Flag football glossary

Two receivers on one side and one on the other. Read it as "two by one".

When a defender falls for a fake or rushes up to cover a short route, leaving space behind them. Double moves and trick plays wait for defenders to bite.

Also called: Jump a route

Sending a defender after the QB. In flag football the blitzer is the rusher, who must start behind the 7-yard rush line.

The sharp cut where a route changes direction. A hard, sudden break is what gets a receiver open; a rounded break lets the defender catch up.

Also called: Cut

Three receivers lined up in a tight triangle close together. The traffic makes man-to-man defenders run into each other or argue about who covers whom.

The player who snaps the ball. In flag football the center is an eligible receiver and usually runs a short route right after the snap. Many of our plays use C as the check-down.

A penalty on a ball carrier who runs straight into a defender who is already set, including leading with the head or shoulder. Runners must try to go around defenders.

A short, safe receiver the QB throws to when the main reads are covered. On many of our plays C is the check-down. A short gain beats a sack.

Also called: Outlet, safety valve

A group of routes that work together to beat one defender or one coverage, like curl plus flat. The same concept can be run from different formations.

Run straight up, then angle toward the back corner of the field (the pylon in the red zone). The QB throws it high and toward the sideline so only the receiver can reach it.

See it in: Smash, Flood, Snag, Bunch Slant-Flat-Corner

A defender lined up across from an outside receiver. Corners cover receivers near the sideline in man-to-man or guard a short or deep area in zone.

A run where the back steps one way, then gets the ball going the other way. The first step pulls defenders the wrong way.

See it in: Counter, Crossbuck

One deep safety covers the deep middle while the rest play man-to-man or short zones. Seams and the post away from the safety are common answers.

Also called: Single-high, one deep safety

Two defenders split the deep field in halves. The deep middle and the sideline area under the safeties are open spots.

Also called: Two-deep zone

Two backs cross behind the QB. The QB fakes to the first and hands to the second, who runs the other way.

See it in: Crossbuck

Run about 5 to 7 yards, stop, and turn back toward the QB, coming back a step to the ball. It works because the receiver stops while the defender keeps going.

Also called: Hook, sit

See it in: Curl-Flat, Drive, Dagger

The play is over. In NFL FLAG style rules that happens when a flag is pulled or falls off, the ball carrier steps out of bounds, a knee or arm touches the ground, a pass hits the ground, a score happens, or the 7-second pass clock runs out. A dropped handoff or fumble is dead where it hits the ground; there are no fumble recoveries.

A player who runs a route or fake just to pull a defender away. Since flag has no blocking, decoys are how you clear space. Decoys have to run full speed to work.

A deeper in route, about 8 to 12 yards up then flat across the middle, behind the underneath defenders.

See it in: Drive, Dagger, Double In

A quick handoff to a back running straight ahead, close to the center. Simple and good for young teams learning handoffs.

See it in: Double Back Dive

Fake one route, then run another. Examples: slant-and-go, out-and-up, hitch-and-go. Only call it after the defense has seen the first route a few times.

Also called: Slant-and-go, out-and-up, hitch-and-go

See it in: Slant and Go

Two receivers on each side of the ball. A common 7v7 look because it is balanced: the defense cannot tell which side the play goes to.

One play. The offense gets a set number of downs to reach the line to gain. Under NFL FLAG style 5v5 rules a team gets four downs to cross midfield, then three downs to score.

Which down it is and how many yards are left to the line to gain. "Third and medium" means third down with a middle distance to go, roughly 4 to 7 yards. Coaches use it to pick a play: short passes for short distances, deeper concepts when you need more.

Also called: Third and medium, short yardage

A route that runs flat across the field at about 2 to 5 yards. Two drags going opposite ways make the mesh concept. The receiver keeps running after the catch.

Also called: Shallow cross, crosser

See it in: Mesh, Drive

A run that looks like a pass. Receivers run deep, the QB shows a throw, then hands off late up the middle into the space the defenders left.

See it in: Draw

A player allowed to catch a forward pass. In NFL FLAG style rules every offensive player is eligible, including the center. The QB becomes eligible after a handoff or pitch.

The scoring area at each end of the field. NFL FLAG style 5v5 fields use end zones of about 7 to 10 yards deep.

After a touchdown the offense runs one more play. NFL FLAG style rules use 1 point from the 5-yard line or 2 points from the 10-yard line. There is no kicking. A play from the 5 is inside the no-run zone, so it must be a pass.

Also called: Point after touchdown, conversion

Pretending to do one thing to make the defense react, like faking a handoff or faking a route. Drawn as a dashed blue line on our diagrams.

