I like this story. It has the virtue of being true.

In the early 1990's, I was a student at the University of New Orleans. UNO hosts the American Collegiate Intramural Sports (ACIS) Flag Football Championship every January. Teams from around the country fly in to compete. Click here to see past winners.

In college, my friends and I played regular pickup games at the UNO fields, usually 2 or 3 times a month during school. We hadn't formed a single "team" or played in an organized league. We just really liked playing and would invite other players already on the fields to join us.

One January, we were out having fun, just 6 or 7 of us, playing touch football. It was one of those bright days in January. There had been a rainstorm, and the ground was sloppy and soaked, but the rain had scrubbed the air clean. The grass seemed greener, the mud looked browner, the sky bluer. The day started chilled and crisp but quickly got warm, every step squishing up the smell of grass and mud.

Too excited by this "football weather," I didn't warm up my arm properly. After about 10 passes, my arm was spaghetti. And just as I'm ready to pack it in, over walks the NC State championship flag football team, in town for the competition. It was a great opportunity, and we couldn't refuse a friendly game.

Look, these guys were the real deal. The website says they won the Co-Rec Collegiate Division in 1990 and 1991, which wasn't that far removed from thMany of us were physically overmatched by NC State's players. Since I was useless with a bum arm, I watched from the sideline and did my best to "coach." No avail. We didn't practice as a team, so we weren't successful.

The QB we were using was a flashy ball hog who couldn't compete at QB against a real team like NC State. After going down 3 TDs to 0, my guys wanted me in the game. So, bum arm and all, I trotted into the huddle. My main goal was to not let my friends down. My secondary goal - avoid making a fool of myself.

1st Down: I called a Double Outs. Pre-snap, my right WR looked open at 10 yards. Snap was good, my receiver ran a great route, I planted and threw a clean pass, surprisingly strong considering the condition of my arm, and the ball was nearly picked off.  Talk about closing speed!!!  CB baited me perfectly and nearly made the play. I was disheartened. Here I had made the best read and throw I could muster, and it was almost a pick-6 the other way!

2nd Down: Don't even remember. I dropped back and the rush immediately swallowed me in the backfield. I recall the blocker whiffed and I just curled up in a slide to the ground. To my credit, I didn't chuck the ball blindly into the secondary.

3rd Down:  Flood Right. The two previous plays, while disastrous, had clued me in to the defensive rush. I had the sense that they pushed hard on the edges and aimed at 7-10 yards in the backfield. As such, it was difficult to rollout against and impossible to drop deep against. The only solution was to step up in the pocket.

I took the snap and began a deep drop. I could see the rushers aiming for a spot in the backfield. As the rush closed in, I popped forward. The rush whizzed past me, arms outstretched. I was thrilled, but out of sorts - I had been watching the rush the whole time and taken my eyes off the receivers, and now I had no one to throw to. As I scanned downfield I could feel the rush loop around behind me. I panicked, thought about running, then deep in the secondary, behind all the coverage, was my best receiver, all alone and waving his arms. I hurled the ball to him 25 yards downfield, and every cell in my arm exploded in fire and pain.

The ball quietly dropped into his hands and he trotted into the end zone. A 50-yard pass play, like magic.

I told my friends, "I'm done." My arm was shot.  I couldn't even lift it to wave bye.

Throwing that TD sparked the team to greater performance. NC State beat us 6-3, but we had spotted them 3 TDs. After I threw that pass, we were playing at the same level with a championship caliber team.

What I learned from that game was:

1. Warm up your arm before you play QB (dummy) and 2. You've got to believe you can win before you can win.

We were intimidated. But after I hobbled out and threw the touchdown, NC State seemed very human and not at all invincible.

1. Don’t Correct Every Mistake
You don’t need to correct them every time they make a mistake…let them realize that they are doing it wrong once (maybe twice) and seek you out for guidance. However, under no circumstances should you allow your teens to fail publicly. Don’t let their mistakes result in humiliation in front of their peers. They’ll resent you.

2. Whisper Criticism – Yell Praise
Pull your players aside when you correct their mistakes. Adolescents can easily misinterpret public criticism as a condemnation of their abilities. Even if you have the most sincere intentions, like adjusting minor details, adolescents can take it personally. Verbally “dressing down” a player will usually result in deep resentment, especially if done in front of a peer group.

