Ninja Speaks:

J,

Jump Ball! Defending the tall receiver.

Figuring out how to contain a talented receiver is key when matching up agianst some of the better teams in your league.  In your league, with no rush, hurrying the qb – one of the primary methods of playing tight defense is gone.  So your focus needs to be squarely on the matchup.  4on4 doesn’t lend itself to a zone defense, but without a rush, you should have a floater defender.  You say your defenders are short and agile.  If you’re worried about one receiver, try matching up with a tight man coverage.  Have your defender line up about five yards deep on the inside shoulder of the star receiver.  It is harder for the recevier to break outside and catch a ball than break inside, so make him go that direction.   The reciever’s height will benefit him more on the long balls than it will on short deliveries.  So cover tight underneath, and let your extra defender play deep and spy the star receiver in case he breaks through.

At the end of the day, when your players square off, a tall receiver will be able to go up and get a well thrown ball over the top of a shorter defender.   But rarely is the throw and catch perfect in flag football.  Having the extra defender to back will give much needed added protection.  But remember, this leaves your other two defenders isolated in man-man coverage. 

I play in a 4 on 4 league. We are having a big problem figuring out what kind of defense to play. In our league you can either chose to have a rusher (who has to start 7 yards back and there is no impeding the rusher) or chose not to rush and QB gets 5 sec. We have some height on our team with decent speed and one short really fast player. Any suggestions on what defense to play? (I purchased your play book and strategy guide and its great)

 Ninja Says:

Javier, this is a question that many teams struggle with, and there is no one-size-fits-all answer.  The reason is that the solution lies in the personnel you have available.   It is always good to pressure the opposing QB because it will cause them to hurry their throws and this leads to broken plays and interceptions.  But there are two significant dangers, especially in 4man football with sending pressure:

To Rush or To Cover?

1.  First is the vulnerability in your cover defense.  4on4 flag football demands man-on-man coverage, and if you are sending one, that leaves 3.  A zone defense simply won’t work.  So if you have 3 athletes who can provide lock-down defense, then definitely send the 4th.  If you are likely to get beat, you may be better served holding your rusher back to help in coverage.

2. Second, depending on league rules, you may be opening yourself up to a running gain by the QB himself if he can elude your rusher.  Many 4man leagues are passing leagues where this is not a danger, but in any format of flag football where the QB can run, the caliber of rusher simply cannot be ignored.

So as a point of team strategy, you will have to weigh the pros and cons of sending a strong rush when cover support is limited.  Also consider whether or not your league imposes a “virtual” snap count, that requires the QB to get rid of the ball after 10 seconds (for instance).   How much do those extra seconds buy?

Before you made a decision on your strategy, take a hard look around at your players and try to decide if they can match up on the receivers.  This could change game to game, so stay nimble.

NINJA

My first question is how can you defend this? And second, does you offensive play book have any plays that feature a dual QB system and do you think its a good idea if you have three guys, who played H.S. football as QB’s, and then line then up in the RB and WR spots? This way I can cause major match up problems because the guy I throw the ball to might either run or can pass the ball to another receiver, down field, as long as my first pass is behind the line of scrimmage.

Thanks,
Coach J

Ninja Speaks

Coach J,

Thanks for the questions.  While not the dominant format, what you describe is the format adopted by some leagues, especially indoor leagues.  In most cases, its an added distraction for teams that otherwise need to focus on fundamentals, but sometimes veteran teams have figured out how to use the double pass strategically and the results can be impressive.

Defending Against the Double Pass:

The key to defending the double pass is discipline.  Even with this quirky rule, the underlying fundamentals of the game don’t change.  If you are playing a zone defense (probably recommended in 7man ball), make sure your defenders stick to their responsible spots, even when the ball is dumped over to another player behind the line.  This is especially important for the corner back (defending the flat).  Often well versed offenses will use the double pass just to suck up the corner back and dink it over his head, especially on the goal line.  If you have a roving backer (or two) who can pursue the second QB while the corner holds his ground, that may serve you better.  Just watch for your deep guys getting caught out of position.

