Playbook Lab: Design Three Flag Plays and Test Them

Each team draws three flag football plays with receiving routes and a quarterback, walks them through with no defense, then tests them against another team. It blends planning, teamwork and live play.

How to play

1. Show on a sheet how to draw a play: X for players, arrows for routes and a line for the pass (4 min).
2. Each team of four draws three plays and names each one (8 min).
3. Walk-through with no defense: each play runs twice with a different quarterback (7 min).
4. 4 vs. 4 game: the offense picks a play in the huddle and runs it (12 min).
5. Each team marks which play worked and changes one arrow to improve it (4 min).

Rules

• Every play must have at least two receivers on different routes.
• The quarterback changes every possession.
• Stop the ball carrier by pulling a flag; no contact and no flag guarding.
• Huddles last 20 seconds at most.

Variations

Adaptations

• Students with low vision: enlarged drawing with a thick marker and a verbal walk-through of their route.
• Wheelchair users: can be quarterback or lead designer and run short routes.
• Students who struggle with writing: lay the play out with cones on the ground instead of on paper.

Learning goals

• Design simple offensive plays.
• Run the assigned route accurately.
• Plan together and evaluate the plan.

Equipment for a class of 25

• flag belts: 30
• flag footballs: 6
• pinnies: 30
• cones: 20
• play sheets: 8
• pencils: 8

Teacher tip

Prepare sheets with the field already drawn to save time. If you have no flag belts, bandanas tucked into the waistband work. Common mistake: plays with five crossing routes; ask for simplicity.

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