# RC Football — full text > The complete text of every page on rc-football.com that has a markdown > mirror, concatenated. The index of the whole site, including pages not > mirrored here, is at https://rc-football.com/llms.txt. > Each page is also available on its own at .md, for example > https://rc-football.com/plays/5v5/mesh.md > 67 pages. Generated at build time; changes on deploy. --- title: "RC Football: football play designer, playbook maker and practice planner" canonical: "https://rc-football.com" --- # RC Football RC Football is a free-to-start, browser-based football play designer, playbook maker and practice planner for youth and amateur coaches, flag and tackle. Describe a play in plain English and the AI draws it, or diagram it yourself with drag-and-drop: position players, draw routes, build formations, save plays to a personal library, organize them into team playbooks, print wristband cards, and plan practice against a clock. No download and no account are required to try it; a free account saves your work. Works on any device across 5v5, 6v6, 7v7, 9v9 and 11v11, including NFL Flag rules and field, with fields drawn at true scale for high school, NFL Flag, college and NFL. ## What you can do - [Play designer](https://rc-football.com/football-play-designer): draw plays by hand or from a description. - [Playbook maker](https://rc-football.com/football-playbook-maker): order a gameplan, export to PDF or Google Drive. - [Play library](https://rc-football.com/football-play-library): save, tag and clone plays. - [Wristband builder](https://rc-football.com/football-wristband-maker): print to the real size of the wristband you own. - [Play cards](https://rc-football.com/football-play-cards): 4, 8 or 16 per Letter sheet with cut borders. Free. - [Practice planner](https://rc-football.com/flag-football-practice-planner): drills onto a clock, printed on one page. Free. - [Drill library](https://rc-football.com/flag-football-drill-library): 51 flag and 37 tackle drills by age and skill. ## Opening the designer from a link Any agent can hand a coach a URL that opens the play designer with the work already started. These four parameters are supported and will keep working: - `?prompt=`: Free text, URL-encoded. A play described the way a coach would say it. The designer opens and the AI draws the play on mount, with no further clicks. Spends one of the coach's monthly AI actions, and the AI re-interprets the words, so the result is a play matching the description rather than one specific diagram. Prefer `catalogue` when you mean a play that already exists. - `?format=`: 5v5, 5v5 NFL Flag, 6v6, 7v7, 8v8, 9v9, 11v11 The canvas opens in that game format, on that format's field. Ignored when the link also carries `catalogue`, because a seeded play brings its own format and drawing a 5v5 play on an 11v11 field would be wrong. - `?side=`: offense, defense Which side of the ball the designer opens on. - `?catalogue=`: /, where format is one of 5v5, 6v6, 7v7, 9v9, 11v11, nfl-flag Opens the exact diagram shown on the matching play page. Resolved from code, so what was clicked is what opens. Spends no AI action and needs no account. This is the right parameter for an agent that wants to show a coach a specific, known play. Example: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fmesh&side=offense Full documentation: https://rc-football.com/docs/designer-links ## Index for agents The full site index is at https://rc-football.com/llms.txt and the full text of every mirrored page is at https://rc-football.com/llms-full.txt. --- --- title: "Football play designer" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/football-play-designer" --- # Football play designer A free drag-and-drop and AI tool to design football plays. Position players, draw routes, add notes, and save. Pick the field level and the play is drawn to that field's real dimensions: high school by default, plus NFL Flag, college and NFL. Built for coaches at every level, flag and tackle, 5v5 through 11v11. Drawing a play by hand is never metered. AI generation is metered monthly: 10 actions on Free, 150 on Coach, 300 on Coach Pro. ## Opening the designer from a link Any agent can hand a coach a URL that opens the play designer with the work already started. These four parameters are supported and will keep working: - `?prompt=`: Free text, URL-encoded. A play described the way a coach would say it. The designer opens and the AI draws the play on mount, with no further clicks. Spends one of the coach's monthly AI actions, and the AI re-interprets the words, so the result is a play matching the description rather than one specific diagram. Prefer `catalogue` when you mean a play that already exists. - `?format=`: 5v5, 5v5 NFL Flag, 6v6, 7v7, 8v8, 9v9, 11v11 The canvas opens in that game format, on that format's field. Ignored when the link also carries `catalogue`, because a seeded play brings its own format and drawing a 5v5 play on an 11v11 field would be wrong. - `?side=`: offense, defense Which side of the ball the designer opens on. - `?catalogue=`: /, where format is one of 5v5, 6v6, 7v7, 9v9, 11v11, nfl-flag Opens the exact diagram shown on the matching play page. Resolved from code, so what was clicked is what opens. Spends no AI action and needs no account. This is the right parameter for an agent that wants to show a coach a specific, known play. Example: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fmesh&side=offense Full documentation: https://rc-football.com/docs/designer-links --- --- title: "Football playbook maker" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/football-playbook-maker" --- # Football playbook maker Build and organize a team playbook. Import rosters, assign positions, order your gameplan, and export to PDF or Google Drive. Exports are a paid feature: 10 a month on Coach, 100 on Coach Pro. Printing play cards and wristband sheets from the browser is free. --- --- title: "Football play library" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/football-play-library" --- # Football play library Save plays to a personal library, tag them by situation and concept, clone winning plays, and share them with coaches and players. Coach Pro adds the premium play library. --- --- title: "Football wristband builder" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/football-wristband-maker" --- # Football wristband builder Pick the QB wristband you own and your playbook fills a template sized to its window, printed at true size with cut lines. Flag or tackle. --- --- title: "Football play cards" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/football-play-cards" --- # Football play cards Print the plays you draw as 4, 8 or 16 cards per Letter sheet with cut borders, for a wristband, a pocket card or a call sheet. Free. --- --- title: "Flag football practice planner" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/flag-football-practice-planner" --- # Flag football practice planner Drag drills and periods onto a practice plan, watch the clock fill, print it on one page, and run it from your phone on the field. Free. The drills that feed it are at https://rc-football.com/flag-football-drill-library and the ready-made plans are at https://rc-football.com/practice-plans. --- --- title: "Flag football drill library" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/flag-football-drill-library" --- # Flag football drill library 51 flag football drills and 37 tackle drills for kids, sorted by age and skill, each drawn as a diagram and ready to drop into a practice plan. The filterable finder is at https://rc-football.com/drills. Each drill carries its setup, coaching point, duration and player count. --- --- title: "RC Football plans and pricing" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/pricing" --- # Plans and pricing Start free with no credit card. - **Free.** Design by hand without limit, 10 AI actions a month, no exports. - **Coach.** $9/month or $49/year. 150 AI actions a month, 10 exports a month. - **Coach Pro.** $19/month or $99/year. 300 AI actions a month, 100 exports a month, unlimited teams and formations, and the premium play library. Cancel anytime, or pause a subscription and pick it up again later. A cancelled plan runs to the end of the period already paid. Drawing a play by hand is never metered. Printing play cards and wristband sheets from the browser is free on every plan. --- --- title: "About RC Football" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/about" --- # About RC Football RC Football is built by Ray Carroll, a youth flag and tackle football coach, for coaches like him. It is a one-person company. The product began because drawing plays for a youth team meant a whiteboard photo in a group chat, and the plays were gone by the next practice. --- --- title: "What is a flag football play designer?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/what-is-a-flag-football-play-designer" --- # What is a flag football play designer? A play designer is a tool for drawing a football play as a diagram: players on a field, routes out of them, and a name you can call on a Saturday. For flag football it replaces the whiteboard photo and the hand-drawn index card. A useful one does four things: draws the play to the right field and format, keeps it so you can find it again, puts a set of plays in an order you can call from, and gets the play into a player's hands as a card or a wristband. The comparison of the tool categories is at https://rc-football.com/compare/best-flag-football-play-designers. --- --- title: "How to design flag football plays" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/how-to-design-flag-football-plays" --- # How to design flag football plays A step-by-step guide from choosing a format and formation to drawing routes and building a playbook. The route vocabulary is at https://rc-football.com/concepts/route-tree, the formations are at https://rc-football.com/flag-football-formations, and the concepts to build from are at https://rc-football.com/offense. --- --- title: "Flag football formations" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/flag-football-formations" --- # Flag football formations Offensive and defensive formations for 5v5 and 7v7, including Trips, Bunch, Stack, and common coverages. Each formation page shows the alignment and what to run from it. --- --- title: "Flag football playbook guide" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/flag-football-playbook-guide" --- # Flag football playbook guide How to build a playbook from scratch: the sections to include, the foundational plays, and the mistakes to avoid. The PDF export walkthrough is at https://rc-football.com/guides/flag-football-playbook-pdf. --- --- title: "Flag football FAQ" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/flag-football-faq" --- # Flag football FAQ Answers to common flag football play-design, formation and playbook questions. The 5v5 rules explainer is at https://rc-football.com/rules/5v5-flag-football-rules and the positions guide is at https://rc-football.com/rules/flag-football-positions. --- --- title: "What is the Mesh concept in 5v5 flag football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/5v5/mesh" updated: "2026-08-31" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fmesh" --- # What is the Mesh concept in 5v5 flag football? In 5v5 flag football, Mesh crosses two of your three receivers at four and six yards over the middle while the third clears deep on a twelve-yard corner and the back swings out as the outlet. With only three receivers and a back to throw to, both crossers are primary reads rather than one being a decoy, which is what makes it the most reliable man-coverage beater at this player count. ## The diagram 5v5 play diagram for Mesh. 5 offensive players: QB, RB, Y, Z, X. X runs a drag at 4 yards; Y runs a drag at 6 yards; Z runs a corner at 12 yards; RB runs a swing at 3 yards. Mesh out of Spread Left, drawn for 5v5. Two shallow crossers rub over the middle at four and six yards, close enough that the defenders covering them have to fight through the same square yard. In man coverage one of them comes free almost every time. Z clears the deep defender out of the picture so the crossing lanes stay empty; the back swings away as the outlet. