Position guide
Playing quarterback in flag football
In flag football the quarterback touches the ball on every play, can't run it herself, and has 7 seconds. That makes the position about one thing: a quick, good decision.
- Time to throw
- 7 seconds
- Aim to throw by
- 3–4 seconds
- QB run (NFL FLAG)
- Never past the line
- Read order
- 1 → 2 → 3
The grip
Fingers on the laces, the ring and little finger across them, a small gap between the palm and the ball. Smaller hands: slide further back on the ball and use a ball made for your age (ball sizes).
Stance and the snap
Most flag teams use a shotgun: the QB stands a few yards behind the center, knees bent, hands ready. Catch the snap with your eyes already on the defense.
Footwork: three steps
- Catch the snap.
- Take three quick steps back (or one to three, to the rhythm of the route).
- Plant the back foot, step toward the target and throw. The ball goes where your front foot points.
Reading the defense
Every play has a read order, the numbers on our diagrams. Look at 1. Open? Throw. Covered? Move your eyes to 2, then 3. Don't stare at one receiver: the safety reads your eyes too.
Read a defender, not a receiver. On Smash, watch the defender on the outside: if she stays deep, throw short; if she jumps the short route, throw over her. Learn more reads on how defenses line up.
Beating the rusher and the clock
- The rusher starts 7 yards back, so you have time: about 2 seconds before she arrives. Don't panic early.
- Step up or slide away from the rusher, but stay behind the line.
- Count in your head. By "three" you should be throwing.
- Have an outlet: the flat or a check-down to the center.
Handoffs, pitches and fakes
A handoff behind the line stops the 7-second clock and turns the runner loose (outside the no-run zones). A fake handoff freezes the rusher and the short defenders for half a second, which is often all a route needs. The jet sweep is the classic flag run.
Drills for quarterbacks
Questions
Can the quarterback run in flag football?
In NFL FLAG, never past the line of scrimmage herself. She can hand off, pitch or throw. Under IFAF (Olympic) rules she may only run across the line if the ball came back to her from a teammate or a defender touched it.
How long does the QB have to throw?
7 seconds from the snap in NFL FLAG and IFAF. A handoff ends the clock. Good quarterbacks have the ball out by about 3 to 4 seconds.
What should a flag football QB look at?
The defender, not her favourite receiver. Know the read order before the snap (1, then 2, then 3) and throw to whoever the defense leaves open.