Flag Football Study Guide

Flag Football Study Guide

Goals

Flag football is a team sport activity that attempts to develop a sense of sportsmanship and fair play, the ability to get along with your peers during stress situations. Flag football will also develop basic muscular strength and coordination used in the fundamental skills of the game.

Introduction to Touch Football

A. Description of the Game

Because flag football was adapted from eleven-man football, the rules of play are similar in flag football, pulling flags replaces tackling, blocking is modified because protective equipment is not worn by the players, and all players are eligible to receive forward passes. The object of the game is the same as in tackle football: To score points by advancing the ball legally across the goal line. Running, passing, or kicking may advance the ball.

1.  Playing Field

It is recommended that a standard size touch football field be 360 ft. long by 160 ft. wide. In the event of facility limitations, the length and width may be modified. The field markings may be changed to accommodate the goal posts. These consist of two uprights 20 feet high and 18 feet 6 inches apart connected with a crossbar 10 feet above the ground.

2.  Downs

A down is a period of play which starts when the ball is put into play by the center and ends when it is declared dead. The ball is declared dead immediately upon touching the ground with the exception that a bouncing kick is alive until such time that a player touches it, and it touches the ground again. A team must advance the ball across the midfield stripe or score in four consecutive downs or it loses possession of the ball.

3. Punting

Each offensive team must announce when they are going to punt. Announcement must be made as the offensive team breaks from the huddle. Failure to punt after announcing is a 15-yard penalty. The defensive team must have at least 4 men on the line of scrimmage. They may not cross the line or back away from it until the ball is kicked. The offensive team may not leave the line to “cover” the punt until the ball is kicked. The penalty for violations is illegal procedure/5 yard penalty.

B.  Punt

1.  Caught or recovered cleanly after it hits the ground, it is live.

2.  If receiver muffs it, it is dead when it hits.

3.  Touched by kicking team member, it is dead.

C.  Kick-Off – Dead when it stops, or when touched by member of kicking team.

1.  The kick-off must pass the mid-field marker.

2.  After the kick has passes the mid-field mark, it is a free ball.

3.  If the kick-off goes into the end zone, it is a dead ball.

4.  If the kick goes out of bounds, the kicking team must back up 5 yards and kick over. The second time the receiving team gets the ball at mid-field.

D.  Scoring

Scoring is the same as in regular football, except that place kicks are not used as a means of scoring. Points are awarded as follows:

1.  Touchdown (6 points) - Scored by carrying or passing the ball over the goal line.

2.  Safety (2 points) – scored when the ball carrier is tackled behind his own goal line if the ball carrier’s team caused the ball to go over the goal line.

3.  Point after touchdown (1 or 2 points) – 1 point scored by running or 2 points scored by passing the ball over the goal line.

E.  Pulling Flags (Touch Tackling/Flagging)

The ball is dead when the ball carrier’s flag is pulled.

1.  The ball carrier’s progress may be stopped only by pulling one or both flags from his/her belt.

2.  A ball carrier may not be blocked, pushed or tackled.

3.  It is illegal to pull the tab from any player except the ball carrier.

4.  A ball carrier may not use either his arms or hands to prevent the defense from pulling his flags.

F.  Penalties

Violations of regulations are penalized by moving the ball a specified distance toward the goal of the team committing the foul. The distance which the ball is moved varies according to the violations. Some of the most frequently violated rules and the penalties incurred are:

1.  Offsides – No player may cross the line of scrimmage until after the ball is put into play. Penalty is 5 yards

2.  Unnecessary Roughness – Any playing tactics that are unnecessarily rough and endanger the safety of the participants are illegal. Penalty is 15 yards, or suspension from the game if the violation is flagrant.

3.  Pass Interference – Defensive players may not block or push the pass receiver in any way to prevent the offensive player from catching the pass. If personal contact is made, it must be made in an honest effort to intercept the pass. Penalty is placement of the ball at the spot of the violation.

4.  Illegal Forward Pass – A pass is illegal if the passer is beyond the scrimmage line, or if it is the second forward pass within the same play. Penalty is loss of 5 yards from the spot at which the pass was made.

5.  Holding – Illegal use of the offensive player’s hands. Offensive players may not use their hands to block the defensive player. Penalty is 15 yards.

6.  Clipping – An offensive player may not push a defensive player in the back. The offensive player must be in front and within the framework of the defender before contact can be made. Penalty is 15 yards from the spot of the foul.

Techniques

1.  Receiving Passes

All passes, including lateral and center passes, should be caught with the fingers and hands, never into the body. Whenever possible, both hands should be used to catch the ball. The fingers should be spread wide apart and relaxed, and the hands should give when the ball comes in contact with the fingers. The eyes must watch the ball until the pass is caught in the fingers/hands. Many passes are fumbled because of failure to keep the eyes on the ball and failure to catch it on the fingers. After the ball is caught on the fingers, it is drawn to the body. This often happens so rapidly that is appears that the pass receiver catches the pass with the body.

There is a greater possibility of pass completion if the receiver can get into the open. Some pass plays use other players to draw the defense away from the player who is going to receive the ball. Regardless of the strategy of the pass play, the receiver will have to know how to change pace and direction. Change of pace is a good technique for eluding a defensive player. The receiver runs at a moderate speed; as the offensive player comes near the defensive player a burst of speed is used to get around or past the defender. Frequently the defensive player, seeing the offensive pass receiver running at a certain speed, will assume that the speed is his fastest and will set his/her own pace accordingly. When the pass receiver make the burst of speed, the defender is not ready to cope with this speed and will often lose the chance to prevent the receiver from catching the pass.

2.  Defense and Pulling Flags

The approach to pulling a flag to stop a player is very similar to the approach used to tackle in full contact football. Just before a pull is made, there is a slight decrease in speed, which accompanies a slight widening of the stance and bending of the knees. The widening and bending of the lower body allows the defender to be more mobile and make sudden changes in direction. It is easier to pull a flag from the side rather than head on. When the pull is made, the flag is held aloft, and then dropped immediately at the spot.

3.  Punting and Receiving

The punt is most frequently used on the third or fourth down when the offensive team is in its own half of the field and the possibility of making the needed distance for a first down is rather doubtful. The kicker should stand about ten yards behind the line of scrimmage.

Patterns