Using the Double Pass Effectively:

As mentioned, for a lot of teams, the double pass rule just adds a layer of distraction that further confuses their strategy and leads to fumbles, picks or losses more often than big plays.  If you have a well organized squad, though, and if you have the personnel to execute (which it sounds like you do), you can use the double pass to your advantage.  Like a bluff in poker, though, you lose effectiveness by overusing it.   Build your playbook on a standard throw and catch platform.  Practice your timing, routes and delivery.  That will win far more games than trick plays.  However, if you have that much QB talent in your receiver core, it definitely makes sense to mix up the routine with some double passes.  Practice the run/pass threat for a short yardage gain, especially near the goal line.  And if you have talented QBs lined up wide, don’t overlook a cross-field pass, which can be deadly near the goal line.

Picking the Right Quarterback – Based on the description above, the Ninja will discuss and analyze the quarterback options

The “Run and Gun” – a fast QB with decent accuracy
Run and Gun is fast and can deliver a decent pass. He’s often looking for a running lane, but can deliver the ball through the air. He struggles with accuracy on longer balls.

Pros: Mobility can be a huge asset on the field, particularly if league rules allow running. A mobile QB buys time for the patterns to develop, and making the defense respect the run can pay off by opening passing lanes as well.

Cons: If Run and Gun is prone to the occasional bad decision or pick, that can be a momentum changer. With shorter game times and offensive-heavy play, so often flag football games are won or lost on the backs of turnovers. Also, a QB who is looking to run first and pass if/when open will have a hard time capitalizing on the timing routes.

Analysis: Run and Gun has some great potential. Depending on league rules and other talent on the team he may be a good choice. Because of his speed, though his biggest benefit to the team may be as a receiver. For this reason (and the converse), he is probably the second choice.

The “Sniper Turtle”
Sniper Turtle is as “slow as molasses in January,” as a coach used to say. He’s got a great eye for reading the defense, a good arm and makes accurate throws, but couldn’t outrun his 2 year-old niece.

Pros: The Sniper Turtle can make some big plays by reading the defense and placing the ball exactly where it needs to be. The inability to spring out of the pocket means he/she is more likely to sit back and find a passing option.

Cons: The obvious con is an inability to escape a rush. Even a mediocre rushing duo can hurry the Sniper Turtle. Sacks can be one obvious result. Another is not having time for long plays to develop.

Analysis: Turtle-Sniper may be the best choice of the three. In flag football where defenses are typically not very disciplined and organized, well-timed passes combined with good routes are almost unstoppable. In contradiction to Run and Gun, Sniper Turtle adds his most value as a QB and brings little to the table as a receiver. To make Sniper Turtle successful, make sure he takes a deep snap, and give him short “escape hatch” receiver options. This may tame an otherwise aggressive rush. Having a strong playbook and practicing timing will also go a long way.

The “Mid-Liner”
The Mid-Liner does everything ‘ok’ but does not excel anywhere. Speed is decent, arm is passable, but leadership is lacking and choices are questionable.

Pros: Mid-Liner may give you an opportunity to put your faster “star” players at receiver slots. Mid-Liner doesn’t get trapped in the pocket like Sniper Turtle, and has an option to run from time to time.

Cons: Decision-making is not a strength. He suffers from the same potential challenges as Run and Gun from a turnover standpoint. Also he may be indecisive both with play selection and field reads.

Analysis: While QB leadership is not a pre-requisite (although that’s the default leader on most college & NFL teams, in flag football, a mastermind receiver can play that roll almost as well), decision-making is extremely important. Any type of hot reads or defender read could be a big weak point. He doesn’t add much in terms of excellence and probably fails to lead the team far in the playoffs. Of the three options, Mid-Liner is probably the last choice.

Check out this video of a ninja quaterback hitting crazy trick shots – follow this link to the watch the video on YouTube.

