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8",{"type":8,"value":172,"toc":173},[],{"title":11,"searchDepth":12,"depth":12,"links":174},[],"2027-02-26",[],{},"\u002Fschedule\u002F2027-02-26-week-8",{"description":11},"schedule\u002F2027-02-26-week-8","8","Q_sP7Yr0dSb6edqK5A3YtHQjPodDo_DnolliftFBIj4",{"id":184,"title":185,"body":186,"category":351,"description":352,"extension":15,"image":353,"imageAlt":354,"meta":355,"navigation":71,"path":356,"publishedAt":357,"seo":358,"slug":359,"stem":360,"summary":361,"__hash__":362},"news\u002Fnews\u002Fteaching-flag-pulling-and-avoiding-flag-guarding.md","Teaching flag pulling and avoiding flag guarding",{"type":8,"value":187,"toc":345},[188,197,202,207,223,229,246,249,253,280,286,290,322,326,329],[189,190,191,192,196],"p",{},"Flag pulling is to flag football what tackling is to tackle football. Flag guarding costs ",[193,194,195],"strong",{},"10 yards and loss of down",", and it's one of the most common penalties young players get called for. Teach both early and your team will be ahead all season.",[198,199,201],"h2",{"id":200},"what-the-rules-say","What the rules say",[189,203,204],{},[193,205,206],{},"A legal flag pull:",[208,209,210,214,217,220],"ul",{},[211,212,213],"li",{},"Only happens when the ball carrier has full possession of the ball.",[211,215,216],{},"Never involves diving, tackling, holding or running through the ball carrier.",[211,218,219],{},"Can never involve trying to strip the ball. Stripping is a 10-yard penalty and an automatic first down.",[211,221,222],{},"Never targets a player without the ball. Pulling a receiver's flag before the catch is an illegal flag pull (5 yards and an automatic first down), and repeated off-ball pulls will be penalized.",[189,224,225,228],{},[193,226,227],{},"Flag guarding"," is any attempt by the ball carrier to keep a defender from the flags:",[208,230,231,234,237,240,243],{},[211,232,233],{},"stiff-arming",[211,235,236],{},"dropping a head, hand, arm or shoulder over the flags",[211,238,239],{},"covering the flags with the jersey (jerseys must be tucked in every play)",[211,241,242],{},"diving, leaping or jumping to avoid a flag pull",[211,244,245],{},"spinning out of control",[189,247,248],{},"Spins and jump cuts are legal, as long as the player stays on their feet and in control.",[198,250,252],{"id":251},"coaching-flag-pulling","Coaching flag pulling",[254,255,256,262,268,274],"ol",{},[211,257,258,261],{},[193,259,260],{},"Eyes on the hips."," The hips go where the ball carrier goes. Watching the ball, the head or the feet leads to missed pulls.",[211,263,264,267],{},[193,265,266],{},"Break down."," Shorten your steps and lower your hips as you get close, so you can react to a cut.",[211,269,270,273],{},[193,271,272],{},"Angle, don't chase."," Take a path that cuts off the ball carrier instead of running behind them.",[211,275,276,279],{},[193,277,278],{},"Two hands, then show it."," Reach for the flag with both hands. Once it's pulled, hold it up high so the official sees it.",[189,281,282,285],{},[193,283,284],{},"Drill:"," pair players in a 5-yard-wide lane. The ball carrier tries to get past while the defender breaks down and pulls. Swap every rep. Make it a game by counting clean pulls.",[198,287,289],{"id":288},"coaching-ball-carriers-to-avoid-flag-guarding","Coaching ball carriers to avoid flag guarding",[208,291,292,298,304,310,316],{},[211,293,294,297],{},[193,295,296],{},"Carry the ball away from the flags,"," high and tight, never down by the hips.",[211,299,300,303],{},[193,301,302],{},"Hands away from the belt."," Swing your arms naturally and never reach back over the flags.",[211,305,306,309],{},[193,307,308],{},"Win with your feet."," Teach jump cuts, change of pace and spin moves done in control.",[211,311,312,315],{},[193,313,314],{},"Stay on your feet."," No diving for extra yards and no hurdling defenders. Leaving your feet is only allowed to avoid a collision.",[211,317,318,321],{},[193,319,320],{},"Tuck in before every snap."," Make \"jerseys