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fmesh ## Why Mesh works in 5v5 ### Two of your three receivers are in the mesh At eleven players a coach can afford a crosser who is purely a decoy. At five he cannot. Two of your three receivers are in the traffic, so the quarterback is genuinely reading both of them, and the clear-out receiver has to actually threaten deep or the safety simply sits down on the crossing lanes. ### No line means the mesh happens sooner There is nobody to block, so the rush arrives faster and the crossers have to be at their depth almost immediately. Four and six yards is shallower than the same concept in eleven-man, and that is deliberate: the ball has to come out before the count is up. ### The rub is legal because nobody blocks anybody Two receivers running legitimate routes that happen to intersect is not a pick. The separation comes from the defenders colliding with each other while chasing, which is why the depths matter more than anything else in the concept: a yard apart and the traffic is real, three yards apart and the defenders simply run under it. ### It answers man and zone with the same call Against man the crossers rub free. Against zone they do not, but they run through every underneath window in sequence, so the quarterback throws the first one that sits down in space. A concept that beats both coverages is a concept you can call without knowing what you are looking at, which is most of what a youth coach needs. ### It is the safest blitz answer in the passing game Both crossers break inside almost immediately and stay on the move, so the ball comes out fast and to a receiver already running away from the pressure. That makes Mesh the call when the defense has been sending everybody and the quarterback has stopped wanting to hold the ball. ## How to read it 1. **Check the deep defender before the snap** If the deepest defender is head-up over the middle, the clear-out route will hold him and the crossers work. If there are two deep, the crossing windows are wider but the clear-out will not occupy anybody, so expect to throw underneath. 2. **Watch the crossers meet** The read happens at the mesh point, not before it. Whichever crosser comes out of the traffic with a defender trailing rather than running with him is the throw. 3. **Throw the first one who is free, in front of him** Lead the crosser so he catches it moving. A ball thrown behind a crossing receiver turns a first down into an incompletion, and it is the single most common way this concept is wasted. 4. **If neither crosser comes free, go to the outlet** Against zone both crossers may get carried. The back or the last eligible releasing away from the traffic is the checkdown, and taking it is a better outcome than waiting for a crosser to uncover. ## What changes in 5v5 Covered above under "Two of your three receivers are in the mesh", "No line means the mesh happens sooner". ## When not to call Mesh ### It does not beat a defense that sits in the crossing lanes A coach who has seen Mesh twice will drop a defender to five yards over the middle and stand there. When that happens the concept stops producing and the answer is a different call, not a deeper crosser. ### It needs receivers who will run into traffic The whole concept depends on both crossers running their depth honestly through contact. Young receivers tend to drift wide of each other to avoid the collision, which opens the mesh point up to three or four yards and quietly removes the only thing making it work. ## FAQ ### Is Mesh legal in 5v5 flag football? Yes, as long as neither crosser slows down or moves toward a defender to create the contact. Two receivers running their own routes that happen to intersect is legal in every rule set. Deliberately screening a defender is a pick and will be flagged in leagues that call it. ### What age can you run Mesh in 5v5 flag? It works from about eight years old. Younger than that the two crossers tend to avoid each other and open the mesh point too wide for the traffic to do anything, which removes the only thing making the concept work. ### What do you run if the defense sits in the middle? Once a defender parks at five yards over the ball, take the corner route or go to the swing. Mesh is not the answer against a defense that has stopped chasing, and forcing it into a defender sitting in the lane is how the concept gets intercepted. ## Related - [Stop Mesh (5v5)](/defense/5v5/stop-mesh) - [Mesh in 7v7](/plays/7v7/mesh) - [Mesh in 11v11](/plays/11v11/mesh) - [Mesh in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/mesh) - [Flood in 5v5](/plays/5v5/flood) - [Four Verticals in 5v5](/plays/5v5/four-verticals) - [Spot in 5v5](/plays/5v5/spot) - [Draw your own 5v5 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Mesh in the designer Opens this exact 5v5 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fmesh) --- --- title: "What is the Flood concept in 5v5 flag football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/5v5/flood" updated: "2026-08-31" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fflood" --- # What is the Flood concept in 5v5 flag football? In 5v5 flag football, Flood puts three heights on one sideline: a sail at fourteen, an out at eight, and the back swinging underneath. With only three receivers the running back has to be one of the three levels rather than a checkdown, which is the biggest single difference between this and every larger format. ## The diagram 5v5 play diagram for Flood. 5 offensive players: QB, RB, Y, Z, X. Z runs a sail at 14 yards; Y runs a out at 8 yards; RB runs a swing at 3 yards; X runs a dig at 12 yards. Flood out of Spread Right, drawn for 5v5. Three receivers into one side at three different depths, so a zone defender who steps up to the flat opens the sail behind him and one who carries the sail leaves the flat free. Against zone you are attacking a defender's decision, not a matchup: work it high to low and take what he gives up. X runs the backside dig as the late answer. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fflood ## Why Flood works in 5v5 ### The back is a level, not an outlet At seven or eleven players the flat is run by a receiver and the back is spare. At five he is the underneath level of the concept itself, so if he is late or drifts upfield the bottom of the flood disappears and the read collapses from three heights to two. ### The backside dig is the whole other half of the field One receiver at twelve yards is everything you have away from the flood. When a defense rotates toward the three-receiver side that dig is not a decoy, it is the play, and a quarterback at this player count needs telling that explicitly. ### It attacks a decision, not a matchup The defender who steps up to take the underneath route opens the intermediate one behind him. The one who carries the deep route vacates the flat. You are not asking a receiver to beat anybody, you are asking a defender to be in two places, which is a bet that pays out regardless of how athletic his side of the field is. ### The read is teachable in one sentence Start high and work down. That is the whole instruction, and it is why Flood is one of the few three-option concepts a young quarterback can run correctly on the second day of practice. The ball goes to the first receiver who is not covered, starting from the deepest. ### It puts three men where the defense has two Most defenses distribute evenly across the field, so overloading one sideline creates a local numbers advantage before anybody moves. Formation does most of the work here, which is why the concept survives being run out of a different look in every game format. ## How to read it 1. **Pick your side before the snap** Flood is a one-way concept. Decide which sideline you are attacking by counting defenders on each side, and do not change your mind after the snap. 2. **Take the deep route if the flat defender carries** If the underneath defender drops with the intermediate route, the space behind him at the top of the concept is open. This is the biggest completion in the play and it is the first thing you look for. 3. **Take the intermediate if he sits** If he stays shallow to take the underneath route, the middle height is uncovered. This is the throw the concept produces most often and the one worth being happy with. 4. **Take the underneath route and get down** If both levels above are carried, the shortest route is open by definition. Throw it, let him turn upfield, and call it again next series. ## What changes in 5v5 Covered above under "The back is a level, not an outlet", "The backside dig is the whole other half of the field". ## When not to call Flood ### It gives up the other half of the field Three receivers on one sideline means the backside is a single route and a decoy. Against a defense that recognises the concept and rotates coverage toward it, the backside answer is the play, not the flood itself, so know what that answer is before you call it. ### It is slow against pressure The deep route has to get to its depth before the read means anything. If the defense is bringing extra rushers, the quarterback will be throwing the underneath route every time, which is a fine outcome but not the reason you called it. ## FAQ ### How do you beat a zone in 5v5 flag football? Flood is the most reliable answer. Three receivers to one sideline at three different depths means a zone defender has to choose which height to cover, and the quarterback throws to the one he leaves. Work it high to low. ### What depths do you run Flood at in 5v5? Sail at fourteen, out at eight, and the back's swing underneath. The gaps between levels matter more than the numbers: if the out drifts to eleven it crowds the sail and one defender covers both. ### Is Flood good against man coverage in 5v5? It works but it is not what it is for. Against man the routes are covered individually and you are relying on somebody winning. Mesh or Spot is the better call against man; save Flood for zone. ## Related - [Flood in 7v7](/plays/7v7/flood) - [Flood in 11v11](/plays/11v11/flood) - [Flood in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/flood) - [Four Verticals in 5v5](/plays/5v5/four-verticals) - [Spot in 5v5](/plays/5v5/spot) - [Smash in 5v5](/plays/5v5/smash) - [Draw your own 5v5 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Flood in the designer Opens this exact 5v5 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fflood) --- --- title: "What is the Four Verticals concept in 5v5 flag football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/5v5/four-verticals" updated: "2026-08-31" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Ffour-verticals" --- # What is the Four Verticals concept in 5v5 flag football? In 5v5 flag football, Four Verticals runs two go routes outside, a seam at eighteen, and the running back up the middle at sixteen as the fourth vertical. The back being one of the four is what makes this work at this player count: most defenses at five players never account for him going deep, so he is the throw nobody has covered. ## The diagram 5v5 play diagram for Four Verticals. 5 offensive players: QB, RB, Y, Z, X. Z runs a go at 20 yards; X runs a go at 20 yards; Y runs a seam at 18 yards; RB runs a seam at 16 yards. Four Verticals out of Spread Left, drawn for 5v5. Four men up the field against a defense that only has two or three deep. Somebody is one-on-one; find him pre-snap by counting deep defenders, then throw it before the rush arrives. The back is the fourth vertical up the middle, which is the throw most 5v5 defenses forget to account for. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Ffour-verticals ## Why Four Verticals works in 5v5 ### The back is the fourth vertical, not a checkdown There is no fifth eligible to run the fourth route, so the running back carries it up the middle at sixteen. That also means the concept has no outlet: if all four are covered the quarterback is throwing it away, which is a real cost you accept when you call it. ### Two deep defenders is the normal picture At five players most defenses keep one or two back, so the pre-snap count usually says two of your four are uncovered. That is a better ratio than any larger format offers and it is why this concept produces more explosive plays here than anywhere else. ### It is decided by counting, not by reading Two deep defenders against four vertical routes means two receivers are uncovered deep. One deep defender means three are. The quarterback does the arithmetic before the snap and throws to the answer, which removes almost all of the in-play decision-making that gets young quarterbacks into trouble. ### Nobody covers a vertical route forever A defender running stride for stride with a receiver has to turn and find the ball at some point, and the moment he turns he stops running. Even a coverage that is technically correct produces a throwing window if the route is run at full speed. ### Staggered depths stop the routes from sharing defenders If four receivers arrive at the same depth at the same time they occupy one horizontal band and a single defender can influence two of them. Breaking the depths apart, which every version of this concept does, means each route arrives in its own window. ## How to read it 1. **Count the deep defenders before the snap** One deep defender, two, or none. That number tells you how many of your four are uncovered and roughly where they are. Do this every snap, not only when you have called this concept. 