Enjoy.

Many have looked for a way to catch more footballs and elevate their game.  Receiver gloves are a great way to do that.   Manyof the football gear companies (Nike, Reebok, Under Armour, etc) have some version that they sell, but Cutters, a relatively young company, has specialized in this market  and focused on little else.  Inspired by indsutrial glass-handler gloves, the C-Tack revolutionary tactification process integrates the grip into the material Unique look, feel, grip and durability C-Tack’s tackiness is easily restored by wiping the palms with a damp towel and then wiping dry and machine or hand washing in cold water Neoprene on knuckles Ideal for receivers, running backs and defensive backs Ensure the ultimate in gripability Perform well in all weather conditions Machine washable and dryable Meets NF/NCAA specifications.

The Good: The C-TACK Receiver Gloves are among the stickiest on the market (still legal for NCAA college and other league play).  Even better, they keep their tackiness longer than many of the competitor gloves on the market. They are not particularly fragile (machine washable), and come in a few different options.

The Bad: Cutters has struggled in their “cool factor” for a while both in design and color options.  The solid gray with white piping scheme was intended to comply with NCAA rules.  They continue to evolve on this front, and we are big fans of the new black on black.

Rating  
Slightly dinged for appearance, we think these are about the best gloves on the market for durability and stick factor.  (And the Ninja always appreciates the black on black…).  Get your pair today.

Out-And-Up

Shatter the Zone

If run correctly, the out-and-up can shatter the zone defense.  Whether you’re facing a cover 2 (two deep defenders) or some variation, like a three deep, box or diamond coverage scheme, you can open it wide up with this play.  What’s the catch?  You have to run it right.   We look at the out and up against a cover 2 defense.  This is a 7on7 look, but the same thing can be run in 5man, 6man, 7man and 8man football.  Line up twins to the side where the ball will go (here its right).  The wideout (outside receiver, Z) should line up about 10-12 yards from the sideline.  He is the decoy.  Some sort of fake communication to draw attention to the wideout can be used (receiver tapping his head or the QB making eye contact and calling a fake hot route).  The slot receiver (inside receiver, Y) should line up halfway between the ball and the wideout.   On the snap, the wideout will head straight for the center of the field.  The purpose is to draw the deep right defender into the middle of the field.  This will be particularly effective if the QB locks his eyes on the Z receiver.   The Y receiver will line up with his inside foot forward.  On snap, the Y receiver will take two steps and plant his inside foot on the second step.  About 2-3 yards off the line, the Y receiver will cut hard to the sideline.   He will not change course until he is 1-2 yards from the sideline (very important).  As soon as he reaches the edge of the field, the  Y receiver breaks deep.  The other routes are safety valves.  If it’s run right, the Y receiver will break open soon after the cut.  The QB should hit him quickly, or let it unfold and hit him deep.  The defense may not even notice the Y receiver until the ball is being launched over their heads.

Beat Man

The same play will work against man coverage.  The routes need to stay crisp.  The Y receiver should run about 3/4 speed until he reaches the sideline, then turn it on.  If the Y receiver has not signaled the fake, he should be able to break away and get separation down the sideline. If the defender is playing off the Y receiver, consider making the first cut 5-7 yards deep.

For more devastating plays, visit FlagFootballNinja.com

Player Coach

Do We Need a Coach?

“I’m playing for fun with some friends, do we really need a coach?” It’s a common question, but the answer is: you most likely already have a coach (you may not use that title, but handling scheduling, calling plays, and rotating players  makes you coach).  A good, competitive team will need leadership and organization.  Also, in many informal settings (rec leagues, weekend football, etc) you will have no-shows and scheduling conflicts.  For this reason, it is good to have more players on the team than will play on the field each down.  BUT, this also means having more players than spots.  When games become important (playoffs or championships), don’t be surprised if all 14 players show up for the first time all season.  For the unprepared coach, this can be a real problem.  Flexibility on the field is hugely important to respond to different challenges mid-stream, and without a defined leader calling those shots, you will find there are suddenly several coaches on the field, each with strong, differing opinions.

