New to flag football? Start here

You said yes to coaching, and now the other parents are asking what a slant is. These short guides explain the game and every word our plays use, in plain language. Read them in order, or jump to the one you need.

A 5v5 offense: center (C), quarterback (QB), running back (RB) and two wide receivers (WR). Details are in positions.

1How to coach youth flag footballHow to teach kids flag pulling, routes and defense, install plays in order and run game day fairly.2Youth flag football rules, explainedField, downs, no-run zones, the rusher, scoring and penalties in plain words.3Flag football rushing rules, explainedThe 7-yard rush line, one or two rushers, the pass clock, handoffs and no-run zones, with diagrams.4Flag football positions and what the letters meanWhat Q, C, X, Y, Z, H and R do, plus the rusher, corners, safety and linebacker.5The flag football route treeSlant, flat, curl, out, post, corner, go, wheel and more, each with a diagram.6How to call flag football playsHuddles, play names kids can shout, wristband cards, signals and reading one defender.7Flag football glossaryEvery term on this site, A to Z: routes, positions, formations, rules and defense.8First-season flag football coach checklistWhat to do before the season, at your first practice and on game day, plus a rotation card and gear.

Then pick your plays

Once the words make sense, browse the 5 on 5 plays or the 7 on 7 plays. Every play page has a diagram, who gets the ball, coaching points and common mistakes. Pick a few and print them as wristband cards in the playbook builder.

Choose the guide for the question in front of you

Start with the rules if you do not know what your league permits. Use positions to understand the player labels, then routes to understand the drawn movement. The glossary is a reference when an unfamiliar word appears; you do not need to memorize it before coaching a practice.

Apply one lesson to a starter play

After reading the route guide, open Curl-Flat and identify its curl and flat in the diagram. After reading positions, ask which player snaps and which player throws. Then use the first-practice plan to turn those terms into instructions the team can try.

Content updated October 5, 2026