Flag football coaching guide

Flag football glossary

36 terms every new flag football coach hears in week one, in plain words.

Teach your players the same words so a play call means the same thing to everyone. Rules terms (rush line, no-run zone, motion) vary by league, so check your league's rulebook for the exact numbers.

Line of scrimmage (LOS)

The imaginary line across the field where the ball is spotted. Nobody on either team crosses it before the snap.

Snap

The center hands or tosses the ball back to the quarterback to start the play.

Rush line

In flag football, the spot rushers must start behind, usually 7 yards from the line of scrimmage. Leagues set their own distance.

No-run zone

The last few yards before the goal line (and in some leagues before midfield) where the offense must pass. Usually 5 yards.

Flag pull

The flag football tackle: a defender pulls a flag from the ball carrier's belt and the play is dead at that spot.

Formation

Where the offense lines up before the snap, such as Twins, Trips or Stack.

Twins

Two receivers lined up on the same side of the center.

Trips

Three receivers on the same side of the center.

Stack

Two receivers lined up one behind the other, so a defender can't jam both and has to decide who covers whom.

Bunch

Three receivers clustered close together, which creates traffic for man defenders.

Motion

One player moving sideways or away from the line before the snap. Only one player may be moving, and never toward the line.

Route

The path a receiver runs. A route tree numbers the common ones so a call is a few digits.

Route tree

A numbered set of routes (flat, slant, out, curl, post, corner, go and so on) every receiver learns, so a play call is short.

Hitch

A short route: run 5 yards, stop and turn back to the quarterback.

Slant

A quick route that breaks at an angle toward the middle after one to three steps.

Out

A route that runs upfield and breaks flat toward the sideline.

Corner

A route that runs upfield and breaks toward the back corner of the end zone or field.

Post

A route that runs upfield and breaks toward the middle of the field, deep.

Go (fly, fade)

A straight sprint up the field.

Drag (shallow)

A shallow route across the field just past the line.

First read

The receiver the quarterback looks at first on a pass play. GridIronVault draws it in cyan.

Progression

The order the quarterback looks at receivers: first read, second read, then the checkdown.

Checkdown

The short, safe throw the quarterback takes when the first reads are covered.

Man coverage

Each defender follows one receiver wherever he goes.

Zone coverage

Each defender guards an area of the field and covers whoever comes into it.

Cover 0

All-out man coverage with no deep help. Usually paired with a rush.

Cover 1

Man coverage with one deep safety helping over the top.

Cover 2

Zone with two deep defenders splitting the field in halves and help underneath.

Cover 3

Zone with three deep defenders splitting the field into thirds.

Blitz

Sending an extra rusher at the quarterback.

Leverage

Which side of a receiver a defender lines up on. Good routes break away from it.

High-low read

Two receivers at different depths on one defender. The quarterback throws to whichever one he leaves.

Pick (rub)

A receiver's route crossing a teammate's defender so he gets caught in traffic. Many flag leagues penalize a deliberate pick, so teach receivers to run their own routes with no contact.

Screen block

The only blocking most flag leagues allow: standing in a defender's path without using hands or initiating contact.

Wristband

A small card window worn on the forearm with numbered plays, so a coach can call a number and every player looks up the play.

Call sheet

The coach's game-day list of plays sorted by situation: down and distance, red zone, two-minute and so on.

Want the coverage terms in action? See the plays that beat zone and the plays that beat man.