Coaching Style and Structure

Communication is key.  Whatever strategy you use, communicate it to the team as early as possible.  This goes for planning, plays, practices, rotations, schedule and everything else.  Usually the guy who ends up coaching is one of the better athletes on the team.  Often he’s the QB.  In some ways that makes coaching easier – its a natural leadership position, play-calling and organization flow well and the concern about playing yourself more than others disappears (for offensive plays).  If you are not the QB, it will be difficult to be the sole coach for all the same reasons.  If this is the case, consider creating a “coaching committee” of 2-4 players, including the QB.  That way play-calling, structure and organization still comes from a singular point.  You may want to form a committee like this anyway to avoid some of the interpersonal and ego-related issues that can surface.  Taking a player out of a game is far easier if it comes from two or three “coaches” than it is coming from one player-coach.  Of course, it can be more complex making calls from the field, and if disputes arise in the committee, there is no final word.

The more organization the coach(es) have the better.  Having set plays and strategies improves performance and can help with putting people in positions and making rotations. A set rotation may be preferable to replacing players on the fly to ensure better distribution of play time as well as distribution of skill.  Also finding player strengths is important – if one guy is especially effective on defense, you may be able to keep him engaged and interested without adding him to an already full offensive rotation, all without sacrificing talent.

Fun and Winning: a Delicate Balance

This dilemma affects most every (unpaid) coach, from the Dad youth football coach to the junior high team coach, and especially the player coach.  And there is definitely no one-size-fits-all solution.  The balance between winning and fun will be different for each player on the team.  There are players that would rather sit on the sidelines the entire season if it meant winning, while others would play without keeping score, just for love of the game.  The first step for the player coach is to determine where your team comes out on the question.  Are you in the lowest division in the coed football-for charity league? If so, chances are that fun is the reason to be playing.  Do you have a slate of ex-college players, who want to practice just so the championship is within reach? Probably a winning-mentality.   Most people voluntarily engaged in competitive sports probably enjoy winning, but you have to find out at what cost.  Early in the season, you will have more leeway. Once playoffs arrive, you’re playing for keeps.  But even along the way, winning games can be very important.  Consider starting some of the non-playmakers so when the crucial final 2 minutes arrives, you’re not compelled to play a weak lineup.  Also, making a “Red Team” lineup in addition to the regular rotations allows you to fall back on a pre-established system and quickly get your best team on the field when you need it. Oops, the “here-to-have-fun” guy just gave up a 60 yard touchdown and you need to score in 46 seconds: bring out the Red Team. At the end of the day, people need to have fun to keep playing on your team, but if well managed, the mix between adequate involvement and being part of a winning team, should work for the whole group.

Big Picture

A parting thought: remember why you’re playing.  It’s not the superbowl, you don’t have professional athlete insurance on your legs, your game is (probably) not televised.  Is it worth losing friends, offending people and hurting feelings just for the sake of the win? If you have a hard time answering this question, first, take a deep breath and re-consider your life purpose, and then, surround yourself with like-minded players and go win the championship.

Coach, although have coached at varisty level mainly wing T in the UK, i am this year a 1st year JV (14-16yr) coach in the UK where my son will be playing. Football orgainsed by BAFACL runs from May-September in the UK and at this age group 5on5 is full contact. To my mind this is still flag football in principal, hence i have purchased 5on5 offense, defense and strategy guides which i think are great by the way and will essentially be our playbook this year. I wondered if you had any tips playing the offense, implementing your playbook with full contact in mind??  Football is alive and well on the other side of the pond. (Check us out at http://www.northwesternbulldogs.co.uk)
- Regards, Mike

The Ninja Speaks:

Coach Mike,

Glad to hear you have implemented the Ninja’s plays over in the UK and found them helpful.  To jump right in to your question, adapting flag football plays to full-contact football has its challenges, but whether playing in the back yard or under the lights in a varsity game, football fundamentals and core concepts don’t change.  As long as the plays you are starting with are solid, they should work in just about any venue.

