3 Reasons Your Flag Football Team Plays Slow
You want your flag football team to play fast. This is common sense, right? Now before you stop reading, we understand that your NFL Flag team speed is what it is. We also understand that every coach stresses effort and hustle or at least you should.
However; sometimes a coach can get so close to the process that they lose sight of some unintended consequences with their coaching methods. This happens with all types of football, tackle and flag football.
Today we want to look at three things that you might be doing that are actually making your flag football team play slower. These three things can creep into the young minds that you are coaching. Before you know it you have a slow “thinking” football team.
1. Players Not Knowing Assignments
Most players will tip toe through a play hoping that they are right or hoping that they are not exposed for not knowing their assignments. It’s not always their fault that they do not know what to do. It is often the case that the flag football offense you are trying to run is too big. Meaning, you have too many plays to learn.
As a coach it is your job to find out how much your flag football offense can handle. It is also your job to understand the best ways to teach them. Anyone can yell at the kid. A good coach will find out how to teach him. They will also make sure the volume of plays and defenses is not overwhelming to the player.
2. Trying To Always Have The Perfect Play or Defense
As coaches, we look for the perfect answer to every defense or offense. Let’s face it. Sometimes the opposition makes a call that is perfect for what you have dialed up. It happens. No big deal. Let it go and move on to your next call.
Defensive coaches are guilty here too. You want to have an adjustment for everything the offense “could” do. Wise coaches will prepare for what the opponent does the most and have one check for anything different from that. Your players will end up making you right more often than not if they are playing fast.
3. Teaching Your Young Players The Entire Play Vs Just Their Assignment
The old saying “See a little, see a lot. See A lot, see nothing.” applies here. If a coach teaches their players every assignment on a play or defense, this can be a mistake. If you are not careful your young players will become spectators watching who has the ball. Spectators do not play fast. You must teach your players that the ball will find them only if they play fast.
A great way to install a play like we have below is to install it without a ball. Run the play over and over without the ball. All of your emphasis should be on executing their assignment and how fast they are playing. Only implement the ball when everyone understand the speed that they should be playing to make the play work.
Take a look at this flag football offense play that has a lot of moving parts. It is very hard for any defense to cover, regardless of age, if the offense plays fast.
FirstDown PlayBook offers you 12 different NFL Flag offensive formations. Don’t try to run them all, but find the one or two that are right for your team. Click on any one of the tiles below to visit the article describing that formation. After reading the article then go join FirstDown PlayBook and get busy coaching your NFL Flag team with the best playbook and flag football wrist sheets available!