tucked, flags on the hips\" part of the huddle routine.",[198,323,325],{"id":324},"sideline-habits","Sideline habits",[189,327,328],{},"Players who aren't in the game shouldn't be pulling flags on the sideline, especially with younger kids. Save it for practice drills.",[189,330,331,332,337,338,344],{},"Find the full rules on our ",[333,334,336],"a",{"href":335},"\u002Frules","rules page",", and more defensive drills from NFL FLAG on their ",[333,339,343],{"href":340,"rel":341},"https:\u002F\u002Fnflflag.com\u002Ffootball-drills",[342],"nofollow","drills page",".",{"title":11,"searchDepth":12,"depth":12,"links":346},[347,348,349,350],{"id":200,"depth":12,"text":201},{"id":251,"depth":12,"text":252},{"id":288,"depth":12,"text":289},{"id":324,"depth":12,"text":325},"Coaches","Flag pulling is to flag football what tackling is to tackle football. Flag guarding costs 10 yards and loss of down, and it's one of the most common penalties young players get called for. Teach both early and your team will be ahead all season.","\u002Fuploads\u002Frunner-chase.jpg","A ball carrier in a green jersey runs with the ball while a defender in purple chases his yellow flags",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Fteaching-flag-pulling-and-avoiding-flag-guarding","2026-09-23",{"title":185,"description":352},"teaching-flag-pulling-and-avoiding-flag-guarding","news\u002Fteaching-flag-pulling-and-avoiding-flag-guarding","Flag pulling is the most important defensive skill, and flag guarding is one of the most common penalties. Here's how to coach both.","z7-5WgeZ4tvVVUiXObvzi2tD_3YQDQBw5VUh3f-dx0c",{"id":364,"title":365,"body":366,"category":539,"description":370,"extension":15,"image":69,"imageAlt":69,"meta":540,"navigation":71,"path":541,"publishedAt":542,"seo":543,"slug":544,"stem":545,"summary":546,"__hash__":547},"news\u002Fnews\u002Funderstanding-the-rush.md","Understanding the rush: the 7-yard line, the rusher's path and the 7U exception",{"type":8,"value":367,"toc":530},[368,371,375,382,405,409,416,420,431,438,442,449,455,459,466,485,489,507,514,518,525],[189,369,370],{},"\"Why couldn't the quarterback run?\" \"Why was that an illegal rush?\" \"Why did the rusher get a penalty?\" The rush rules come up every Friday night. Here's how they work at our field.",[198,372,374],{"id":373},"the-7-yard-rush-line","The 7-yard rush line",[189,376,377,378,381],{},"Any defender who wants to rush the quarterback must start at least ",[193,379,380],{},"7 yards from the line of scrimmage"," when the ball is snapped. A marker or the referee shows the rush line, and defenders should check their spot with the official on every play.",[208,383,384,395,402],{},[211,385,386,389,390,394],{},[193,387,388],{},"Any number of defenders"," can rush in our league. National NFL FLAG allows at most 2, but our ",[333,391,393],{"href":392},"\u002Fnews\u002Fhome-field-rules-how-our-league-differs-from-national-nfl-flag","home field rules"," don't limit it.",[211,396,397,398,401],{},"Defenders who ",[193,399,400],{},"aren't"," rushing can line up right on the line of scrimmage to cover receivers.",[211,403,404],{},"Teams don't have to rush, and they don't have to say who's rushing before the play.",[198,406,408],{"id":407},"once-the-ball-is-handed-off","Once the ball is handed off",[189,410,411,412,415],{},"The 7-yard rule ends as soon as the quarterback hands the ball off. Then ",[193,413,414],{},"every defender"," can cross the line of scrimmage from anywhere on the field. The 7-second pass clock also stops applying.",[198,417,419],{"id":418},"when-the-quarterback-can-run","When the quarterback can run",[189,421,422,423,426,427,430],{},"The quarterback can't run with the ball, ",[193,424,425],{},"unless"," a defender rushes from 7 yards back. Once that rusher ",[193,428,429],{},"crosses the line of scrimmage",", the quarterback can take off.",[189,432,433,434,437],{},"One exception overrides this: in a ",[193,435,436],{},"no-run zone"," (the 5 yards before midfield and before each end zone), the offense can only