Defense wins championships. I don’t know if that’s necessarily 100 percent true, but it sure is important. You can download a free defensive playbook here. And if you need help with the offensive side check out this unbeatable offensive playbook for 5-on-5 flag football.
Tips for Coaching Defense in Flag Football
Always Run
You never want players just walking, especially during a play. Running to the ball can make the difference between a touchdown and a 5 yard gain. Encourage all your players to give their all on every single snap.
Positioning
Put your best athletes at Safety and Linebacker. At linebacker they need to be able to stop the run really well, blitz and man up. At safety it’s stopping the deep ball, but since a lot of QBs at a young age just wanna go deep, have a good athlete back there, and you’ll rack up the interceptions.
Aggressiveness
Stay aggressive with your play calls. Don’t get to predictable, so switch it up. And make sure you make the opposition feel the pressure. You never want them to be comfortable.
Practice Pulling Flags for at least 15 minutes a practice
Just like tackle football teams practice tackling, practice pulling flags. It is the most important skill on defense. To make it fun play tag or sharks and minnows to make it fun and still get better.
A good drill for this is making a 10 by 10 box, and the defensive player has to pull the flag of the offensive player before he crosses the opposite goal line from where he started. You can adjust the box size based on age and skill.
Create Takeaways
This kind of falls into the same category as aggressiveness, but you need to create takeaways. Go up and get the ball when it comes to you, and go get the ball when it’s in the air.
Now that you have the free defensive playbook and tips, go check out our free unbeatable flag football offensive playbook, and go dominate the competition.