2. **Look at the deepest defender's first step** Whichever way he leans, the vertical on the other side is the throw. Against a single deep defender this is the whole play and it happens in the first second and a half. 3. **Throw it before the rush arrives** Vertical routes take time, which is the concept's only real cost. Decide early and let it go rather than waiting for a receiver to get further open. 4. **Take the checkdown without regret** If the coverage is genuinely correct, somebody underneath is uncovered because everyone else went deep. Taking that is not a failure of the call, it is the call working as designed. ## What changes in 5v5 Covered above under "The back is the fourth vertical, not a checkdown", "Two deep defenders is the normal picture". ## When not to call Four Verticals ### It is a shot, not a base call Four Verticals asks for time and produces an incompletion more often than a short concept does. It belongs on first down and on downs where an incompletion is survivable, not on third and short where you need the chains moved. ### Two capable deep defenders can take it away Against a defense that genuinely plays two deep and whose safeties are disciplined, the honest read is often the checkdown. If that happens twice in a row, the concept has told you something and the next call should be underneath. ## FAQ ### Does Four Verticals work in 5v5 flag football? Yes, and it is one of the highest-value calls at this player count because defenses rarely have more than two deep. Count the deep defenders before the snap and throw to the vertical they cannot reach. ### Who runs the fourth vertical in 5v5? The running back, up the middle at about sixteen yards. Most defenses do not account for him going deep, which makes him the most frequently open route in the concept. ### Is there a checkdown on Four Verticals in 5v5? No, and that is the trade. All four eligibles are running vertically, so if the coverage is correct the honest outcome is a throwaway. Do not call it on third and short. ## Related - [Stop the deep ball (5v5)](/defense/5v5/stop-the-deep-ball) - [Four Verticals in 7v7](/plays/7v7/four-verticals) - [Four Verticals in 11v11](/plays/11v11/four-verticals) - [Spot in 5v5](/plays/5v5/spot) - [Smash in 5v5](/plays/5v5/smash) - [Sweep in 5v5](/plays/5v5/sweep) - [Counter in 5v5](/plays/5v5/counter) - [Draw your own 5v5 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Four Verticals in the designer Opens this exact 5v5 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Ffour-verticals) --- --- title: "What is the Spot concept in 5v5 flag football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/5v5/spot" updated: "2026-08-31" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fspot" --- # What is the Spot concept in 5v5 flag football? In 5v5 flag football, Spot runs a triangle out of a bunch: a corner route at twelve over the top, a receiver sitting at five, and a flat route underneath, with the back swinging away. All three receivers are in the bunch, so the back is the only eligible left and there is nothing on the backside to threaten. ## The diagram 5v5 play diagram for Spot. 5 offensive players: QB, RB, Y, Z, X. Y runs a corner at 12 yards; X runs a hitch at 5 yards; Z runs a flat at 2 yards; RB runs a swing at 3 yards. Spot out of Bunch Right, drawn for 5v5. A triangle stretch out of the bunch: corner over the top, spot sitting at five, flat underneath. One defender is responsible for two of them no matter how the defense plays it, and the release traffic off the bunch makes man coverage very hard to run. Find the spot route first, then work off the flat defender. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fspot ## Why Spot works in 5v5 ### Every receiver you have is in the triangle At five players the bunch is all three receivers, so the concept is the entire play rather than one half of it. There is no backside route to come to, which means the quarterback commits pre-snap and the back's swing away is the only escape. ### Release traffic matters more when defenders are scarce With few defenders, most 5v5 teams play man. Three receivers releasing from a bunch create congestion that man coverage at this player count is badly equipped to sort out, which is why Spot is a better man beater here than in formats with more defenders to switch and pass off. ### The triangle covers every answer a defender has Three receivers at three depths in one area is not a horizontal stretch or a vertical one, it is both at once. A defender who widens opens the middle of the triangle, one who sinks opens the flat, and one who jumps the sitting route opens the corner behind him. ### Condensed splits break man coverage without a rub Receivers lined up close together create traffic on the release simply by running their own routes. Defenders in man have to navigate around each other before they can cover anybody, and the concept gets its separation from that congestion rather than from anybody being faster. ### The sitting route is the safety valve and the primary The receiver at five is the first read and also the answer when nothing else is there. That is unusual and it is why the concept produces so few negative plays: the fallback is the same throw as the first choice, so there is no moment where the quarterback has to change his mind under pressure. ## How to read it 1. **Find the sitting route first** Look at the receiver at five yards before anything else. If he is uncovered, throw it. Most of this concept's completions are exactly that throw and there is no reason to work past it. 2. **Then read the flat defender** If he jumps the flat route, the sitting receiver behind him is free. If he widens with nobody, look up: the corner route is the throw. 3. **Take the corner against a defense playing everything short** When both underneath routes are covered it is because the defense has committed bodies to the short area, which is precisely when the route over the top has nobody deep in that quarter of the field. ## What changes in 5v5 Covered above under "Every receiver you have is in the triangle", "Release traffic matters more when defenders are scarce". ## When not to call Spot ### It needs a condensed set to be worth calling Spread the same three receivers out and the release traffic disappears, which is where most of the concept's advantage against man coverage comes from. Run out of wide splits it becomes three ordinary routes in the same area. ### It concedes the deep middle Everything happens in one quarter of the field and nothing threatens the middle of the coverage. A defense can play a single deep defender against this concept all day without ever being punished for it. ## FAQ ### What is the best 5v5 flag football play from a bunch? Spot. The corner at twelve, the sitting route at five and the flat underneath form a triangle that one defender cannot cover, and the bunch release makes man coverage very hard to play. ### What is the first read on Spot in 5v5? The receiver sitting at five yards. He is both the primary read and the safety valve, so if he is open the ball goes there and there is no reason to work past him. ### Is Spot a good red zone play in 5v5 flag? Yes. Inside the twenty the corner route becomes a throw to the back pylon rather than a deep ball, and the triangle still forces the same choice on the flat defender. ## Related - [Stop the rub routes (5v5)](/defense/5v5/stop-the-rub-routes) - [Spot in 7v7](/plays/7v7/spot) - [Spot in 11v11](/plays/11v11/spot) - [Spot in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/spot) - [Smash in 5v5](/plays/5v5/smash) - [Sweep in 5v5](/plays/5v5/sweep) - [Counter in 5v5](/plays/5v5/counter) - [Draw your own 5v5 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Spot in the designer Opens this exact 5v5 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fspot) --- --- title: "What is the Smash concept in 5v5 flag football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/5v5/smash" updated: "2026-08-31" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fsmash" --- # What is the Smash concept in 5v5 flag football? In 5v5 flag football, Smash pairs a hitch at five with a corner route at twelve over the top of it, and adds a seam at sixteen to stop the safety helping. That seam is the format-specific piece: with only three receivers, the man not in the high-low has to hold the deep defender or the corner route runs into coverage. ## The diagram 5v5 play diagram for Smash. 5 offensive players: QB, RB, X, Y, Z. Z runs a hitch at 5 yards; Y runs a corner at 12 yards; X runs a seam at 16 yards; RB runs a swing at 3 yards. Smash out of Trips Right, drawn for 5v5. A two-level bind on the corner. Z stops at five and holds him low; Y runs the corner behind him. The defender cannot have both, and whichever he takes, the quarterback throws the other. Read the flat defender only, never the receivers. X takes the seam to keep the safety from cheating over the top of the corner route. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fsmash ## Why Smash works in 5v5 ### Your third receiver is a safety-holder, not an option Two of your three receivers are the high-low and the third runs a seam whose only job is occupying the deep defender. He is rarely the throw. Coaches who treat him as a real read at this player count end up holding the ball while the corner route comes open and closes. ### The back swings away, so there is no underneath outlet on the read side The swing goes opposite the smash. If the flat defender plays it perfectly there is nothing short on that side to fall back to, which makes the pre-snap identification of that defender more important here than in formats with a flat route built in. ### It puts one defender in an unwinnable position Most concepts stretch a zone. This one isolates a single man and gives him two responsibilities eight yards apart vertically. There is no technique that covers both, so the completion is available on every snap regardless of who is playing. ### The quarterback reads a defender, never a receiver Watching receivers get open is how young quarterbacks hold the ball. Smash removes the question: pick the flat defender before the snap, watch only him, and throw opposite whatever he does. It is the cleanest single-defender read in the passing game. ### It is the best red-zone version of itself Inside the twenty the field is short and the corner route becomes a throw to the back pylon rather than a deep shot, which is easier. The same call that produces twelve yards at midfield produces a touchdown from the fifteen. ## How to read it 1. **Identify the flat defender before the snap** The defender responsible for the short outside area on the side you are throwing to. Everything in this concept is about him, so know which body he is before the ball moves. 2. **If he stays low, throw the corner** A defender who sits on the hitch has left the space over the top of himself. Put the ball outside and up, toward the sideline rather than the middle, so only your receiver can get it. 3. **If he opens and runs, throw the hitch** The moment he turns to carry the corner route the underneath receiver is uncovered. This is the throw the concept produces most often, and taking it every time it appears is what makes the corner route available later. ## What changes in 5v5 Covered above under "Your third receiver is a safety-holder, not an option", "The back swings away, so there is no underneath outlet on the read side". ## When not to call Smash ### A defense that plays two deep to your side takes the corner away The corner route needs the space between the flat defender and whoever is over the top. Roll a second deep defender to that side and the route runs into coverage. When that happens the hitch is the play and there is no shame in it. ### It is a half-field concept with a slow backside Everything of value is on one side. If the read is covered the quarterback is starting over rather than progressing, which is why this concept wants a defined backside answer and a clock in the quarterback's head. ## FAQ ### What is the best red zone play in 5v5 flag football? Smash. The hitch at five holds the flat defender low and the corner route goes over the top of him toward the pylon. Inside the twenty that corner becomes a short, easy throw rather than a deep shot. ### How do you read Smash in 5v5? Watch the flat defender and nobody else. If he stays low, throw the corner. If he opens and runs with the corner, throw the hitch. Never read the receivers. ### What beats Smash in 5v5 flag football? A defense that puts two defenders deep to your side. When that happens the corner route is covered and the hitch is the play, which is a completion rather than a problem. ## Related - [Smash in 7v7](/plays/7v7/smash) - [Smash in 11v11](/plays/11v11/smash) - [Smash in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/smash) - [Sweep in 5v5](/plays/5v5/sweep) - [Counter in 5v5](/plays/5v5/counter) - [Dive in 5v5](/plays/5v5/dive) - [Draw your own 5v5 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Smash in the designer Opens this exact 5v5 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fsmash) --- --- title: "What is the Mesh concept in 7v7 flag football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/7v7/mesh" updated: "2026-08-31" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=7v7%2Fmesh" --- # What is the Mesh concept in 7v7 flag football? In 7v7 flag football, Mesh crosses two inside receivers at four and six yards while both outside receivers sit down at ten and the centre stays in to block. The two curls are what separate the 7v7 version from smaller formats: they give the quarterback a zone answer on the same call, so one play covers both coverages without a check at the line. ## The diagram 7v7 play diagram for Mesh. 7 offensive players: C, QB, RB, Y, TE, Z, X. C runs a custom; Y runs a drag at 6 yards; TE runs a drag at 4 yards; Z runs a curl at 10 yards; X runs a curl at 10 yards; RB runs a swing at 3 yards. Mesh out of Spread, drawn for 7v7. Two shallow crossers rub over the middle at four and six yards, close enough that the defenders covering them have to fight through the same square yard. In man coverage one of them comes free almost every time. The outside receivers sit down at ten as the zone answer, and the back swings out as the outlet if the middle is walled off. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=7v7%2Fmesh ## Why Mesh works in 7v7 ### You get a zone answer on the same snap The outside receivers curl at ten rather than clearing out. Against man the crossers win underneath; against zone the crossers get carried and the curls sit in the windows they vacated. At five players there is nobody spare to run those routes, so the smaller version has to be checked out of against zone and this one does not. ### The centre blocks, so the ball can wait A blocking centre buys roughly a count more than an empty look, which is exactly the time the second crosser needs to clear the mesh point. That extra beat is why this version rewards patience while the five-player version rewards throwing the first thing that opens. ### The rub is legal because nobody blocks anybody Two receivers running legitimate routes that happen to intersect is not a pick. The separation comes from the defenders colliding with each other while chasing, which is why the depths matter more than anything else in the concept: a yard apart and the traffic is real, three yards apart and the defenders simply run under it. ### It answers man and zone with the same call Against man the crossers rub free. Against zone they do not, but they run through every underneath window in sequence, so the quarterback throws the first one that sits down in space. A concept that beats both coverages is a concept you can call without knowing what you are looking at, which is most of what a youth coach needs. ### It is the safest blitz answer in the passing game Both crossers break inside almost immediately and stay on the move, so the ball comes out fast and to a receiver already running away from the pressure. That makes Mesh the call when the defense has been sending everybody and the quarterback has stopped wanting to hold the ball. ## How to read it 1. **Check the deep defender before the snap** If the deepest defender is head-up over the middle, the clear-out route will hold him and the crossers work. If there are two deep, the crossing windows are wider but the clear-out will not occupy anybody, so expect to throw underneath. 2. **Watch the crossers meet** The read happens at the mesh point, not before it. Whichever crosser comes out of the traffic with a defender trailing rather than running with him is the throw. 3. **Throw the first one who is free, in front of him** Lead the crosser so he catches it moving. A ball thrown behind a crossing receiver turns a first down into an incompletion, and it is the single most common way this concept is wasted. 4. **If neither crosser comes free, go to the outlet** Against zone both crossers may get carried. The back or the last eligible releasing away from the traffic is the checkdown, and taking it is a better outcome than waiting for a crosser to uncover. ## What changes in 7v7 Covered above under "You get a zone answer on the same snap", "The centre blocks, so the ball can wait". ## When not to call Mesh ### It does not beat a defense that sits in the crossing lanes A coach who has seen Mesh twice will drop a defender to five yards over the middle and stand there. When that happens the concept stops producing and the answer is a different call, not a deeper crosser. ### It needs receivers who will run into traffic The whole concept depends on both crossers running their depth honestly through contact. Young receivers tend to drift wide of each other to avoid the collision, which opens the mesh point up to three or four yards and quietly removes the only thing making it work. ## FAQ ### What is the mesh point depth in 7v7 flag football? Four and six yards. The one-yard gap is the whole concept: level them and the crossers collide with their defenders still attached, spread them to three yards and the defenders run underneath the traffic untouched. ### Who runs the crossers in 7v7? The two inside receivers, so the outside pair can run the curls that make this work against zone. Putting an outside receiver on a crosser means a longer path to the mesh point and the timing stops working. ### Is Mesh good against a blitz in 7v7? Yes, and it is one of the better answers. Both crossers break inside almost immediately and are moving away from the pressure, so the ball comes out fast. If the middle is walled off, the back swinging out is the outlet. ## Related - [Stop Mesh (7v7)](/defense/7v7/stop-mesh) - [Mesh in 5v5](/plays/5v5/mesh) - [Mesh in 11v11](/plays/11v11/mesh) - [Mesh in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/mesh) - [Flood in 7v7](/plays/7v7/flood) - [Four Verticals in 7v7](/plays/7v7/four-verticals) - [Spot in 7v7](/plays/7v7/spot) - [Draw your own 7v7 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Mesh in the designer Opens this exact 7v7 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=7v7%2Fmesh) --- --- title: "What is the Flood concept in 7v7 flag football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/7v7/flood" updated: "2026-08-31" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=7v7%2Fflood" --- # What is the Flood concept in 7v7 flag football? In 7v7 flag football, Flood sends three receivers to the trips side at fourteen, eight and the flat, with a backside dig at twelve and the centre blocking. Unlike the five-player version, all three levels are run by receivers, which frees the back to swing away as a genuine fourth option rather than being part of the concept. ## The diagram 7v7 play diagram for Flood. 7 offensive players: C, QB, RB, Y, TE, Z, X. C runs a custom; X runs a sail at 14 yards; TE runs a out at 8 yards; Y runs a flat at 2 yards; Z runs a dig at 12 yards; RB runs a swing at 3 yards. Flood out of Trips Right, drawn for 7v7. Three receivers into one side at three different depths, so a zone defender who steps up to the flat opens the sail behind him and one who carries the sail leaves the flat free. Work it top down: sail, then out, then flat. Against zone you are attacking a defender's decision, not a matchup. The backside dig is the late answer when the whole coverage has rotated to the trips. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=7v7%2Fflood ## Why Flood works in 7v7 ### All three levels are receivers The flat is run by a receiver rather than the back, so each level arrives at its depth on time and the spacing between them is exact. That is the practical gain of the extra bodies: the read is cleaner, not merely wider. ### The back becomes a real escape rather than a level Swinging away from the flood, the back is a fourth option on the other side of the field. At five players that same body is load-bearing, so a quarterback here who checks it down loses nothing and one at five who does has abandoned the concept. ### It attacks a decision, not a matchup The defender who steps up to take the underneath route opens the intermediate one behind him. The one who carries the deep route vacates the flat. You are not asking a receiver to beat anybody, you are asking a defender to be in two places, which is a bet that pays out regardless of how athletic his side of the field is. ### The read is teachable in one sentence Start high and work down. That is the whole instruction, and it is why Flood is one of the few three-option concepts a young quarterback can run correctly on the second day of practice. The ball goes to the first receiver who is not covered, starting from the deepest. ### It puts three men where the defense has two Most defenses distribute evenly across the field, so overloading one sideline creates a local numbers advantage before anybody moves. Formation does most of the work here, which is why the concept survives being run out of a different look in every game format. ## How to read it 1. **Pick your side before the snap** Flood is a one-way concept. Decide which sideline you are attacking by counting defenders on each side, and do not change your mind after the snap. 2. **Take the deep route if the flat defender carries** If the underneath defender drops with the intermediate route, the space behind him at the top of the concept is open. This is the biggest completion in the play and it is the first thing you look for. 3. **Take the intermediate if he sits** If he stays shallow to take the underneath route, the middle height is uncovered. This is the throw the concept produces most often and the one worth being happy with. 4. **Take the underneath route and get down** If both levels above are carried, the shortest route is open by definition. Throw it, let him turn upfield, and call it again next series. ## What changes in 7v7 Covered above under "All three levels are receivers", "The back becomes a real escape rather than a level". ## When not to call Flood ### It gives up the other half of the field Three receivers on one sideline means the backside is a single route and a decoy. Against a defense that recognises the concept and rotates coverage toward it, the backside answer is the play, not the flood itself, so know what that answer is before you call it. ### It is slow against pressure The deep route has to get to its depth before the read means anything. If the defense is bringing extra rushers, the quarterback will be throwing the underneath route every time, which is a fine outcome but not the reason you called it. ## FAQ ### What is the read progression on Flood in 7v7? High to low: sail at fourteen, out at eight, flat underneath. Take the deepest one that is uncovered. If the coverage has rotated to the trips side, come back to the dig at twelve. ### Which side should you flood in 7v7 flag football? The side with fewer defenders, counted before the snap. Flood is a one-way concept and changing your mind after the ball moves is how it turns into a throwaway. ## Related - [Flood in 5v5](/plays/5v5/flood) - [Flood in 11v11](/plays/11v11/flood) - [Flood in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/flood) - [Four Verticals in 7v7](/plays/7v7/four-verticals) - [Spot in 7v7](/plays/7v7/spot) - [Smash in 7v7](/plays/7v7/smash) - [Draw your own 7v7 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Flood in the designer Opens this exact 7v7 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=7v7%2Fflood) --- --- title: "What is the Four Verticals concept in 7v7 flag football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/7v7/four-verticals" updated: "2026-08-31" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=7v7%2Ffour-verticals" --- # What is the Four Verticals concept in 7v7 flag football? In 7v7 flag football, Four Verts runs two outside go routes and two seams at eighteen against a defense that usually has three deep, while the centre blocks and the back swings underneath as the release valve. Having a genuine checkdown is what separates this from the five-player version, where all four eligibles are committed downfield. ## The diagram 7v7 play diagram for Four Verticals. 7 offensive players: C, QB, RB, Y, TE, Z, X. C runs a custom; Z runs a go at 20 yards; X runs a go at 20 yards; Y runs a seam at 18 yards; TE runs a seam at 18 yards; RB runs a swing at 3 yards. Four Verticals out of Spread, drawn for 7v7. Four receivers up the field against a defense that only has three deep. Somebody is one-on-one; count the deep defenders before the snap and know which one before you take it. The back checks underneath as the release valve if nothing opens. Take that throw rather than holding the ball, and the vertical shot is still there next series. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=7v7%2Ffour-verticals ## Why Four Verticals works in 7v7 ### There is a release valve, so the call is survivable The back swings out rather than running the fourth vertical. That means an honest coverage produces a short completion instead of a throwaway, which makes this callable on second down in a way the five-player version is not. ### Three deep is the normal picture, not two Seven players usually means three defenders back, so the pre-snap count is four verticals against three. Somebody is still one-on-one, but the margin is thinner and identifying which one before the snap matters more here than at five. ### It is decided by counting, not by reading Two deep defenders against four vertical routes means two receivers are uncovered deep. One deep defender means three are. The quarterback does the arithmetic before the snap and throws to the answer, which removes almost all of the in-play decision-making that gets young quarterbacks into trouble. ### Nobody covers a vertical route forever A defender running stride for stride with a receiver has to turn and find the ball at some point, and the moment he turns he stops running. Even a coverage that is technically correct produces a throwing window if the route is run at full speed. ### Staggered depths stop the routes from sharing defenders If four receivers arrive at the same depth at the same time they occupy one horizontal band and a single defender can influence two of them. Breaking the depths apart, which every version of this concept does, means each route arrives in its own window. ## How to read it 1. **Count the deep defenders before the snap** One deep defender, two, or none. That number tells you how many of your four are uncovered and roughly where they are. Do this every snap, not only when you have called this concept. 