If many members of a group are making the same type of mistake, couch the criticism in terms of what “we” are not accomplishing. Do not to point out those people who are actually making the mistake when you correct it. (The kids will automatically try to place mental blame anyway while you’re talking.) Instead, say something inclusive, like, “OK, guys, we keep making this mistake, so let’s go over this again….”

Yelling praise is an excellent way to boost team morale and motivate an individual to repeat exceptional performance. “Great catch!” “Good job!” “Nice footwork!” – all of these are important to building confidence in the player. Be careful of singling out the same person too frequently, though.  Playing favorites can disrupt team chemistry. Whatever you do, make sure you praise everyone at some point during the season.

3. Respect Your Players
You cannot let the players run the show, but you don’t need to lord over them either. Let them know you’re in charge, but solicit their opinions and listen to their concerns. Stay in charge but respect your players’ input. Not only is it helpful to get an “on the field” perspective, but your players also need to feel like you are empowering them.

4. Don’t Overuse the Pep Talk
Teens have a finite number of times when they can be intimidated, encouraged, or pushed to do anything. Whether it is a rah-rah type of speech or a good old fashioned chewing out, my magic number is somewhere around 2 for each event. That means if you bark at your entire team once, they’ll probably listen. Twice, they might listen again, but perhaps less so. More than twice and they will resent you for yelling at them – either because they don’t want to be treated like children or because they didn’t care that you yelled in the first place.

The same is true for pep talks. Once and you’re cheering them on. Twice and your cheering them on…again. More than twice and you are “that cheering guy who is probably going to cheer whether we suck or not.” While it is important to be positive, teens need order, structure, and discipline. Be realistic in your expectations on a team level. Every game can’t be the most important game we've ever played. 

5. Challenge Your Players to Excel
Don’t underestimate your players’ potential, and don’t allow them to underestimate themselves. They will only grow, both as football players and as young adults, if they stretch themselves to do more than they ever thought they could.

Description – A short, two-move, inside route.

Technique – Run hard at the defender for three steps, selling a long route. Plant on your sideline foot and cut at a 45-degree angle to the middle of the field. Bring hands up and get your head around – the ball is in the air as you accelerate through the cut.

Coaching Tips – Remember to look back for the ball as soon as you make your cut. Slant is a quick-hitting route, and should be completed on the same side of the field where the receiver lines up. You should not have to cross over to the other half of the field.

Also, position is key to the success of Slant. Keep your body between the QB and the defender. This means letting the defender stay deeper than you are, not running past them, but making your cut in front of them.

A Herculean feat, no doubt.  You have several significant challenges to overcome:

First, your player-to-coach ratio is 32:1.  That means you’ll be (barely) managing chaos.  To address that, you’ll need to get help from leaders within the ranks.  With 32 kids in each class, you could comfortably create four teams of 8 players.  Everyone gets to play, some play both offense and defense, and you have 2 instant games a week. An easy way to make it fair is to empower 4 team captains (usually kids who can throw) and let them do a schoolyard pick for teams. On days when some kids are sick, you should still be able to field four teams with as few as 20 kids, so there is little risk of you not having four teams. If you pick new teams every week, you can insure similar team sizes regardless of attendance.

The reason for using 4 teams is that you can have kids work in smaller groups. Smaller groups means more reps for each kid, which keeps them engaged during practice and having fun. To keep it manageable for you, I suggest each group do identical drills at the same time. You can bounce from group to group with positive reinforcement.

Your job is not "coach" as much as "commissioner." You're not teaching techniques, subtleties, or nuances. With only 2 hours a week, everything is meat and potatoes football - basics all the way with a heavy emphasis on fun, sportsmanship, and more fun.

