Slant and Go (5v5 flag football play)
Y sells a hard slant for three steps, then plants and runs upfield and back to the right sideline. The safety or corner who jumps the slant is left behind, and the QB throws the deep ball over the top. Works best once the defense has already seen and bitten on a real slant.
New to these terms? Slant · 2x1 · Sideline · Safety · Over the top · Double move · Curl · Drag · full glossary
When to call Slant and Go
Second or third time you run a slant concept. Call it when a defender is stepping in front of the slant route.
Who gets the ball
- Y on the double move. If the defender steps inside on the slant fake, throw it deep and let Y run under it.
- X on the 7-yard curl if the deep coverage stays back.
- Z on the shallow cross as the safe third option, drifting across the middle at 2-3 yards.
Coaching points
- Y must sell the slant: three hard steps inside at a 45-degree angle, head looking at the QB, then a sharp plant and sprint upfield and back to the right sideline.
- The ball should be thrown before Y finishes the break. Throw to a spot about 12 yards downfield, not to where Y currently is.
- Z's shallow cross across the middle at 2-3 yards gives the QB an easy bail-out underneath if the deep ball is not there.
- Run the plain slant a few times first. This play only beats a defense that has seen the slant.
Sell the first break without rushing the throw
Practice Y's slant fake and upfield turn without a ball. The receiver should change direction under control, then find the ball while accelerating. Move the target landmark closer if the quarterback cannot reach it comfortably. The throw needs to arrive in the space Y will enter, not at the spot where the fake started.
Call the double move for a specific defensive reaction
A defender who stays deep has not taken the bait. Rehearse that response so the quarterback uses X's curl or Z's shallow route instead. You do not have to call the deep shot merely because it was in the huddle. Pair the concept with Bunch Slant-Flat when your team already runs the short slant from that alignment.
Common mistakes
- Y rounds off the slant fake so it looks like a slow drift. The first three steps must be full speed inside.
- The QB stares down Y and waits too long, taking a sack against the 7-second clock. Set, look, throw or check down to Z.
- Y and X end up too close together. X should finish near the left sideline, not drift toward the middle.
What to call next
If the safety stops biting and stays deep, come back to the real slant to Y or run Mesh to attack the middle.
Drills that teach Slant and Go
Run these in the practice before you install it, so the kids already own the pieces.
- Route Tree on Cones (9 min): Three lines of receivers run three basic routes off cones: a slant, an out and a curl.
- Over-the-Shoulder Catch Drill (8 min): Receivers track a reachable pass over the outside shoulder while keeping a clear downfield running lane.
- Center-QB Snap Drill (7 min): Pairs practice the snap, then the center runs a short route and catches a pass.
Practice gear: league-compatible Flag belts and the league's specified youth size football. Optional wristband cards help players find a numbered call. These are Amazon search links; as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Plays that pair with Slant and Go
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