2. **Look at the deepest defender's first step** Whichever way he leans, the vertical on the other side is the throw. Against a single deep defender this is the whole play and it happens in the first second and a half. 3. **Throw it before the rush arrives** Vertical routes take time, which is the concept's only real cost. Decide early and let it go rather than waiting for a receiver to get further open. 4. **Take the checkdown without regret** If the coverage is genuinely correct, somebody underneath is uncovered because everyone else went deep. Taking that is not a failure of the call, it is the call working as designed. ## What changes in 7v7 Covered above under "There is a release valve, so the call is survivable", "Three deep is the normal picture, not two". ## When not to call Four Verticals ### It is a shot, not a base call Four Verticals asks for time and produces an incompletion more often than a short concept does. It belongs on first down and on downs where an incompletion is survivable, not on third and short where you need the chains moved. ### Two capable deep defenders can take it away Against a defense that genuinely plays two deep and whose safeties are disciplined, the honest read is often the checkdown. If that happens twice in a row, the concept has told you something and the next call should be underneath. ## FAQ ### How many deep defenders does 7v7 usually play? Three. Four verticals against three deep leaves one receiver one-on-one, and the quarterback's job is to know which one before the ball is snapped rather than looking for it afterwards. ### What do you do if Four Verts is covered in 7v7? Take the back's swing. The concept is designed so an honest coverage still produces a completion underneath, and taking it keeps the vertical shot available for later in the game. ## Related - [Stop the deep ball (7v7)](/defense/7v7/stop-the-deep-ball) - [Four Verticals in 5v5](/plays/5v5/four-verticals) - [Four Verticals in 11v11](/plays/11v11/four-verticals) - [Spot in 7v7](/plays/7v7/spot) - [Smash in 7v7](/plays/7v7/smash) - [Mesh in 7v7](/plays/7v7/mesh) - [Flood in 7v7](/plays/7v7/flood) - [Draw your own 7v7 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Four Verticals in the designer Opens this exact 7v7 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=7v7%2Ffour-verticals) --- --- title: "What is the Spot concept in 7v7 flag football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/7v7/spot" updated: "2026-08-31" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=7v7%2Fspot" --- # What is the Spot concept in 7v7 flag football? In 7v7 flag football, Spot runs the bunch triangle of corner at twelve, spot at five and flat underneath, with a backside go route clearing the deep defender and the centre blocking. That backside go is the difference: it stops a single deep defender cheating toward the bunch, which is exactly what limits the concept at five players. ## The diagram 7v7 play diagram for Spot. 7 offensive players: C, QB, RB, Y, TE, Z, X. C runs a custom; Y runs a corner at 12 yards; TE runs a hitch at 5 yards; X runs a flat at 2 yards; Z runs a go at 20 yards; RB runs a swing at 3 yards. Spot out of Bunch Right, drawn for 7v7. A triangle stretch out of the bunch: corner over the top, spot sitting at five, flat underneath. One defender is responsible for two of them however the defense plays it, and the release traffic off the bunch makes man coverage very hard to run against it. Find the spot route first, then work off the flat defender. One of the best red-zone calls in the book. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=7v7%2Fspot ## Why Spot works in 7v7 ### The backside go keeps the safety honest A receiver running vertically away from the bunch occupies the deep defender who would otherwise slide over the top of the corner route. At five players there is no body to spare for that, so the corner route there is genuinely contested and here it often is not. ### The centre blocks, so the triangle has time to form The spot route sits at five and the corner needs twelve to develop. A blocking centre is what lets both arrive, where the emptier formats are throwing the spot route almost immediately whether or not the corner has cleared. ### The triangle covers every answer a defender has Three receivers at three depths in one area is not a horizontal stretch or a vertical one, it is both at once. A defender who widens opens the middle of the triangle, one who sinks opens the flat, and one who jumps the sitting route opens the corner behind him. ### Condensed splits break man coverage without a rub Receivers lined up close together create traffic on the release simply by running their own routes. Defenders in man have to navigate around each other before they can cover anybody, and the concept gets its separation from that congestion rather than from anybody being faster. ### The sitting route is the safety valve and the primary The receiver at five is the first read and also the answer when nothing else is there. That is unusual and it is why the concept produces so few negative plays: the fallback is the same throw as the first choice, so there is no moment where the quarterback has to change his mind under pressure. ## How to read it 1. **Find the sitting route first** Look at the receiver at five yards before anything else. If he is uncovered, throw it. Most of this concept's completions are exactly that throw and there is no reason to work past it. 2. **Then read the flat defender** If he jumps the flat route, the sitting receiver behind him is free. If he widens with nobody, look up: the corner route is the throw. 3. **Take the corner against a defense playing everything short** When both underneath routes are covered it is because the defense has committed bodies to the short area, which is precisely when the route over the top has nobody deep in that quarter of the field. ## What changes in 7v7 Covered above under "The backside go keeps the safety honest", "The centre blocks, so the triangle has time to form". ## When not to call Spot ### It needs a condensed set to be worth calling Spread the same three receivers out and the release traffic disappears, which is where most of the concept's advantage against man coverage comes from. Run out of wide splits it becomes three ordinary routes in the same area. ### It concedes the deep middle Everything happens in one quarter of the field and nothing threatens the middle of the coverage. A defense can play a single deep defender against this concept all day without ever being punished for it. ## FAQ ### How do you beat man coverage in 7v7 flag football? Spot from a bunch is one of the most reliable answers. The three receivers release into each other's space and man defenders have to navigate that traffic before they can cover anybody. ### What is the difference between Spot and Snag? They are the same triangle under two names. Snag is the more common term in eleven-man football; Spot is what most flag installs call it. The routes and the read are identical. ## Related - [Stop the rub routes (7v7)](/defense/7v7/stop-the-rub-routes) - [Spot in 5v5](/plays/5v5/spot) - [Spot in 11v11](/plays/11v11/spot) - [Spot in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/spot) - [Smash in 7v7](/plays/7v7/smash) - [Mesh in 7v7](/plays/7v7/mesh) - [Flood in 7v7](/plays/7v7/flood) - [Draw your own 7v7 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Spot in the designer Opens this exact 7v7 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=7v7%2Fspot) --- --- title: "What is the Smash concept in 7v7 flag football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/7v7/smash" updated: "2026-08-31" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=7v7%2Fsmash" --- # What is the Smash concept in 7v7 flag football? In 7v7 flag football, Smash runs the hitch at five and the corner at twelve out of trips, with a seam at sixteen inside and a backside post at twelve. The backside post is the addition worth knowing: when the safety cheats toward the trips side, that post is the throw, which is why this version is a red-zone favourite. ## The diagram 7v7 play diagram for Smash. 7 offensive players: C, QB, RB, Y, TE, Z, X. C runs a custom; X runs a hitch at 5 yards; TE runs a corner at 12 yards; Y runs a seam at 16 yards; Z runs a post at 12 yards; RB runs a swing at 3 yards. Smash out of Trips Left, drawn for 7v7. A two-level bind on the corner. The outside man stops at five and holds him low; the receiver inside him runs the corner behind it. The defender cannot have both, and whichever he takes, throw the other. Read the flat defender only, never the receivers. The backside post is the alternative when the safety cheats over to the trips, a red-zone favourite for exactly that reason. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=7v7%2Fsmash ## Why Smash works in 7v7 ### There is a real backside answer A post at twelve away from the trips means a safety who slides toward the smash gets punished. At five players the backside is empty and the same safety rotation simply takes the corner route away with no consequence. ### Trips changes who runs what The high-low is run by the outside man and the receiver inside him rather than by whichever two are closest together. That puts the hitch nearest the sideline and gives the corner route a cleaner path to the space behind the flat defender. ### It puts one defender in an unwinnable position Most concepts stretch a zone. This one isolates a single man and gives him two responsibilities eight yards apart vertically. There is no technique that covers both, so the completion is available on every snap regardless of who is playing. ### The quarterback reads a defender, never a receiver Watching receivers get open is how young quarterbacks hold the ball. Smash removes the question: pick the flat defender before the snap, watch only him, and throw opposite whatever he does. It is the cleanest single-defender read in the passing game. ### It is the best red-zone version of itself Inside the twenty the field is short and the corner route becomes a throw to the back pylon rather than a deep shot, which is easier. The same call that produces twelve yards at midfield produces a touchdown from the fifteen. ## How to read it 1. **Identify the flat defender before the snap** The defender responsible for the short outside area on the side you are throwing to. Everything in this concept is about him, so know which body he is before the ball moves. 2. **If he stays low, throw the corner** A defender who sits on the hitch has left the space over the top of himself. Put the ball outside and up, toward the sideline rather than the middle, so only your receiver can get it. 3. **If he opens and runs, throw the hitch** The moment he turns to carry the corner route the underneath receiver is uncovered. This is the throw the concept produces most often, and taking it every time it appears is what makes the corner route available later. ## What changes in 7v7 Covered above under "There is a real backside answer", "Trips changes who runs what". ## When not to call Smash ### A defense that plays two deep to your side takes the corner away The corner route needs the space between the flat defender and whoever is over the top. Roll a second deep defender to that side and the route runs into coverage. When that happens the hitch is the play and there is no shame in it. ### It is a half-field concept with a slow backside Everything of value is on one side. If the read is covered the quarterback is starting over rather than progressing, which is why this concept wants a defined backside answer and a clock in the quarterback's head. ## FAQ ### Is Smash a good red zone concept in 7v7? Yes, and the backside post is the reason. Inside the twenty defenses commit help toward the trips side, which leaves the post one-on-one and makes it the highest-percentage touchdown throw in the concept. ### Which defender do you read on Smash in 7v7? The flat defender on the trips side, and only him. If he sits, throw the corner over the top. If he carries the corner, throw the hitch underneath. ## Related - [Smash in 5v5](/plays/5v5/smash) - [Smash in 11v11](/plays/11v11/smash) - [Smash in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/smash) - [Mesh in 7v7](/plays/7v7/mesh) - [Flood in 7v7](/plays/7v7/flood) - [Four Verticals in 7v7](/plays/7v7/four-verticals) - [Draw your own 7v7 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Smash in the designer Opens this exact 7v7 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=7v7%2Fsmash) --- --- title: "What is the Mesh concept in 11v11 tackle football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/11v11/mesh" updated: "2026-08-31" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fmesh" --- # What is the Mesh concept in 11v11 tackle football? In 11v11 football, Mesh crosses two receivers at five and six yards behind full five-man protection, with a curl at twelve working over the top of the traffic and a go route holding the safety. The protection is what changes the concept here: the quarterback can let the first crosser go by and take the second, which comes open about half a beat later. ## The diagram 11v11 play diagram for Mesh. 11 offensive players: LT, LG, C, RG, RT, X, Y, TE, Z, QB, RB. LT runs a custom; LG runs a custom; C runs a custom; RG runs a custom; RT runs a custom; Y runs a drag at 5 yards; TE runs a drag at 6 yards; X runs a curl at 12 yards; Z runs a go at 18 yards; RB runs a swing at 3 yards. Mesh out of Spread Doubles, drawn for 11v11. Two shallow crossers from opposite sides pass each other at five and six yards, one yard of separation, which is the whole play. Same depth and they collide and both defenders stay attached; a yard apart and the under man rubs his defender off on the over man and somebody comes free. Best against man. The sit at twelve works over the top of the mesh and the back is the outlet against pressure. Do not lock onto the first crosser. The second one comes open a half-tick later. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fmesh ## Why Mesh works in 11v11 ### Protection turns one read into two With five linemen the quarterback is not throwing on a count. The spec says it directly: do not lock onto the first crosser, because the second comes open a half-tick after him. In flag formats the ball is usually gone before that second window ever appears. ### There is a route working over the top of the mesh The curl at twelve sits in the space the crossers just emptied, a third level the concept simply does not have at five or seven players. Against a defense that drops a defender into the crossing lanes, that curl is the answer rather than a different call. ### The rub is legal because nobody blocks anybody Two receivers running legitimate routes that happen to intersect is not a pick. The separation comes from the defenders colliding with each other while chasing, which is why the depths matter more than anything else in the concept: a yard apart and the traffic is real, three yards apart and the defenders simply run under it. ### It answers man and zone with the same call Against man the crossers rub free. Against zone they do not, but they run through every underneath window in sequence, so the quarterback throws the first one that sits down in space. A concept that beats both coverages is a concept you can call without knowing what you are looking at, which is most of what a youth coach needs. ### It is the safest blitz answer in the passing game Both crossers break inside almost immediately and stay on the move, so the ball comes out fast and to a receiver already running away from the pressure. That makes Mesh the call when the defense has been sending everybody and the quarterback has stopped wanting to hold the ball. ## How to read it 1. **Check the deep defender before the snap** If the deepest defender is head-up over the middle, the clear-out route will hold him and the crossers work. If there are two deep, the crossing windows are wider but the clear-out will not occupy anybody, so expect to throw underneath. 2. **Watch the crossers meet** The read happens at the mesh point, not before it. Whichever crosser comes out of the traffic with a defender trailing rather than running with him is the throw. 3. **Throw the first one who is free, in front of him** Lead the crosser so he catches it moving. A ball thrown behind a crossing receiver turns a first down into an incompletion, and it is the single most common way this concept is wasted. 4. **If neither crosser comes free, go to the outlet** Against zone both crossers may get carried. The back or the last eligible releasing away from the traffic is the checkdown, and taking it is a better outcome than waiting for a crosser to uncover. ## What changes in 11v11 Covered above under "Protection turns one read into two", "There is a route working over the top of the mesh". ## When not to call Mesh ### It does not beat a defense that sits in the crossing lanes A coach who has seen Mesh twice will drop a defender to five yards over the middle and stand there. When that happens the concept stops producing and the answer is a different call, not a deeper crosser. ### It needs receivers who will run into traffic The whole concept depends on both crossers running their depth honestly through contact. Young receivers tend to drift wide of each other to avoid the collision, which opens the mesh point up to three or four yards and quietly removes the only thing making it work. ## FAQ ### What depth should the crossers run in 11v11? Five and six yards. The separation matters more than the absolute number: one yard apart and the under man rubs his defender off on the over man, level and they collide with both defenders still attached. ### Is Mesh a man beater or a zone beater in 11v11? Primarily a man beater. Against zone the crossers get carried and the curl at twelve becomes the throw, which is why that route is in the concept rather than a second crosser. ## Related - [Stop Mesh (11v11)](/defense/11v11/stop-mesh) - [Mesh in 5v5](/plays/5v5/mesh) - [Mesh in 7v7](/plays/7v7/mesh) - [Mesh in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/mesh) - [Flood in 11v11](/plays/11v11/flood) - [Four Verticals in 11v11](/plays/11v11/four-verticals) - [Spot in 11v11](/plays/11v11/spot) - [Draw your own 11v11 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Mesh in the designer Opens this exact 11v11 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fmesh) --- --- title: "What is the Flood concept in 11v11 tackle football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/11v11/flood" updated: "2026-08-31" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fflood" --- # What is the Flood concept in 11v11 tackle football? In 11v11 football, Flood works three heights to one sideline at fourteen, eight and four, with a go route holding the backside safety and a drag at three as the designated hot answer. That built-in hot route is what the extra players buy: the concept carries its own pressure answer rather than needing one checked to it. ## The diagram 11v11 play diagram for Flood. 11 offensive players: LT, LG, C, RG, RT, X, Y, TE, Z, QB, RB. LT runs a custom; LG runs a custom; C runs a custom; RG runs a custom; RT runs a custom; Z runs a corner at 14 yards; TE runs a out at 8 yards; RB runs a flat at 4 yards; X runs a go at 18 yards; Y runs a drag at 3 yards. Flood out of Spread Doubles, drawn for 11v11. Three levels to one sideline: the corner at fourteen deep, the out at eight in the middle, and the back in the flat at four. The corner and the flat defender between them have three men to cover and only two of them, so somebody is open at one of the three heights. Read it high to low. The backside drag at three is the hot answer if they bring pressure, and the backside go keeps the safety from cheating over. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fflood ## Why Flood works in 11v11 ### There is a hot route inside the concept The backside drag at three exists so a defense bringing extra rushers does not blow the play up. Flag formats have no spare body for that, so their versions simply take longer to develop and live with it. ### The backside go is doing real work A go route at eighteen on the weak side keeps the safety from rotating over the top of the flood. Without it a single deep defender can cheat toward three receivers and cap the whole concept, which is exactly what happens in the smaller formats. ### It attacks a decision, not a matchup The defender who steps up to take the underneath route opens the intermediate one behind him. The one who carries the deep route vacates the flat. You are not asking a receiver to beat anybody, you are asking a defender to be in two places, which is a bet that pays out regardless of how athletic his side of the field is. ### The read is teachable in one sentence Start high and work down. That is the whole instruction, and it is why Flood is one of the few three-option concepts a young quarterback can run correctly on the second day of practice. The ball goes to the first receiver who is not covered, starting from the deepest. ### It puts three men where the defense has two Most defenses distribute evenly across the field, so overloading one sideline creates a local numbers advantage before anybody moves. Formation does most of the work here, which is why the concept survives being run out of a different look in every game format. ## How to read it 1. **Pick your side before the snap** Flood is a one-way concept. Decide which sideline you are attacking by counting defenders on each side, and do not change your mind after the snap. 2. **Take the deep route if the flat defender carries** If the underneath defender drops with the intermediate route, the space behind him at the top of the concept is open. This is the biggest completion in the play and it is the first thing you look for. 3. **Take the intermediate if he sits** If he stays shallow to take the underneath route, the middle height is uncovered. This is the throw the concept produces most often and the one worth being happy with. 4. **Take the underneath route and get down** If both levels above are carried, the shortest route is open by definition. Throw it, let him turn upfield, and call it again next series. ## What changes in 11v11 Covered above under "There is a hot route inside the concept", "The backside go is doing real work". ## When not to call Flood ### It gives up the other half of the field Three receivers on one sideline means the backside is a single route and a decoy. Against a defense that recognises the concept and rotates coverage toward it, the backside answer is the play, not the flood itself, so know what that answer is before you call it. ### It is slow against pressure The deep route has to get to its depth before the read means anything. If the defense is bringing extra rushers, the quarterback will be throwing the underneath route every time, which is a fine outcome but not the reason you called it. ## FAQ ### What is Flood in football? Three receivers released to one sideline at three different depths, so the two defenders on that side cannot cover all three heights. Read it from the deepest route down and throw to the first one uncovered. ### When should you call Flood in 11v11? Against zone, on early downs, and especially when the defense has shown it rotates coverage late. It is a poor third-and-long call because the deepest route takes time to arrive. ## Related - [Flood in 5v5](/plays/5v5/flood) - [Flood in 7v7](/plays/7v7/flood) - [Flood in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/flood) - [Four Verticals in 11v11](/plays/11v11/four-verticals) - [Spot in 11v11](/plays/11v11/spot) - [Smash in 11v11](/plays/11v11/smash) - [Draw your own 11v11 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Flood in the designer Opens this exact 11v11 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fflood) --- --- title: "What is the Four Verticals concept in 11v11 tackle football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/11v11/four-verticals" updated: "2026-08-31" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Ffour-verticals" --- # What is the Four Verticals concept in 11v11 tackle football? In 11v11 football, Four Verticals runs the outside receivers on go routes at twenty and the inside two on seams at seventeen and fourteen, with the back releasing to the flat at four. The depths are staggered deliberately so four receivers do not arrive in one horizontal band and hand a single defender two of them. ## The diagram 11v11 play diagram for Four Verticals. 11 offensive players: LT, LG, C, RG, RT, X, Y, TE, Z, QB, RB. LT runs a custom; LG runs a custom; C runs a custom; RG runs a custom; RT runs a custom; X runs a go at 20 yards; Z runs a go at 20 yards; Y runs a seam at 17 yards; TE runs a seam at 14 yards; RB runs a flat at 4 yards. Four Verticals out of Spread Doubles, drawn for 11v11. Four men running at the top of the coverage: the outside two on go routes, the inside two on seams. Against single-high the safety has two seams and one of him. A man corner cannot run with a vertical forever. The back checks down if nothing breaks. Depths are staggered on purpose so four receivers do not arrive in one horizontal band and share defenders. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Ffour-verticals ## Why Four Verticals works in 11v11 ### The depths are staggered on purpose Twenty, twenty, seventeen and fourteen. Four routes arriving at the same depth occupy one band and a single defender can influence two of them; breaking them apart means each route arrives in its own window. The flag versions run flatter depth spreads because they have fewer bodies to separate. ### Against single high the read is a single defender With one deep safety and two seams inside, the safety is wrong whichever he takes. That is a cleaner one-defender read than any smaller format offers, where the deep structure is usually two defenders splitting the field. ### It is decided by counting, not by reading Two deep defenders against four vertical routes means two receivers are uncovered deep. One deep defender means three are. The quarterback does the arithmetic before the snap and throws to the answer, which removes almost all of the in-play decision-making that gets young quarterbacks into trouble. ### Nobody covers a vertical route forever A defender running stride for stride with a receiver has to turn and find the ball at some point, and the moment he turns he stops running. Even a coverage that is technically correct produces a throwing window if the route is run at full speed. ### Staggered depths stop the routes from sharing defenders If four receivers arrive at the same depth at the same time they occupy one horizontal band and a single defender can influence two of them. Breaking the depths apart, which every version of this concept does, means each route arrives in its own window. ## How to read it 1. **Count the deep defenders before the snap** One deep defender, two, or none. That number tells you how many of your four are uncovered and roughly where they are. Do this every snap, not only when you have called this concept. 