pass, even when rushed.",[198,439,441],{"id":440},"jumping-early","Jumping early",[189,443,444,445,448],{},"If a rusher leaves the 7-yard marker before the snap, that rusher ",[193,446,447],{},"can't rush on that play",". Another defender who's 7 yards back still can. It only becomes a penalty if that rusher then crosses the line of scrimmage before a handoff or pass.",[189,450,451,454],{},[193,452,453],{},"Illegal rush:"," 5 yards from the line of scrimmage and an automatic first down for the offense.",[198,456,458],{"id":457},"the-rushers-path","The rusher's path",[189,460,461,462,465],{},"The rusher gets a ",[193,463,464],{},"clear path"," to the quarterback. That path is set before the snap, in a straight line from the rusher to the quarterback, and it doesn't move when the quarterback does.",[208,467,468,479],{},[211,469,470,471,474,475,478],{},"If an offensive player ",[193,472,473],{},"moves into the path",", they must avoid the rusher. Contact or getting in the way is ",[193,476,477],{},"impeding the rusher",": 5 yards and loss of down.",[211,480,470,481,484],{},[193,482,483],{},"doesn't move"," after the snap, it's the rusher's job to go around them.",[198,486,488],{"id":487},"what-a-rusher-can-and-cant-do","What a rusher can and can't do",[208,490,491,497],{},[211,492,493,496],{},[193,494,495],{},"Can:"," pull the quarterback's flag behind the line for a sack, or try to block the pass.",[211,498,499,502,503,506],{},[193,500,501],{},"Can't:"," make contact with the quarterback. That's ",[193,504,505],{},"roughing the passer",": 5 yards and an automatic first down, unless the official rules the contact incidental.",[189,508,509,510,513],{},"A sack in the offense's own end zone is a ",[193,511,512],{},"safety"," (2 points).",[198,515,517],{"id":516},"the-7u-exception","The 7U exception",[189,519,520,521,524],{},"In our ",[193,522,523],{},"7U Division",", defenders can't rush the passer at all unless there's a legal handoff in the backfield. That gives our youngest quarterbacks time to learn to throw.",[189,526,527,528,344],{},"All the rules are on our ",[333,529,336],{"href":335},{"title":11,"searchDepth":12,"depth":12,"links":531},[532,533,534,535,536,537,538],{"id":373,"depth":12,"text":374},{"id":407,"depth":12,"text":408},{"id":418,"depth":12,"text":419},{"id":440,"depth":12,"text":441},{"id":457,"depth":12,"text":458},{"id":487,"depth":12,"text":488},{"id":516,"depth":12,"text":517},"Guides",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Funderstanding-the-rush","2026-09-22",{"title":365,"description":370},"understanding-the-rush","news\u002Funderstanding-the-rush","Rushing the quarterback causes more sideline questions than any other rule. Here's how it works in our league, step by step.","oPkSgbd3b2rfOK8bKr3zJ1EYcz0ue7BMWIQvqy8HTvQ",{"id":549,"title":550,"body":551,"category":351,"description":555,"extension":15,"image":69,"imageAlt":69,"meta":733,"navigation":71,"path":734,"publishedAt":735,"seo":736,"slug":737,"stem":738,"summary":739,"__hash__":740},"news\u002Fnews\u002Fyour-first-practice-plan.md","Your first practice plan",{"type":8,"value":552,"toc":721},[553,556,560,590,594,599,602,606,616,620,623,651,655,658,662,665,669,672,676,702],[189,554,555],{},"New to coaching? You don't need a thick playbook to run a great first practice. Kids want to move, touch the ball and have fun. Here's a simple plan you can adjust to your division's age and attention span.",[198,557,559],{"id":558},"before-practice","Before practice",[208,561,562,572,578,584],{},[211,563,564,567,568,571],{},[193,565,566],{},"Know the rules."," Read the ",[333,569,570],{"href":335},"rules"," so you can teach the game the way it's played at our field.",[211,573,574,577],{},[193,575,576],{},"Bring gear:"," footballs, flag belts, cones and water.",[211,579,580,583],{},[193,581,582],{},"Learn names first."," Kids play harder for a coach who knows their name.",[211,585,586,589],{},[193,587,588],{},"Recruit a helper."," A second adult makes stations possible.",[198,591,593],{"id":592},"the-plan","The