Year 3-4 - NFL FLAG FOOTBALL LESSON 1: RUNNING WITH THE FOOTBALL

By Smart Coach
Part of Smart Coach - NFL Flag football
By the end of the lesson the students will be able to describe and demonstrate how to carry a football while moving and how to pull flags.

Notes

  • Why is it important to remember the 5 points of contact?
    (This will secure the ball at both ends and allow a smooth safe running style.)

  • What can I do to make it easier to pull off the opponent’s flag? (Keep your eyes on your opponent’s hips, stay low and square.)

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Warm Up

Flag tag

Each player puts on a flag belt.

The object of the game is for each player to keep their own flags while pulling as many others as they can.

When they pull a flag, they hold on to it until the end of the round.

When their flag is pulled, they continue to play until their second flag is pulled, and then they are ‘out’ until the next round.

The winner is the player who collects the most
flags by the end. (Note: even a player who’s ‘out’ could still win.)

TEACHING POINTS

Flag pulling:

  • eyes on hips

  • stay low, stay square (breakdown position)

  • reach for flags with two hands

  • move your feet quickly, ‘chop’ to help you gain balance as you slow down.

 

Modifications

Make playing area bigger or smaller,

Special Needs Modifications

Have set taggers

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Activities

Snake run

Divide players into groups of 5.

Place 4 cones in a zigzag with sufficient space for players to move freely.

Four players stand one at each cone. The fifth player attempts to run through the series of cones demonstrating the correct way to carry a football. The other players try to pull the flag from the carriers as they pass by. Runners continue even if their flags are pulled.

Set up two sets of this drill to reduce the amount of waiting around.

TEACHING POINTS

Securing the football:
Remember the 5 points of contact:

1. lower bicep  2. forearm 3. palm 4. fingers 5. chest

Making the ball touch all these points of contact on the arm will secure the ball at both ends and allow a smooth, safe running style.

Modifications

DIFFERENTIATION Increase the number of players in the team and number of cones. Let two players run one after the other in quick succession to increase the challenge for those at the cones. Reduce the distance between cones so that players have to swerve in and out. Set up smaller games with fewer players to keep more of them active and involved.

Special Needs Modifications

Move without the ball, turning it into just a tag game.

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Bull Dog NFL

Bull dog

Players begin in a line with a ball each with one player (the bull dog) standing in front of the line without a ball. The aim is to try and get past the bull dog to another line without a flag being pulled. If it is pulled the player puts the ball to the side becomes another bull dog. Keep going until all players have had at least one flag pulled.

TEACHING POINTS

Securing the football:
Remember the 5 points of contact:

1. lower bicep 2. forearm 3. palm 4. fingers 5. chest

Making the ball touch all these points of contact on the arm will secure the ball at both ends and allow a smooth, safe running style.

Modifications

Make playing area bigger or smaller

previous restart
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