Flag Football Plays And Tips To Beat A Fast Pass Rush

To become the best, you have to beat the best.

Dated cliches aside for a moment — what I’m trying to say is, top tier teams in your flag football leagues, at your schools, and in local tournaments will almost always have a great pass rush. To beat those annoying bastards, you’ll need to have some tricks up your sleeve on offense to be effective moving the ball and scoring touchdowns.

Let’s start with the basics:

The Center

Good snaps – A quick, accurate snap from center can make a huge difference. If the QB has to take a big step in any direction just to snag a wobbly lollipop snap, the likelihood of getting sacked skyrockets. Against a skilled rusher, every single second counts. A nice quick snap gives the QB an extra second or two to scan the defense and get the ball out.

Take it deeper – The snap, you degenerate! Another adjustment you can make is to take a deeper snap than normal. Instead of a 6-7 yard snap, take a 10-12 yarder. This can give the QB an extra second before the rush gets there, and even if he doesn’t get the ball out in time, it’s easier to side step or juke someone running at full speed. (Trip him as he flies by for extra style points) The center will need to be able to make the deep snaps with consistency.

Have the center drop back to block – On plays where your center is not a pass target, have him snap and immediately drop back and pick up a block. If you embrace this concept and your center gets good at it, you will have an advantage that most teams won’t be prepared for.

Blocking Backs

Screens, flag football style – Have plays in your arsenal that are designed for blocking backs to release into the flats after a 1 or 2 count. This is especially effective if the backs have Vick-esque abilities to make defenders look foolish. It’s always a good idea to have an offensive weapon in the backfield.

Blockers release after they are beat – Make sure your blockers are releasing into the flats after they’ve been beaten by the rusher. This gives the QB an outlet and is a very effective technique for avoiding sacks. Even a 3-5 yard gain is much better than a sack, and if a defender misses a flag, it could easily be a big gain if the back has a 90+ speed attribute.

Practice blocking – Do blocking drills at every practice. Make sure blockers know how to stay low, and always watch the rushers hips. This is another reason it pays to have blocking backs with some quickness. (Getting the idea?)

The Quarterback

Rollouts with protection audibles – Set up some basic protection audibles that you can call at the line to let your blockers know if you’re rolling out right or left. This could be as simple as calling out “Rocky” for right, or “Leo” for left, for example. Mix it up so that the defense doesn’t catch on. As a blocker, it’s much easier to shield a rusher when you know which way the QB is rolling.

Don’t be a hero – Many good flag football QBs pride themselves in being elusive. It’s no secret that having a speedy quarterback can be an offensive weapon, but if the rusher is faster, don’t continue to try to scramble and outrun him. Get rid of the football. Don’t be a hero. Seriously.

The Strategy

Throw Quicks – Quick hitters are the key to the passing game when facing a nasty rush. Throw quick hitches, quick slants, and quick outs. This is something that has to be practiced to be effective. The QB should work on taking the snap and releasing the ball with some velocity as fast as possible. Receivers should run crisp, consistent routes. The importance of good route running in this scenario can’t be overstated. If what’s supposed to be a 5 yard out becomes an 8 yard out, the result will likely be a sack, an underthrown ball, or a pick.

Fades – It helps to have at least one receiver that’s tall or has exceptional ball skills, or ideally, both. If you have someone like this, you can throw fades on the sidelines between the corner and safety in cover 2. This is a play that you can throw quickly, but put just enough air under the ball to allow your receiver to run under it or go up and get it. The defense will begin to play closer to the line after throwing the quick routes, so this is an excellent way to exploit their adjustment.

Spread option – Running the option out of the spread formation is another great way to exploit an aggressive rush. The defense is eventually forced to rush from wider angles in an attempt to stop the option, which creates more time for the QB to throw.

Illegal Motion is a big fan of practice, and it can’t be stated enough that you have to put in the work to beat top teams. With that being said, it’s understandable that it isn’t always easy to get everybody together for practice every week. At the very least, get your team to show up an hour early for the game, and practice these techniques so that everybody is familiar with them when they are needed to open up a can of whoop-ass on your unsuspecting opponents.