There are many different levels of Flag Football programs, and I assure you that this article will ring true no matter what level you are playing at. It doesn’t matter if you are playing in an adult men’s league or coaching a U-8 flag football team, this will help you bring home the gold. All you have to do is want it, and follow these plans to a tee. In this first of a 3 part article, I will outline the type of players that you will need at each position, what to look for when you are recruiting them, and what to emphasize to them during the game.
- Quarterback – I know this may sound crazy, but the right man for the job is not always the guy with the best arm. This person needs to have amazing pocket presence. He cannot be too quick to run. It may work against teams that run man-to-man coverage, but anytime a team runs a good zone defense you will get burned. You need to find someone who is comfortable in the pocket, buys time with pump fakes, and is just a calming figure in the huddle. The quarterback needs to be able to take charge and lead your team.
- Offensive Tackles (Right and Left)– This will depend on the kind of league that you are in. If you are in a full contact on the line league, you should break out your big boys. You need these people to be able to bully around the other team, but they still need to be relatively fast. Remember: everyone is eligible so these guys are your Tight Ends and your “dump players” when everything else breaks down. If this is a hands behind the back (no contact) league, then you will need guys who are tall with fast feet. They need to be able to shift from side to side very quickly. The taller they are, the faster they can do that. They too will need good hands for when plays break down. It is important to stress that their job is to block first. They are not primary receivers and they must give your QB time.
- Center (Snapper)- This person needs many of the same attributes of your other linemen. I would say that if you are in a full contact league, your center can be smaller than the rest of your linemen. The most important thing is that this person needs to be extremely intelligent. They need to know when to help the right tackle, when to help the left tackle, when to merely plug the middle hole, and when to go out for a pass. There will often be passes called for the center, so this person needs to be dynamic if you want to have that ability.
- Wide Receivers – This is actually very straight forward, but I would aim to have 1 of 3 types on the field at all times. You need a speedster who has great top speed and can get down field quickly. Having the ability to throw the ball long on downs where you only need a few yards for the first down is very important. You also don’t want to put yourself in a situation where the other team can put two middle linebackers in the box. The next receiver you need is a possession receiver. This needs to be the person you trust most in a jump ball situation. This guy needs to be able to come down with the ball and be more sure-handed that all of your other guys. Finally, you need a shifty guy. I hate calling this guy your “Wes Welker” type, but he is. You want a little guy who is shifty. You can call a lot of under routes for this person and force the other team to creep up in their zone.
- Defensive Line – In my opinion this is the most important position on the field. Sure, QB is important but lets face it, “if they can’t score, they can’t win” and that rings true more often than not. Logic tells you to put your big men here. That is not always the correct call though. Yes, you want these guys to be strong, but if they are also round then you are doing something wrong. You want very, very fast guys rushing. If they can run over people, then all the better. The problem with a big man rushing, though, is that if they can’t chase down the QB, then it wont matter who they ran over to get to him (Rushing is also a passion of mine, and I will cover various strategies in detail in a later article). These guys also need to be disciplined and smart. They cannot let the QB escape the pocket, they need to pursue at the correct angle, and constantly switch up their rushing strategy. If you can, put your best athletes here.
- Middle Line Backer(s) – These guys need to be smart. First of all, it is a very complicated game due to the fact that everyone is eligible and there are no fumbles (so there will be more pitching). Everyone is eligible so this person needs to balance when to cover the linemen release and when to contain the QB. Physically, I would look to put your quickest and best tackler at this position. Missing tackles can be devastating, especially when it is on a released lineman.
- Corner backs – These are similar to your receivers. They need to be physically gifted, fast, and have the ability to cover someone 1v1. Traditionally I would stick to a zone, but either way they need to be able to run with the receiver when they get into their zone. Use your WRs here and you won’t go wrong.
- Safety – The person you are looking for here is going to be a hybrid of your middle linebacker and defensive backs. They need to be very smart and keep an eye on the QB’s eyes. They need to have speed (quickness not as important), good hands, and tackling (flag pulling) ability.
Putting the right people in the right positions on the flag football field is a good start, but again it is only a start. It allows you to build the foundation for a successful team. Once you have the right team, you can then move on to game-planning. Stay tuned for the next article in this series, which will explore this topic in detail.