2. **Look at the deepest defender's first step** Whichever way he leans, the vertical on the other side is the throw. Against a single deep defender this is the whole play and it happens in the first second and a half. 3. **Throw it before the rush arrives** Vertical routes take time, which is the concept's only real cost. Decide early and let it go rather than waiting for a receiver to get further open. 4. **Take the checkdown without regret** If the coverage is genuinely correct, somebody underneath is uncovered because everyone else went deep. Taking that is not a failure of the call, it is the call working as designed. ## What changes in 11v11 Covered above under "The depths are staggered on purpose", "Against single high the read is a single defender". ## When not to call Four Verticals ### It is a shot, not a base call Four Verticals asks for time and produces an incompletion more often than a short concept does. It belongs on first down and on downs where an incompletion is survivable, not on third and short where you need the chains moved. ### Two capable deep defenders can take it away Against a defense that genuinely plays two deep and whose safeties are disciplined, the honest read is often the checkdown. If that happens twice in a row, the concept has told you something and the next call should be underneath. ## FAQ ### What is Four Verticals in football? Four receivers running vertically at once against a defense with fewer deep defenders than that. Count the deep defenders before the snap, work out which route is uncovered, and throw it before the rush arrives. ### Why are the seam depths different on Four Verticals? So the four routes do not arrive in the same horizontal band. If they did, one defender could cover two of them. Staggering to twenty, seventeen and fourteen gives each route its own window. ### Is Four Verticals good against Cover 2? It is workable but not ideal: two deep defenders against four verticals still leaves someone one-on-one, but the windows are tighter. Against genuine two-deep with disciplined safeties, expect the checkdown to be the honest answer. ## Related - [Stop the deep ball (11v11)](/defense/11v11/stop-the-deep-ball) - [Four Verticals in 5v5](/plays/5v5/four-verticals) - [Four Verticals in 7v7](/plays/7v7/four-verticals) - [Spot in 11v11](/plays/11v11/spot) - [Smash in 11v11](/plays/11v11/smash) - [Sweep in 11v11](/plays/11v11/sweep) - [Dive in 11v11](/plays/11v11/dive) - [Draw your own 11v11 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Four Verticals in the designer Opens this exact 11v11 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Ffour-verticals) --- --- title: "What is the Spot concept in 11v11 tackle football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/11v11/spot" updated: "2026-08-31" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fspot" --- # What is the Spot concept in 11v11 tackle football? In 11v11 football this triangle is usually called Snag: a corner route at thirteen, the spot sitting at five, and the back in the flat at four, with a go route at eighteen and a backside drag at five. The vocabulary is the main thing that changes at this level, and the routes and the read are the same as the Spot every flag install runs. ## The diagram 11v11 play diagram for Spot. 11 offensive players: LT, LG, C, RG, RT, X, Y, TE, Z, QB, RB. LT runs a custom; LG runs a custom; C runs a custom; RG runs a custom; RT runs a custom; TE runs a curl at 5 yards; Z runs a corner at 13 yards; RB runs a flat at 4 yards; X runs a go at 18 yards; Y runs a drag at 5 yards. Spot out of Spread Doubles, drawn for 11v11. Three options at three depths in the same quarter of the field: the corner over the top at thirteen, the spot sitting at five, and the flat at four underneath. That triangle is what makes it work against almost any coverage: whichever defender the look gives you, one of the three is uncovered. Second-and-medium when you need positive yards and do not care how you get them. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fspot ## Why Spot works in 11v11 ### It is filed as Snag, not Spot Eleven-man playbooks almost always call this Snag. Worth knowing if you coach both, because a coach who learned Spot in flag and Snag in tackle has usually been taught they are two concepts, and they are one triangle with two names. ### The back runs the flat, freeing a fifth route With the back taking the underneath level, an extra receiver runs the backside drag at five. That gives the concept something on the other half of the field, which the flag versions do not have and cannot have. ### The triangle covers every answer a defender has Three receivers at three depths in one area is not a horizontal stretch or a vertical one, it is both at once. A defender who widens opens the middle of the triangle, one who sinks opens the flat, and one who jumps the sitting route opens the corner behind him. ### Condensed splits break man coverage without a rub Receivers lined up close together create traffic on the release simply by running their own routes. Defenders in man have to navigate around each other before they can cover anybody, and the concept gets its separation from that congestion rather than from anybody being faster. ### The sitting route is the safety valve and the primary The receiver at five is the first read and also the answer when nothing else is there. That is unusual and it is why the concept produces so few negative plays: the fallback is the same throw as the first choice, so there is no moment where the quarterback has to change his mind under pressure. ## How to read it 1. **Find the sitting route first** Look at the receiver at five yards before anything else. If he is uncovered, throw it. Most of this concept's completions are exactly that throw and there is no reason to work past it. 2. **Then read the flat defender** If he jumps the flat route, the sitting receiver behind him is free. If he widens with nobody, look up: the corner route is the throw. 3. **Take the corner against a defense playing everything short** When both underneath routes are covered it is because the defense has committed bodies to the short area, which is precisely when the route over the top has nobody deep in that quarter of the field. ## What changes in 11v11 Covered above under "It is filed as Snag, not Spot", "The back runs the flat, freeing a fifth route". ## When not to call Spot ### It needs a condensed set to be worth calling Spread the same three receivers out and the release traffic disappears, which is where most of the concept's advantage against man coverage comes from. Run out of wide splits it becomes three ordinary routes in the same area. ### It concedes the deep middle Everything happens in one quarter of the field and nothing threatens the middle of the coverage. A defense can play a single deep defender against this concept all day without ever being punished for it. ## FAQ ### What is the Snag concept in football? A three-way triangle: a corner route over the top, a receiver sitting down at about five yards, and a flat route underneath. One defender is responsible for two of them however the coverage plays it. ### Is Snag the same as Spot? Yes. Same corner, same sitting route, same flat, same read. Snag is the eleven-man name and Spot is the one most flag football installs use. ### When should you call Snag? Second and medium, when you want positive yards and do not much mind how you get them. The sitting route is both the first read and the fallback, so the concept produces very few negative plays. ## Related - [Stop the rub routes (11v11)](/defense/11v11/stop-the-rub-routes) - [Spot in 5v5](/plays/5v5/spot) - [Spot in 7v7](/plays/7v7/spot) - [Spot in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/spot) - [Smash in 11v11](/plays/11v11/smash) - [Sweep in 11v11](/plays/11v11/sweep) - [Dive in 11v11](/plays/11v11/dive) - [Draw your own 11v11 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Spot in the designer Opens this exact 11v11 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fspot) --- --- title: "What is the Smash concept in 11v11 tackle football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/11v11/smash" updated: "2026-08-31" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fsmash" --- # What is the Smash concept in 11v11 tackle football? In 11v11 football, Smash is the Cover 2 answer: a hitch at five holds the corner down and a corner route at thirteen attacks the space between him and the safety, with the back in the flat at four and a slant at five backside. It is a first and second down call, not something to save for third down. ## The diagram 11v11 play diagram for Smash. 11 offensive players: LT, LG, C, RG, RT, X, Y, TE, Z, QB, RB. LT runs a custom; LG runs a custom; C runs a custom; RG runs a custom; RT runs a custom; Z runs a hitch at 5 yards; TE runs a corner at 13 yards; RB runs a flat at 4 yards; X runs a go at 18 yards; Y runs a slant at 5 yards. Smash out of Spread Doubles, drawn for 11v11. The Cover-2 killer. The hitch at five holds the corner down and the corner route at thirteen goes over the top of him into the space between him and the safety. The corner cannot have both, and whichever he takes, throw the other. The hitch underneath is the safe answer on any snap where the picture is unclear. First-and-ten and second-and-medium; do not save it for third down. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fsmash ## Why Smash works in 11v11 ### It is specifically a Cover 2 beater here Eleven-man defenses play two-deep structures far more often than flag defenses do, and the space between a hard corner and the safety over him is exactly what this concept is built to attack. At five and seven players the coverage is usually man or a single deep defender, so the concept is doing a more general job. ### The flat route makes it a three-level concept With the back running the flat at four underneath the hitch at five and the corner at thirteen, there are genuinely three heights rather than two. That gives the quarterback somewhere to go when the read is muddy, which the flag versions do not have. ### It puts one defender in an unwinnable position Most concepts stretch a zone. This one isolates a single man and gives him two responsibilities eight yards apart vertically. There is no technique that covers both, so the completion is available on every snap regardless of who is playing. ### The quarterback reads a defender, never a receiver Watching receivers get open is how young quarterbacks hold the ball. Smash removes the question: pick the flat defender before the snap, watch only him, and throw opposite whatever he does. It is the cleanest single-defender read in the passing game. ### It is the best red-zone version of itself Inside the twenty the field is short and the corner route becomes a throw to the back pylon rather than a deep shot, which is easier. The same call that produces twelve yards at midfield produces a touchdown from the fifteen. ## How to read it 1. **Identify the flat defender before the snap** The defender responsible for the short outside area on the side you are throwing to. Everything in this concept is about him, so know which body he is before the ball moves. 