Step back at your next flag football practice and watch your team practice on offense. As you do this, ask yourself the question. Does our flag football offense play fast? One of the hardest things to do as a football coach at any level is to teach your players to play fast We all understand the value of team speed and how it can help your flag football team. However, we normally think of speed as a physical trait that our team either has or doesn't and that is the end of the story. Maybe, maybe not.
We urge our players to 'hustle' 'play hard' and 'go full speed'. Effort is very important and we will always be coaching that as long as they call us "Coach" but there might be other reasons why your team may not be playing as fast as they can. Here are 3 reasons your offense may not be playing fast and how you can fix it.
Hard To Play Fast When Your Offense Doesn't Know Their Assignments
It is hard to do anything fast when you don't know what you are doing. There are some players who will play fast even though they don't know their assignment, but not many. Most players will tip toe through the play hoping that they are right or hoping that they are not exposed for not knowing. This is why coaching matters. As flag football coaches, we are teachers and above all else we must teach our players what to do. We have to hold ourselves accountable for what they know and what they do not. We must find out how they learn.
A good coach will also evaluate how much we are trying to teach them. If it is too much then we must cut back. As a flag football coach, it is your job to find out the answer to all of this. Anyone can yell at a player or give up on them because thy can't play well enough. A good coach will find out how to teach him. As coaches, we sometimes look for the perfect answer to every defense or offense. Let's face it. Sometimes the opposition makes a call that is perfect for what you have dialed up. It happens. No big deal. Let it go and move on.
Does Your Offense Have Too Many Adjustments Or Options?
Here is what you should not do. Give your kids an adjustment or option to every possible thing the defense might do to you. By the time your players have figured it out the play is over and they have 'felt' their way through the play instead of running it full speed. On defense I know you must have an adjustment to every formation the offense can line up in. However, keeping your flag football defensive adjustments simple is a good idea too.
Do Your Players See The Big Picture?
The more your players can understand the big picture the better, especially your quarterback. Now don't get us wrong, this is only after he or she knows their assignment first. Let's take this flag football play that you see here. In some ways it is more important for a flag football offense to play fast than it is with tackle football. Flag football offers a coach little to no blocking on an offensive play. Your edge is obtained with misdirection and...you got it...SPEED. This play is predicated on everyone doing THEIR job and doing it FAST. If everyone jogs through their assignment then the defense will have an easy day of it because there is little deception.
However, if every player is flying around full speed then there are three or four different things the defense must defend. Now THEY play SLOW because they are not sure and maybe even confused. So, take our advice and step back during your next practice and look at nothing else except how fast your flag football team is playing.