Reaching the line to gain earns a new set of downs. In NFL FLAG style 5v5 the only line to gain before the end zone is usually midfield, so a team earns at most one first down per drive.

A penalty on the ball carrier for blocking a defender from the flags: a stiff arm, swinging the ball or an elbow down over the flag, or covering the flags with a jersey. Teach runners to keep hands and ball away from the belt.

The flag football version of a tackle. The play ends where the ball is when a defender pulls the ball carrier's flag. Defenders may not hold, push or tackle, and may not pull a flag from a player who does not have the ball.

A short route toward the sideline, about 1 to 2 yards past the line of scrimmage. "The flat" is also the short area near the sideline. A quick, safe throw that beats a fast rusher.

See it in: Curl-Flat, Bunch Slant-Flat-Corner, Flood

In a zone, the defender responsible for the short area near the sideline. The Curl-Flat play is built to read this one defender.

Three receivers attack one side of the field at three depths, so the defenders there cannot cover them all.

See it in: Flood

Where each offensive player lines up before the snap. The same play can be run from different formations. NFL FLAG style rules need at least one player on the line (the center) and the QB off the line.

A throw toward the other team's end zone. Only one forward pass is allowed per play, and it must be thrown from behind the line of scrimmage and caught past it. Any player can throw it, not just the quarterback.

Run straight downfield as fast as possible. Even when the ball is not thrown, a go route pulls a defender deep and opens space underneath.

Also called: Vertical, fly, streak, deep route

See it in: Spread Verticals, Four Verticals, Stack Go-Out

The front edge of the end zone. The ball has to cross it for a touchdown.

An extra player. In 5v5 run plays H is a back behind the QB who takes a handoff or runs a fake. In 7v7 H is often a second slot receiver on the right.

A back takes a handoff like a run, then stops behind the line and throws. Legal because any player can throw one forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage.

See it in: Halfback Pass

The ball carrier hands the ball directly to a teammate. Handoffs are only legal behind the line of scrimmage. Once a handoff happens in NFL FLAG style rules, the pass clock no longer applies and every defender may cross the line to chase the ball.

Short marks on bigger fields that split the width into thirds. Many flag fields do not have them; on this site "the right hash" just means a spot a few yards right of where the ball is.

Run about 5 yards, stop, and turn to face the QB. Like a short curl. Good against a defender who plays far off.

See it in: Smash, Scissors

A quick throw the QB makes right away when the rusher comes free, usually a slant, flat or the center sitting over the ball.

The quick team meeting before each play where the play is called. See how to call flag football plays.

An offensive penalty for getting in the rusher's path to the QB after the snap. The rusher gets a straight lane to where the QB lined up. A player who stands still is not impeding; the rusher must go around.

Run straight up, then cut flat toward the middle of the field. A deeper in is called a dig.

See it in: Double In

A forward pass that hits the ground or goes out of bounds. The play is dead, the ball goes back to the line of scrimmage and the down counts.

A pass caught by the defense. In NFL FLAG style rules interceptions can be returned; one returned for a score during a normal play is worth 6 points.

Receivers at different depths in the same area, one short and one deeper. The defender between them has to pick one, and the QB throws to the other.

Also called: High-low read

The imaginary line across the field through the ball before the snap. The offense lines up behind it and the defense on the other side. Route depths on this site are counted in yards from this line.

The yard line the offense has to reach for a first down. On a 5v5 NFL FLAG style field that is midfield. Some 7v7 leagues use more lines to gain, often every 20 yards, so check your league.

A defender a few yards off the ball in the middle. Linebackers cover short crossing routes and the center, and chase runs. Plays like mesh, Drive and Double In are built to make this one player choose.

Also called: Middle defender, underneath defender

A play built to get open against man-to-man: crossing routes, bunch and stack releases, and quick breaks like the slant.

Each defender follows one receiver wherever they go. Beat it with crossing routes, quick breaks and receivers lined up close together so defenders run into traffic.

Also called: Man coverage

Two receivers run shallow crossing routes toward each other and pass close by. Defenders following them in man-to-man get caught in the traffic.

See it in: Mesh

The space between the hashes, straight downfield from the ball. Crossing routes, the dig and the post attack it.

The middle of the field. In NFL FLAG style 5v5 it is the line to gain for a first down, with a 5-yard no-run zone in front of it.

One player moving before the snap. NFL FLAG style rules allow one player in motion, moving sideways or backward, not toward the line. If a defender follows the moving player, the defense is probably in man-to-man.

Under NFL FLAG style rules, the 5 yards before midfield and the 5 yards before the goal line. When the ball is snapped inside a no-run zone, the offense cannot run it across the line of scrimmage: the play has to end in a forward pass, even after a handoff. Run plays still work as fakes there.

