Pass Rush To The Flag Football QB’s Arm


By FirstDown PlayBook on Oct 11, 2024

We have written about this before but it is important enough to reinforce. When it comes to flag football, everyone assigns a defender to pass rush the quarterback with their flag football defense. Unless the quarterback is on crutches, they can hurt you by running the ball and also by having all day to find an open receiver. Even when playing NFL Flag rules where the quarterback can’t run the ball, you still need a pass rush.

What do you tell your rusher? “Go get the quarterback.” is not coaching. This goes for you too youth flag football defense coaches. Sometimes the simplest of things can make a huge difference with stopping the flag football formations and plays you see. Here is what we mean.

The odds of your defender actually pulling the flag of the quarterback is low. Guess who is probably the best player on their team. You got it. That quarterback is probably going to win an athletic one on one battle anyway against your pass rusher. Having said that, you can still help that pass rusher be more effective.

9 Nasty NFL Concepts For Adult Flag Football

FirstDown Playbook suggests that you take away the throwing arm of the quarterback. Get your flag football pass rush to the quarterback’s throwing arm. You will find that you will all of a sudden have a defender right in the quarterback’s vision as opposed to chasing them from behind. There should be a rhyme and reason for your flag football defense too.

This makes even more sense for your flag football defense when you consider that a lot of flag football pass plays are sprint out passes. Now you have the quarterback sprinting right into your rusher. Your sacks will increase and the quarterback will not be nearly as accurate.

WristBands For Your Flag Football Offense & Defense In Minutes

Of course the offense will quickly understand what you are doing but who really cares? Anyone who has coached young quarterbacks knows that if they try to sprint out away from the quarterbacks throwing arm they are at a disadvantage.

If you think this is some sophisticated strategy that doesn’t affect you as a youth flag football coach, think again. It may be more important to you than anyone. See what we mean here.

FirstDown PlayBook offers you 12 different NFL Flag offensive formations too. 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!

Angellica Grayson