playing after our game and the team we beat (and our team) was clearly better. We have a mega-conference though with 20 teams. We play 7 games and everyone makes the playoffs but there are 3 separate playoffs depending on how you do. So the very best teams will all play each other at the end, the medium teams have their own champion and the lesser teams have their own too.

[Coach Butch]

Hello Coach's

I am coaching my son's Flag football team. I coached his T-Ball team in the spring but this is the first time to coach Football and I need some help. I haven't been on a football field since Middle School over 15 years ago.

I have 11 boys, Pre K & K (4&5 yrs old), on the team. We play 5 on 5, kid quarterback, QB cannot run, and defense can rush if lined up 7 yards back. Defense on the line can rush once ball has been handed off.

At this age it is hard to find a kid who can throw a decent pass and when he does it is usually dropped. We have two QB that are about equal, one good RB and one very good and fast RB. His speed and his ability to change direction is what makes him better.

I am having trouble figuring out how to teach zone defense to 5 year olds. Since we are allowed to rush I would like to rush at least one player on every down. The better of the two RB's is the only player to understand rushing. Sometimes he is moving before the ball is in the hands of the QB. If the other teams RB gets past him he still has the speed to run him down and get the flag. So which position should be his primary offense or defense?

So here are my questions: Does anyone have any plans they might share with me? Any tips on teaching zone defense or would it be better to run man to man? How many practices do you have each week? Basically any help would be appreciated.

Thanks and Good Luck to all your teams.

[hollad6636]

Coach Butch,

Below are a few posts for you to check out. Take some time going through some of the other posts and keep asking questions. There is a great group of coaches here.

Zone Defense Topic
Flag Football Defense
First Practice
First Year Flag Football Coach
Youth Flag Football Drills
Various Youth Football Coaching Articles


Good Luck,

Schann

[Orange]

So here are my questions: Does anyone have any plans they might share with me? Any tips on teaching zone defense or would it be better to run man to man? How many practices do you have each week? Basically any help would be appreciated.

At your age group you need to keep things very basic. 4-5 year olds won't be playing much that resembles real football so you should adapt your strategy to what they can do. I wouldn't do much passing if at all. Maybe a sprint out drag or something like a short 2 yard shuffle pass is all. You'd be wasting your time with anything more. If the other team's defense crowds the line of scrimmage like I'm going to suggest for you maybe try a toss over their heads once in a while. But you should run, run run. Put two kids in the backfield and fake one way and go the other. Maybe try and end around too.

Your defense should basically be around the line of scrimmage. I'd probably even forgo the rusher. Place 2 kids immediately left and right over the center (maybe 2 yards left and right of him) and tell them stand there and as soon as the ball is handed off to run in and grab flags. Place 2 more kids about 3-4 yards wide of the other two and tell them to watch and see what happens. If the ball comes their way they are to run straight forward and cut off the play. Place 1 kid as middle linebacker/ safety maybe 5 yards back in the middle. This should be the best kid with a chance to get a pick, aggressive and football smart. Don't worry about man to man, give them zone assignments and expect about 90% runs.

I think you could get away with 1 practice per week.

[Coach Ray]

Two wins on Saturday!!

Game one was 25-7 with a pick six for us on the final play. My best player stepped in front of an out route and took it to the house! It was nice...after the game, he said, "Coach, that was my dream. I always wanted to do that." That is why we do it guys!!!

Game two was a 19-6 victory. My slowest player who has a bit of a handicap with his right arm scored a conversion point. When he ran back to the huddle all I could see was his ENTIRE red mouthpiece. He was smiling like you wouldn't believe.

We get a couple of weeks off because of fall breaks for the school system. Our next couple of games are against the top two teams in the league. One of them is avg over 30 points a game and the other is around 25 per game.

These guys throw the ball a lot more than what we have faced thusfar.

We play a 2-3 zone with my middle backer always rushing. I've told them on pass plays I want them to 'cover' their zone area and pick up the receiver who comes into it. I've also told them to cover the guy in front so they are between the QB and the receiver (I just thought it would be easier to get picks and defend from in front). We just seem to really struggle on pass plays and I feel we are going to be picked apart when we face these two teams.

Any suggestions for me on what to practice to get the guys more ready for this type of offense.

Also, one of these two teams has one player who is just dominant. He has scored almost all of their TDs (rushing and receiving). I was thinking about having my best player defend him one on one when we played them. Is this a good idea or not? It would be something different than what we have done all year (maybe I turn to this sort of tactic of all else is failing in this game).