For your first class session, do an Intro to Football primer. The learning objectives could be:

 - Present overview of flag football gameplay (field size, flag pulling, how to score, difference between offense and defense)

 - Define rules and key terms (line of scrimmage, forward pass, blitz/rush, blocking)

 - Identify positions, roles and responsibilities on offense and defense

 - Practice offensive and defensive alignment

 - Introduce and practice one offensive route (Slant)

 - Scrimmage for fun

Remember, there's a lot of potential jargon in football, but use as little as possible. Don't be hesitant to assign reading homework, like 5 vocabulary words with definitions. This can help students become familiar with important terms like "Down and Distance" or "Turnover." Regular written quizzes (matching or multiple choice) on the reading homework is a good way to reinforce key concepts and assess student learning. But beyond that, I wouldn't get hung up on installing an offense, learning plays in a playbook, or anything technical. Participation should be the largest part of a student's grade.  If they show up and try hard with a great attitude, that's a win!

Week to week, make the routine the same. Stretching, brief review of last week's work, new topic(s) for today, pick teams for today, team drills to practice topic(s), then lots of scrimmage. Above all, make sure it's fun!

What advice would you give? Share your suggestions in the comments box or via Twitter @MyCoachArt, or on Facebook on the "Winning Flag Football" page.

Thanks for your questions. Most importantly, any defense will benefit from
increased pressure on the QB.  So, whatever your strategy, laser in on "How can
we get the most pressure on the QB?"

If speed (or lack thereof) is the main concern with your team, consider making
your swiftest, most agile players rush the QB.  This seems counter-intuitive, I
know.  Usually those guys will play shutdown Corner.  But the advantage is clear
- if your rush gets to the QB earlier, then your defenders have to cover for
less time.  Shrinking the time of each play will make it easier to mount a real
defense, and it will disrupt your opposing Offense's timing, rhythm, and
confidence.

To complement this philosophy, consider using Zone coverage with the right
people in the right positions.  With smart, slow people, Linebacker and Safety
are usually the best fit.  With quick, not-so-bright people, Cornerback and
Defensive Line are good fits.  So make sure your roster is aligned to your
strategy before you implement it.

As far as formations, it depends on what you're seeing from opposing offenses. 
If you're playing Man coverage, line up head up and rush as many people as they
have in the backfield (including the QB).  You'll always get pressure like that. 
If you're playing Zone, try to conceal your coverage by rolling defenders into
their positions post-snap.  You can practice this outside of the game by setting
cones at the drop points, and having players get that muscle memory of where and how quickly to race to the center of their zone.  Disgusing zones can be a big
competitive advantage, but you have to drill it.  It's very tough to just throw
that into the middle of a game without having worked on it.

I don't know your players' strengths and weaknesses, but I hope you've found some value in these ideas.  Keep us posted on your progress!

Does your team have the same problem? Share your suggestions in the comments box or via Twitter @MyCoachArt, or on Facebook on the "Winning Flag Football" page.

Man coverage is the most basic coverage – one defender shadows one receiver, and follows them wherever they go. 

Man Coverage ensures all receivers are accounted for in the secondary, but it can be a big liability if your defenders aren’t clear on how to play it.

Let’s cover just a few of the fundamentals of Man Coverage.

First, ignore the QB.  Seems counter-intuitive, but remember your assignment – Follow the receiver wherever they go.  Your eyes should stay on the receiver at all times.  Inexperienced defenders will sneak a peek at the QB or stare down the QB to see if the pass is coming their way.  Big mistake.  Watch the receiver and react to their movements.

Next, only react to the receiver’s belt.  The receiver can only go where their hips tell them to go.  Inexperienced defenders will bite on head fakes, shoulder dip fakes, stutter steps, and other moves designed to create separation.  But if you watch the receiver’s hips, you can avoid getting fooled by this kind of trickery.

Lastly, make a play for the ball.  Defenders have as much right to catch the football as the receiver. Your job is to break up the pass, so either knock it down or catch it yourself.  Either way, you have to make a play for the ball.  Cut in front of the receiver and attack the ball at its highest point. 

One more trick you may find helpful – and it answers this question. 
“Coach Art, if I’m spending my time locked in on the receiver, reacting to his hip direction, and not looking back at the QB, how can I make a play on the ball?  How do I even know when it’s in the air?” 