Offside is a defender crossing the line of scrimmage before the snap. A false start is an offensive player who is set moving like the play has started before the snap. Both are usually 5-yard penalties.

Run straight up, then cut flat toward the sideline. A quick out at 4 or 5 yards is a sure throw near the sideline if the QB throws on time.

See it in: Stack Go-Out, Scissors, Post Wheel

Deeper than the defender, behind them. "Throw it over the top" means throw past a defender who came up too far.

Under NFL FLAG style rules the QB has 7 seconds from the snap to throw. If the ball is still in the QB's hands after 7 seconds, the play is dead and the down counts. The clock goes away once the ball is handed off or pitched.

Also called: 7-second rule

Contact that stops a player from catching a pass: grabbing, pushing or cutting in front of them with no play on the ball. Either team can commit it.

A rule broken during a play. Defensive penalties usually move the ball forward and give an automatic first down; offensive penalties usually move it back and cost a down. Yardage varies by league. Common ones: offside, flag guarding, screening, illegal rush and pass interference.

The QB lines up a few yards behind the center with the running back directly behind the QB. It hides which way a run is going.

A toss of the ball sideways or backward to a teammate. NFL FLAG style rules allow as many backward passes as you like behind the line of scrimmage. A pitch counts like a handoff for the rusher and pass clock rules.

Also called: Lateral, backward pass

The time the offense has to snap the ball once the referee spots it. It changes by league (NFL FLAG style regular season play often allows 40 seconds; some tournaments use 25). Fast huddles and wristbands keep you from getting a delay of game penalty.

A pass play that starts with a fake handoff. Defenders step up for the run, and a receiver slips behind them.

Run straight up, then angle toward the middle of the field and the goalposts. It beats a safety who drifts toward the sideline.

See it in: Post Wheel, Scissors, Sweep Right

A defender lined up right in front of a receiver at the line. Flag rules do not allow jamming, so it is about staying close. Quick breaks and stack releases beat it.

The order the QB looks at receivers: first read, second read, then the check-down. Practice saying it out loud.

There is no kicking in NFL FLAG style youth flag. On fourth down a coach can declare a punt, and the other team takes over at its own 5-yard line. Leagues handle this differently, so ask your referee.

The orange marker at each corner of the end zone. "Aim for the pylon" is shorthand for running a corner route to the back corner.

In NFL FLAG style rules the player who takes the snap cannot run the ball across the line of scrimmage. The QB must throw, hand off or pitch. After a handoff or pitch, the QB becomes an eligible receiver. Some 7v7 and older-age leagues let the QB run, so check your league.

The player who takes the snap. The QB throws, hands off or pitches, but under NFL FLAG style rules cannot run the ball across the line of scrimmage. On our diagrams the QB is the yellow Q circle.

Also called: QB

The running back who lines up behind or next to the QB. R takes handoffs, runs swing routes, and gives the QB a short outlet against a fast rush. In most 5v5 plays there is no R; in 7v7 there usually is.

Also called: Running back, back

What the QB looks at to decide where to throw. Often it is one defender: if they cover this receiver, throw to that one. Our diagrams number the reads in red: 1, 2, 3.

The area close to the other team's end zone, roughly inside the 10- or 20-yard line depending on field size. The field gets short there, so deep routes turn into corner and short throws.

A receiver's first steps off the line after the snap. A quick release matters most for short routes like the flat.

A run that starts one way, then a second handoff sends the ball back the other way. It beats defenses that chase the ball hard.

See it in: Reverse

A penalty on a rusher who makes contact with the QB. Rushers may try to block a pass with their hands up, but may not hit the passer.

The path a receiver runs. Routes have a depth (how far downfield before the cut) and a break (the cut itself). See the full list on the flag football route tree page.

The basic set of routes every receiver learns, usually drawn as branches from one starting spot: flat, slant, out, in, curl, corner, post and go.

A play where the ball is handed off or pitched and a runner carries it past the line. Illegal from inside a no-run zone.

A line 7 yards from the line of scrimmage on the defense's side, usually marked with a cone. A rusher must start at or behind it when the ball is snapped. Starting inside it and then rushing is an illegal rush penalty.

Also called: 7-yard rule

The defender who chases the QB at the snap. The rusher must start at least 7 yards from the line of scrimmage (the rush line) and, under NFL FLAG style rules, raise a hand before the snap. National NFL FLAG rules allow one or two rushers, but many 6U and 8U divisions allow none, so check your league.

Also called: Blitzer

The QB's flag is pulled behind the line of scrimmage before the ball is thrown. The next play starts from where the ball was when the flag came off.