Fundamentals.

Full-contact fundamentals differ from those of flag football in that blocking and tackling will be key to your success in a full contact league, whereas flag pulling and pitching will be key to flag football.  In your case, emphasize swarming to the runner and protecting the football – broken tackles and turnovers lead to most of the big plays in full contact youth football.  But most of the fundamentals discussed in the Ninja’s Ultimate Strategy Guide (included with playbook packages in my dojo) will apply in both situations.  Throwing, catching and routes will be the same.

Defense.

In a full contact league, you may be more likely to see a zone defense than a man defense, but just as you would with flag football, adjusting to the defense is just a matter of running the right routes (quick and precise against man defense, less rigid and adjusting to find the hole against zone defense) and finding which plays work in your league.

Blocking.

Typically, I would say the biggest difference between full contact ball and flag football in terms of plays and schemes would be the blocking scheme and creating holes and protecting the quarterback.  Although in a 5on5 full contact league, you likely do not have a full line with stunts, pulls and other blocking schemes. If that is the case, you’re essentially playing the same passing game with more running options and tackling instead of flag pulls.  The plays should work well in this setting.

Coach, keep to the fundamentals that have worked for you in the past.  Choose a few key plays to build your offense around, and then practice, practice, practice – both fundamentals and plays.  Remember to keep it simple and play to your strengths.  Go get ‘em.

- Ninja.

Ninja,
I’m in a co-ed flag football team. Our offense is solid and it has helped us win the regular season. However, we have not played all teams. We hope to reach the other undefeated team in the championship game. They have a running QB who is fast as hell and can actually throw (we have watched his games). Our defense is: fastest female rusher, two girls short on each side, one tall quick middle guy, two guy corners and two guys long. This has worked really well but we have not faced a fast QB. Any suggestions on dealing with this fast QB? (when we man up the QB always finds our weakest guy). Thanks!!!

The Ninja Speaks:

Don't give up the open field to a fast QB

Coach,
It sounds like the quarterback you will be facing in the playoffs is a strong player who can hurt you running or throwing.  The first question is whether your league allows QBs to run when rushed.  For purposes of this answer, we will assume the QB is free to run when rushed.

For this playoff game, you need your best player on their best player. This means rushing or spying the QB with your superstar.  The way you’ve described it, this QB will put a move on your rusher and have the entire field at his disposal.  Also, by not having an effective rush, it will give the receivers time to break away and find an opening in the field.  It is extremely difficult to hold coverage for more than a few seconds in any league, but especially in a flag league where defenders have not had the benefit of a few years of organized football.  This is not to take anything away from your fast girl rusher, but unless she is also truly superior athlete, there is a good chance that her speed and efforts are wasted.   Consider keeping her as a rusher  with your best player also rushing or hesitating and then pursuing the QB once he has made a move in the pocket.  Often speedy QBs are not comfortable sitting in the pocket and will make a move soon after getting the ball.  As a QB, standing still with people running at you, it’s actually very easy to make a move and break free, using the rusher’s momentum against her.  It takes a lot of discipline and experience to rush in under control and not be eluded by a shifty runner.

What you need to avoid is giving the QB the benefit of time and space to run or throw to an opening in your defense.  Also, his accuracy and timing will be drastically reduced if he has a good rusher in his face.  He will force bad throws, he will make bad choices, and at the end of the day, you have taken away at least one, hopefully both of his weapons.  You don’t need to default into man defense.  Consider one deep guy, corners that drift back as the play progresses, two linebackers picking up middle and short threats, and rushing your fast girl and your best player.  With the corners drifting back, you may open up some shallow routes, but you should be able to maintain coverage on the deep ball.

These strategies and more can be found in my playbooks and the Ultimate Strategy Guide and Defensive Handbook in my dojo.

No mistakes. No mercy.
- Ninja