Good question.  When a receiver has the ball thrown his way, he’ll look up above your head, spot the ball, and begin to move his hands to catch it.  Also, his eyes will get very big.  When you see these signs, you know the ball is already in the air and on its way to you.  That’s when you need to get your head around, locate the ball in the air, and make a play on the ball at its highest point.

What Man Coverage techniques work best for you? Share your thoughts in the comments box or via Twitter @MyCoachArt, or on Facebook on the "Winning Flag Football" page.

**A recording of this script is available on the Winning Flag Football Podcast page or at the following link - Episode 023: Fundamentals of Man Coverage.

This is one way to run a Power Option out of Split Backs.  The Split Backs formation pulls defenders into the middle of the field.  If you have a lot of speed, backs can turn the corner and get upfield with relative ease.

What makes this a "Power" Option is that both Defensive Linemen (DL) are accounted for at the point of attack.  In traditional Option plays in tackle football, the back-side DL is left unblocked.  Some flag football teams find that quick DLs will blow up an Option play behind the line when left unblocked.  "Power" Option allows your team enough time for the play to develop.

Admittedly, this play has a lot of moving parts.  Ironically, Power Option was one of our most successful Option plays because of its slow development. 

1. The QB must take 1-2 steps forward after the snap.  This encourages an inside rush, keeping defenders inside, and also makes room for the Running Back to sprint play-side behind the QB.

2. The real surprise is the Center blocking the back-side rusher.  This block impedes the back-side DL and also freezes the Safety in coverage in the middle of the field.  The Safety's confusion lifts after 1-2 seconds, and the Safety peels off to pursue play-side, but that delay is all you need to get the QB and pitch man in position.

3. The play-side back blocks the DL to the inside.  The DL sees an open path to the QB and often bull rushes the QB at the step up.  The QB then changes direction behind the blocker.  DLs often collide with the blocker in this tangle, so plant your feet, blockers!  It's considered incidental contact if your hands are clasped behind your back and your feet are rooted to the ground.

4. The defense is now trailing the play, pursuing inside out with the Safety and two trailing DLs.  The QB must cut upfield, attack the nearest Safety, and force them to commit to the flag pull.

5. With the nearest Safety locked on the QB and the DLs in trailing positions, the QB pitches to the running back.  The running back is now into the defensive secondary at almost full speed.

The play assumes all things are essentially equal in talent/skill between you and your opponent.  If you are playing against a far more talented team or a much faster defense, stick with plays that are simple to execute.

What Option plays work well for your team? Share your thoughts in the comments box or via Twitter @MyCoachArt, or on Facebook on the "Winning Flag Football" page.

In order for a player to learn, the input must be in a "comprehensible" format. In football, jargon can get in the way. Don’t assume that through sheer exposure and repetition that the players will "soak up" the right football-related skills or abilities.

I once had a great opportunity to coach a girl’s flag football team, ages 14-17. I was initially challenged by their lack of basic football knowledge. As we split up the team into sides for practice, I said, "OK, you ladies will play Offense today, and you’ll play Defense." One of them raised her hand and asked, "What’s Defense?" I knew we had a ways to go.

Later that practice, we started route-running drills. Most of the girls were having a tough time of it, not because they were incapable of learning the routes, but because they didn’t understand why it was important.

Then it struck me, a way I could translate this knowledge into more familiar terms for my girls. "How many of you have taken dance classes?" I asked them. Nearly all raised their hands. "Good," I said, "think of this as choreography. It’s just like steps. It's movement, body control." I explained to them that the routes were vital to the success of our passing plays because they allowed proper timing between QB and WR’s, made sure the WR’s ended up in the right spot on the field at the right time, and created more space from the defender for the catch.

I told them: "Now you see why it matters. And I know you can learn the steps, because you’ve each had about 5-10 years of dance lessons, right? So let’s get to work." And, sure enough, many of the girls took to it very quickly and became very capable route-runners.

When coaching youth especially, avoid making your team a "sink or swim" learning environment. Make every effort to demystify football for your young players. Introduce them to jargon the same way you would teach words in a foreign language. Most of all, find the links that make the "football stuff" relevant to the player's life.

What works well for your team? Share your thoughts in the comments box or via Twitter @MyCoachArt, or on Facebook on the "Winning Flag Football" page.