The deepest defender, the last line of defense. With one safety the defense is usually in cover 1 style; with two, cover 2. Many of our deep pass plays tell the QB to watch the safety and throw away from them.

Also called: Deep safety

Two points for the defense when the ball carrier is downed in their own end zone: a flag pulled, stepping out, or a snap that lands in the end zone. Not the same as the safety position.

Getting in a defender's way on purpose. There is no blocking or screening in NFL FLAG style flag football. Players who are near the ball carrier must stop and let the play go. This is why plays in flag use decoys and routes to pull defenders away instead of blocks.

Also called: Blocking

A go route run by a slot receiver up the open lane between the outside defender and the middle of the field.

See it in: Four Verticals, Dagger, Spread Verticals

Make a fake or route look real: full speed, eyes and body moving the same way as a real play.

A down where the offense needs only a yard or two. Quick runs like the dive and quick passes like the flat are common calls. Remember a run is not allowed from a no-run zone.

The QB lines up a few yards behind the center instead of right behind them, so the snap is a short toss. It gives the QB more time to see the field.

Also called: Gun

The long boundary lines on each side of the field. Stepping on the line is out of bounds. Routes like the out, corner and wheel attack the space near the sideline.

One to three hard steps straight up, then a sharp cut on an angle toward the middle. The QB throws it right away. One of the best routes against man-to-man.

See it in: Bunch Slant-Flat-Corner, Stack Go-Out

A receiver lined up between the center and the outside receiver on that side. Slot receivers get a free release inside and run many of the crossing and seam routes.

A short hitch outside with a corner route over the top. The cornerback cannot guard both.

See it in: Smash

Run about 5 yards, then stop in the open space between defenders and face the QB. The key is to sit still, not drift.

See it in: Snag

How every play starts: the center passes the ball back between the legs to the quarterback. The ball has to leave the center's hands completely. Kids who are new to it should practice short, soft snaps before anything else.

Two backs lined up behind the line on either side of the QB. The start of many run and fake plays like Crossbuck and Counter.

Receivers split out wide across the whole field. Spreading out gives each receiver room and makes the defense cover the full width.

Two receivers lined up one behind the other. The defense cannot tell who is going deep and who is going short until after the snap.

The QB looking only at one receiver the whole play. Defenders follow the QB's eyes to the ball.

The strong side is the side with more receivers. The weak side (or backside) has fewer. A backside route is one away from where the main part of the play happens.

Also called: Weak side, backside

A run to the outside: the back takes the handoff moving toward the sideline, then turns up the field once past the last defender.

See it in: Sweep Right

A running back route that curves out of the backfield toward the sideline, behind or near the line. A quick outlet when the rush is fast.

See it in: Four Verticals, Dagger

Throwing where the receiver is going, not where they are now. For moving receivers, aim at the front shoulder.

Also called: Lead the receiver

A pass thrown to a spot before the receiver gets there, so the ball arrives as they finish the break. Slants, outs and hitches are timing throws.

Carrying or catching the ball in the end zone. Worth 6 points.

A play built to fool the defense, like the reverse or a halfback pass. Trick plays work best after you have run the normal version they copy.

Three receivers on the same side of the center. Trips puts more receivers on one side than the defense usually has defenders there. Used in flood and Snag.

Two receivers lined up on the same side of the center, like Twins Left in Curl-Flat.

The short area in front of the deep defenders, usually 0 to 7 yards past the line. "Underneath defenders" guard it.

Start toward the sideline like a flat, then turn and run straight up the sideline. Defenders who jump the flat get left behind.

See it in: Post Wheel

A receiver lined up near the sideline. On this site the outside receivers are usually X (left) and Z (right).

A small card in a clear wristband window listing plays by number, so a coach calls "23" and every player knows the play. Make one with the playbook builder.

Also called: Play card

On this site X is the receiver lined up wide on the left side, usually right on the line of scrimmage. X often runs the deep or backside route.

On this site Y is usually a slot receiver receiver, lined up between the center and an outside receiver. Y runs a lot of the inside routes: crosses, seams, snags and corners.

Yards a receiver gains running after the catch. Crossing routes produce a lot of them because the receiver is already moving.

On this site Z is the receiver lined up wide on the right side. Z is often the deep threat on that side, or the outside part of a bunch or stack.

Each defender guards an area of the field instead of a player. Beat it by putting two receivers in one defender's area, or by sitting in the gaps between areas.

Also called: Zone coverage

A play built to get open against zone: several receivers in one defender's area, like flood or curl plus flat, or receivers who sit in the gaps between zones.