I'm not saying we won't compete with these guys - I just want us to be ready so we can have the best shot possible.

Thanks for any pointers you can provide!!!!!

[Orange]

Two wins on Saturday!!

Game one was 25-7 with a pick six for us on the final play. My best player stepped in front of an out route and took it to the house! It was nice...after the game, he said, "Coach, that was my dream. I always wanted to do that." That is why we do it guys!!!

Game two was a 19-6 victory. My slowest player who has a bit of a handicap with his right arm scored a conversion point. When he ran back to the huddle all I could see was his ENTIRE red mouthpiece. He was smiling like you wouldn't believe.

We get a couple of weeks off because of fall breaks for the school system. Our next couple of games are against the top two teams in the league. One of them is avg over 30 points a game and the other is around 25 per game.

These guys throw the ball a lot more than what we have faced thusfar.

We play a 2-3 zone with my middle backer always rushing. I've told them on pass plays I want them to 'cover' their zone area and pick up the receiver who comes into it. I've also told them to cover the guy in front so they are between the QB and the receiver (I just thought it would be easier to get picks and defend from in front). We just seem to really struggle on pass plays and I feel we are going to be picked apart when we face these two teams.

Any suggestions for me on what to practice to get the guys more ready for this type of offense.

Also, one of these two teams has one player who is just dominant. He has scored almost all of their TDs (rushing and receiving). I was thinking about having my best player defend him one on one when we played them. Is this a good idea or not? It would be something different than what we have done all year (maybe I turn to this sort of tactic of all else is failing in this game).

I'm not saying we won't compete with these guys - I just want us to be ready so we can have the best shot possible.

Thanks for any pointers you can provide!!!!!

A zone defense is always good except when a qb has time and is an accurate passer. I think as the kids get older it will be harder and harder to play zone. The team we played yesterday almost had some nice long passes but we were fortunate they didn't connect. The qb threw a nice long ball along the sideline that the receiver just couldn't pull down. Even my fast safety couldn't get there on time. My point is that you need to pressure the qb as much as possible because a kid with a strong arm with time will beat you. I found myself mostly running a 1 1 3 zone where I was flexing the 3 safeties, sometimes playing them 5 yards off the los and sometimes 10. That seemed to give us good coverage deep. They ended up scoring on us by running the ball not throwing it. If you have a furious flag puller place him over the center to shut down the runs.

[Coach Butch]

Thanks for the help.

We have practice tomorrow night and I can't wait to see how the offense reacts to the plays I have found here. I have color coded each position, and assigned a color to each player, I hope it will make it easier for the kids to understand where they need to be and where they need to be going.

A couple more questions. Our rules state that only direct handoffs behind the line of scrimmage are permitted, no pitches, but shovel passes are allowed. Can't a shovel pass be a pitch? What makes the two different?
I want this to be about the kids and hope they enjoy flag football. Myself and the other two coaches think we should have one offense and one defense and have them play that way for the whole game. I have been told by the team mom that some of the other parents are complaining that their son never got to play offense. What do you think is the best for the kids? I feel that everyone on the team plays an important role, it takes more than the offense to win a game, just like it takes more than the defense to win a game.

[Orange]

Thanks for the help.

We have practice tomorrow night and I can't wait to see how the offense reacts to the plays I have found here. I have color coded each position, and assigned a color to each player, I hope it will make it easier for the kids to understand where they need to be and where they need to be going.

A couple more questions. Our rules state that only direct handoffs behind the line of scrimmage are permitted, no pitches, but shovel passes are allowed. Can't a shovel pass be a pitch? What makes the two different?
I want this to be about the kids and hope they enjoy flag football. Myself and the other two coaches think we should have one offense and one defense and have them play that way for the whole game. I have been told by the team mom that some of the other parents are complaining that their son never got to play offense. What do you think is the best for the kids? I feel that everyone on the team plays an important role, it takes more than the offense to win a game, just like it takes more than the defense to win a game.

Forward pass:
A pass thrown from behind the line of scrimmage to a receiver who is closer to the opponent's end line than the passer.

That's the definition. The key is that the throw can be overhand, underhand or a shovel pass as long as it goes forward. All they are saying is that any kind of forward pass is allowed. For some reason certain leagues prohibit sideways and backwards laterals. I assume it makes it easier for the referees because they don't have to watch for forward laterals.

