Flag Football Plays > Flag Football Playbook
Flag football is a bit different than tackle. Not just in the rules of how you are allowed to stop your players, but also how you line up your team and the formations that are best utilized to score on defenses. Depending on if you are playing 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 man flag football, will greatly determine how you setup your flag football playbook. Here is a look at some helpful hinters you can implement for your flag football team.
Pass Heavy
If you love to pass, flag football is your game. Unlike with tackle
football, where you try and gain inches with each down, flag
football doesn’t typically have a large set up running formations.
While its not unusual to see some running plays with 8 or 7-man flag
football, when there are less payers on the field, its easier wing
the ball down the field in hopes of big yardage gains. When you are
building your flag football playbook for your team, keep in
mind how many players you have and utilize the personnel that you
have.
Note: In some cases, (ie. 4v4 flag football) handoffs are not allowed and all plays must either develop with a flick, pitch or a pass down field.
Wildcat
Wildcat may be most recognized with tackle football, but it’s also
extremely useful in flag football as well. Flag football is all
about speed, without pads or helmets to weigh you down. So if you
are playing in a flag football league where hiking the ball is
required and running is allowed, the wildcat can keep your opponent
on their heels and open up a lot of other potential plays.
Bunch Formations
Your flag football playbook should be stacked with bunch formations.
These plays will lead to the defense being unable to get to the
player with the ball, leading to potential big gain opportunities by
the offense. No matter how many players you play with in flag
football, bunch formations should be in your playbook.
Defensive Plays
Your flag football playbook should be a bit different defensively
than tackle football. With less players on the field, your defense
will have to cover more space and be more quick to grab peoples
flags, rather than the hopes of tying the offensive player up and
waiting for a multi-person tackle. With this in mind, consider
implementing many zone coverage’s that will allow your team to cover
positions in the case where one defender gets beat or caught out of
position.
When planning for a flag football game, your playbook will look
different than a regular rules game. However, you can use many of
the plays and tools that have already been implemented, in your
favor to build plays that are tailored to succeed in flag football.