plan",[595,596,598],"h3",{"id":597},"_1-dynamic-warm-up","1. Dynamic warm-up",[189,600,601],{},"Jogging, high knees, butt kicks, side shuffles and backpedals across the field. Finish with a few short sprints. Keep everyone moving; no standing in long lines.",[595,603,605],{"id":604},"_2-flag-pulling","2. Flag pulling",[189,607,608,609,612,613,615],{},"Pair players up. One jogs and cuts while the other closes in, breaks down, and pulls a flag with both eyes on the hips. Swap roles often. Talk about the rules: ",[193,610,611],{},"no grabbing jerseys, no holding, no diving into the ball carrier, and no pulling flags off players without the ball",". See ",[333,614,185],{"href":356}," for more.",[595,617,619],{"id":618},"_3-skill-stations","3. Skill stations",[189,621,622],{},"Split into small groups and rotate:",[208,624,625,631,637],{},[211,626,627,630],{},[193,628,629],{},"Throwing:"," grip, step toward the target, and follow through. Short distances first.",[211,632,633,636],{},[193,634,635],{},"Catching:"," hands up, thumbs together for balls above the chest, pinkies together below. Look the ball in.",[211,638,639,642,643,646,647,650],{},[193,640,641],{},"Snapping and handoffs:"," center-to-QB snaps between the legs, then clean handoffs behind the line. Remind players there are ",[193,644,645],{},"no pitches or laterals"," in our league, and ",[193,648,649],{},"no handing off to the center"," on the first handoff.",[595,652,654],{"id":653},"_4-routes-and-a-few-simple-plays","4. Routes and a few simple plays",[189,656,657],{},"Teach two or three basic routes (a quick out, a slant and a go route) and put them into a couple of plays your team can run all season. Simple and repeated beats complicated and confused.",[595,659,661],{"id":660},"_5-scrimmage","5. Scrimmage",[189,663,664],{},"Finish with 6 on 6 or small-sided games. Rotate positions so every player gets a turn at quarterback, receiver, rusher and defensive back. Call out rules as they come up: the 7-yard rush line, the 7-second pass clock and the no-run zones.",[595,666,668],{"id":667},"_6-huddle-up","6. Huddle up",[189,670,671],{},"End on a positive note. Recognize effort and good sportsmanship, and give a clear reminder of the next practice and game.",[198,673,675],{"id":674},"tips-that-make-a-big-difference","Tips that make a big difference",[208,677,678,684,690,696],{},[211,679,680,683],{},[193,681,682],{},"Short and active beats long and perfect."," Avoid long lines and long talks, especially with younger kids.",[211,685,686,689],{},[193,687,688],{},"Everyone plays, everyone sits."," Start building that rotation in practice.",[211,691,692,695],{},[193,693,694],{},"Praise effort out loud,"," and correct quietly and specifically.",[211,697,698,701],{},[193,699,700],{},"Keep parents in the loop"," with a quick message after each practice.",[189,703,704,705,709,710,715,716,720],{},"For more ideas, NFL FLAG has free ",[333,706,708],{"href":340,"rel":707},[342],"drills"," and ",[333,711,714],{"href":712,"rel":713},"https:\u002F\u002Fnflflag.com\u002Fflag-football-plays",[342],"plays",". Adapt them for 6 on 6 and our no-pitch rule. And read our ",[333,717,719],{"href":718},"\u002Fnews\u002Fcoaching-guidelines-for-the-new-season","coaching guidelines"," before the first game.",{"title":11,"searchDepth":12,"depth":12,"links":722},[723,724,732],{"id":558,"depth":12,"text":559},{"id":592,"depth":12,"text":593,"children":725},[726,727,728,729,730,731],{"id":597,"depth":31,"text":598},{"id":604,"depth":31,"text":605},{"id":618,"depth":31,"text":619},{"id":653,"depth":31,"text":654},{"id":660,"depth":31,"text":661},{"id":667,"depth":31,"text":668},{"id":674,"depth":12,"text":675},{},"\u002Fnews\u002Fyour-first-practice-plan","2026-09-24",{"title":550,"description":555},"your-first-practice-plan","news\u002Fyour-first-practice-plan","A simple, ready-to-run practice for first-time coaches: warm-up, skill stations and a scrimmage, built around our home field rules.","kGbAH_ldWXHbcCAJwL1aNa4-QPs1eU3SZidP8Z1HwSc",1791132560722]