My philosophy from day one has been to allow all the kids to play both offense and defense equally. They split time per half. I've done this for 3 years now and only recently have I begun thinking about doing something different until I spoke with a new assistant. It's his first time coaching flag and the first season his son played flag. I asked him what his general impression was of the game, anything that stuck out to him. It's funny the one thing he mentioned was that he really liked the way I let every kid play both offense and defense and multiple positions on each one. He said that is going to help the kids be better football players in the long run. He mentioned that there is most certainly teams that specialize in positions and that given equal abilities the team who specializes will have a definite advantage. But in the end he said we're doing the best thing. It was nice to hear that and reassuring that I'm on the right path.

[Coach Ray]

Thanks for the help.

We have practice tomorrow night and I can't wait to see how the offense reacts to the plays I have found here. I have color coded each position, and assigned a color to each player, I hope it will make it easier for the kids to understand where they need to be and where they need to be going.

A couple more questions. Our rules state that only direct handoffs behind the line of scrimmage are permitted, no pitches, but shovel passes are allowed. Can't a shovel pass be a pitch? What makes the two different?
I want this to be about the kids and hope they enjoy flag football. Myself and the other two coaches think we should have one offense and one defense and have them play that way for the whole game. I have been told by the team mom that some of the other parents are complaining that their son never got to play offense. What do you think is the best for the kids? I feel that everyone on the team plays an important role, it takes more than the offense to win a game, just like it takes more than the defense to win a game.

Like Orange...I play my guys on both defense and offense. It does keep us from being as good as the teams that only play players in certain positions. However, I feel we are a more balanced team. The sum of our parts (in some cases) will be greater than the sum of theirs - BECAUSE, I have guys who have played all positions and are confident in playing them AND they may only have two or three really good players on each side of the ball. I play guys everywhere. The kids love it and I believe it will make them better football players in the long run. It will also keep them coming back to the game because of the good experience on the team. The kid on the team that only plays defense and never gets to play offense might be turned off from football for a long time.

Just my two cents...

[Johnp2]

Agreed---I would allow the kids to play both. I know speaking as a parent, I would question why my son does not have the opportunity to play both sides of the ball.

[Charlie]

These guys are right on the money. Keep it fun and make sure that EVERYONE has opportunities. At this age group it can't and shouldn't be all about winning.

[Coach Rob]

It's pretty wild to look back over all the posts in this thread. A lot of great discussions, info and learning took place over the course of two years. Already have my spring team signed up for 10-11 y/o division. Nine of my 10 players are returning from previous seasons, should be an interesting season of football.

CRob

EDIT: 5/19/09 - Ended the spring 09 reg season 6-0 (tourney in a few weeks). All the kids but one scored, several scored multiple times. All the kids received at least two ball touches per game, some more. We only allowed 24 pts all season. None of my kids talked in the huddle, not one asked when it was their turn to get the ball. Not all seasons turn out like this, but if you're a new flag coach do yourself a favor; grab some coffee and sift through this thread - you will find tons of practical info that will translate into a less frustrating first season.

Since this thread was started, we've had three 2nd place seasons and one 1st place season. Hoping to make this current 09 season another 1st place. Honestly, we didn't do it by playing our superstars all the time or having 2 hour practices three times a week. We made sure all the kids received close to equal ball touches, applied a lot of the info in this thread (and other threads on this forum), but most importantly - we didn't lose sight of the number one goal - HAVE FUN! There are a lot of wise coaches on these forums, I'm glad I listened to them.

[9211?]

What an incredible wealth of information. Orange, Coach Rob, all of the other contributing coaches, Thank you. I have volunteered to be the Head Coach of our leagues innaugural Flag Football season. I have never coached at any level before. This forum has given me all of insight and direction required to get things rolling. We will be playing 8 on 8. My roster will be 18 kids. I must say prior to stumbling on to this site, I was beginning to get a little stressed. With our first practice 3 weeks away I have:

-A good idea of topics to cover during our Parents meeting.
-Solid foundation from which to base our teams philosophy and goals for the season.
-Excellent selection of beginner offensive plays to work with.
-Excellent selection of defensive schemes.
-Practice strategy and drills.

If my 7 YO is any indication of what teaching challenges and short attention spans lie ahead....I will have my work cut out.

Again. Thank you all for contributing to such an excellent forum.

Ron the rookie coach.