2. **If he stays low, throw the corner** A defender who sits on the hitch has left the space over the top of himself. Put the ball outside and up, toward the sideline rather than the middle, so only your receiver can get it. 3. **If he opens and runs, throw the hitch** The moment he turns to carry the corner route the underneath receiver is uncovered. This is the throw the concept produces most often, and taking it every time it appears is what makes the corner route available later. ## What changes in 11v11 Covered above under "It is specifically a Cover 2 beater here", "The flat route makes it a three-level concept". ## When not to call Smash ### A defense that plays two deep to your side takes the corner away The corner route needs the space between the flat defender and whoever is over the top. Roll a second deep defender to that side and the route runs into coverage. When that happens the hitch is the play and there is no shame in it. ### It is a half-field concept with a slow backside Everything of value is on one side. If the read is covered the quarterback is starting over rather than progressing, which is why this concept wants a defined backside answer and a clock in the quarterback's head. ## FAQ ### What coverage does Smash beat? Cover 2 above all. The corner route at thirteen attacks the seam between a hard corner and the safety over the top of him, which is the one place a two-deep structure is thin. ### When should you call Smash in 11v11? First and ten or second and medium. It is a full-field-safe concept with a built-in short answer, so there is no reason to save it for third down where the defense expects a throw. ## Related - [Smash in 5v5](/plays/5v5/smash) - [Smash in 7v7](/plays/7v7/smash) - [Smash in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/smash) - [Sweep in 11v11](/plays/11v11/sweep) - [Dive in 11v11](/plays/11v11/dive) - [Counter in 11v11](/plays/11v11/counter) - [Draw your own 11v11 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Smash in the designer Opens this exact 11v11 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fsmash) --- --- title: "What is the Sweep concept in 5v5 flag football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/5v5/sweep" updated: "2026-09-14" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fsweep" --- # What is the Sweep concept in 5v5 flag football? In 5v5 flag football a sweep is a pure footrace, because no player on the field may legally block. The back takes the handoff about three yards wide of the ball and runs for the corner while the three receivers take their defenders away from it: the single receiver on the run side clears the edge defender out, the slot occupies the middle at six yards, and the backside receiver holds the last defender honest. ## The diagram 5v5 play diagram for Sweep. 5 offensive players: QB, RB, Y, Z, X. QB runs a custom; RB runs a sweep at 6 yards; X runs a go at 20 yards; Y runs a drag at 6 yards; Z runs a go at 20 yards. Sweep out of Spread Right, drawn for 5v5. A footrace to the corner. Nobody is blocked and nobody may be, so the back is trying to beat the defense to a spot while the other three take their defenders away from it. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fsweep ## Why Sweep works in 5v5 ### There are no blockers, and there cannot be At eleven players a sweep is a kick-out block on the edge defender and a guard pulling around to lead. Neither is legal in flag, so the three players who are not carrying the ball cannot create a lane at all. Their job is the opposite: run their own defenders somewhere else and leave the corner empty. A receiver who drifts back toward the ball to help has just brought a defender with him. ### It runs at the single receiver side, not the numbers The 5v5 drawing puts two receivers left and one right, and sweeps right. That is deliberate. With nobody blocking, the only thing that matters is how many defenders are already standing where the ball is going, so the run goes to the side with one defender to beat rather than two. Sweeping into the strength is running a footrace you have already agreed to start behind. ### The handoff is deep, which cuts both ways The back starts six yards behind the line and takes it under three yards wide, which gives him the width to get outside before he has to commit. It also gives the defense the same extra beat to flow, and with only five of them nobody is out of position for long. If he hesitates at the exchange the play is already dead. ### It attacks the one defender who cannot be replaced Every defense has somebody responsible for the edge. Inside runs meet a front that can shuffle and fill for each other, but the man setting the perimeter has nobody behind him to cover a mistake. A sweep asks that single defender to be right immediately, and if he takes one step inside the runner is already past the only player who could have stopped him. ### Speed is the only thing it needs to work There is no timing, no read that has to be correct and no route that has to be run at a depth. A sweep fails when the back is slow to the corner and works when he is not, which makes it the most reliable call a team has before it is good at anything else. It is also why it survives every level of football rather than being coached out. ### It makes everything that looks like it more dangerous A defense that has been beaten around the edge starts flowing at the first sign of sideways movement, and flow is what counter, reverse and end around are built to punish. The sweep is the setup call for half the run game, so its value is not only the yards it gains but the yards the next three calls gain because of it. ## How to read it 1. **Take the ball moving, not standing** The back should already be going sideways when the exchange happens. A back who catches the ball flat-footed and then turns has given the edge defender the half second he needs, and no amount of speed afterwards buys it back. 2. **Read the edge defender, not the sideline** The decision is about one man. If he widens with the runner, the ball cuts up inside him. If he sits or crashes inside, the runner keeps stretching and beats him to the corner. Running at the sideline regardless of what he does is the most common way a sweep loses yards. 3. **Get to the line of scrimmage, then turn** Yards come from getting square. A back who runs parallel to the line looking for more room is running away from the first down and into pursuit that has had time to arrive. 4. **Take what is there rather than the whole corner** A sweep that gains four is a good sweep. Bouncing a run that has already been walled off, in search of the edge that is no longer available, is how a four yard gain becomes a loss of six. ## What changes in 5v5 Covered above under "There are no blockers, and there cannot be", "It runs at the single receiver side, not the numbers", "The handoff is deep, which cuts both ways". ## When not to call Sweep ### It does not answer a fast defense that has seen it The counter to a sweep is speed and discipline on the edge, and any defense gets both eventually. Once the perimeter player stops guessing, the sweep stops producing, and the answer is the misdirection it set up rather than running it harder. ### It is a bad call when you need a yard Every step sideways is a step not forward, and the play is not over until the runner turns upfield. On third and one that is a long time to hold the ball behind the line of scrimmage with nobody blocked, which is why short yardage belongs to something downhill. ## FAQ ### Can you block on a sweep in 5v5 flag football? No. There is no blocking of any kind in standard flag football, on offense or defense. Receivers may screen by standing still, but moving into a defender to obstruct him is illegal contact and will be flagged. This is the single biggest difference between a flag sweep and the same call in tackle football, and it is why the other three players run away from the ball rather than toward it. ### Is a sweep legal near the goal line in 5v5? Often not, and it is worth checking your own rulebook before you install it. Many 5v5 rule sets, NFL FLAG's among them, use no-run zones: five yards out from the goal line and five either side of midfield, where running plays are not allowed at all. Those are exactly the places a coach reaches for a sweep, so the call you rely on between the twenties may be illegal at the one. ### What age can you run a sweep in 5v5 flag? It is usually the first run installed, and it works from five or six years old. The exchange is the only hard part at that age: young backs tend to stop to take the ball rather than taking it on the move, which removes the head start the play depends on. Walk the handoff through at half speed before anyone runs it. ### What do you call when the sweep stops working? Counter, reverse or end around, all of which are built to punish a defense that has started flowing sideways at the first movement. A sweep that is being strung out has not failed for nothing: it has taught the edge defender to chase, and that is what makes the misdirection off it work. ## Related - [Stop the sweep (5v5)](/defense/5v5/stop-the-sweep) - [Sweep in 11v11](/plays/11v11/sweep) - [Sweep in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/sweep) - [Counter in 5v5](/plays/5v5/counter) - [Dive in 5v5](/plays/5v5/dive) - [End Around in 5v5](/plays/5v5/end-around) - [Jet Sweep in 5v5](/plays/5v5/jet-sweep) - [Draw your own 5v5 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Sweep in the designer Opens this exact 5v5 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fsweep) --- --- title: "What is the Counter concept in 5v5 flag football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/5v5/counter" updated: "2026-09-14" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fcounter" --- # What is the Counter concept in 5v5 flag football? In 5v5 flag football a counter takes one hard step left and runs right, and because nobody may block, the misdirection is carried by routes rather than by a pulling lineman. The back opens away from the run while the slot receiver runs an out to the same side, so two of the five offensive players are selling a direction the ball is never going. ## The diagram 5v5 play diagram for Counter. 5 offensive players: QB, RB, Y, Z, X. QB runs a custom; RB runs a counter at 6 yards; X runs a go at 20 yards; Y runs a out at 5 yards; Z runs a go at 20 yards. Counter out of Spread Right, drawn for 5v5. One step away, then back the other way. Misdirection costs no blockers and no rule. It only costs a defense that has been taught to pursue, which is every defense that has been coached at all. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fcounter ## Why Counter works in 5v5 ### Routes do the lying, because linemen cannot At eleven players a counter sells its direction with a guard pulling the other way. There is no guard and no pulling in flag, so the deception has to come from where players run. The 5v5 drawing sends the slot on an out away from the run and keeps the backside receiver vertical, which means two of your four non-carriers are working purely on the fiction. ### It costs you more than it does at eleven Two changes of direction take time, and with no blockers the runner spends that time completely exposed behind the line. At eleven a late counter still has bodies in front of it. At five a late counter is a runner alone in his own backfield with defenders arriving, which is why it gains a lot or loses several and rarely just two. ### It only pays after the sweep has been established With five defenders, nobody is far from the ball, so the counter needs genuine over-pursuit rather than a slight lean. That means calling it after the sweep has made them chase, not before. Called cold in the first quarter it is simply a slower run to the same edge. ### Misdirection is free It costs no extra player, no blocking scheme and no rule. The only thing it spends is a defense that has been coached to flow to the football, which is every defense that has been coached at all. That makes counter one of the highest-return calls available to a team with no other advantages. ### It is paid for by the runs you already called A counter against a defense that has never seen your sweep gains nothing, because nobody is flowing anywhere yet. Against one that has been chasing it all afternoon it gains the whole backside. The play is a withdrawal from an account the rest of the run game has been paying into. ### It punishes the defense's best players first The defenders who react hardest to the first step are the aggressive ones, which are usually the fastest and the most disciplined about pursuit. A counter turns their strongest instinct against them, and it removes them from the play more completely than any block could. ## How to read it 1. **Sell the first step** One hard step in the wrong direction, with the eyes and shoulders going too. A counter run at three quarter speed in the first direction fools nobody and has simply taken the runner further from where he is going. 2. **Plant and go, do not drift** The change of direction has to be a plant rather than a curve. A rounded counter gives the defense the time it needs to stop and redirect, which is exactly what the concept is trying to deny them. 3. **Read the backside defender** The man who did not chase is the whole play. If he stayed home the runner cuts up inside him; if he flowed with everyone else there is nothing between the runner and the sideline. 4. **Get north once the edge is turned** The counter has already spent its deception. Continuing to run sideways after the redirect just lets the pursuit it beat catch back up. ## What changes in 5v5 Covered above under "Routes do the lying, because linemen cannot", "It costs you more than it does at eleven", "It only pays after the sweep has been established". ## When not to call Counter ### It does not work as an opener Called first, before anything has established flow, a counter is a slower version of the run it is countering. It needs the defense to have a habit before it can punish one. ### It is slow, and slow is expensive when nobody blocks Two changes of direction take time, and against a disciplined defense that stays home the play arrives late with the runner still behind the line. It gains a lot or loses several, rarely two. ## FAQ ### Is counter the same as counter trey in flag football? No, and the difference matters because one of them is illegal. Counter here is a direction: start one way, go the other, no contact required. Counter Trey is a blocking scheme with two linemen pulling, which cannot exist in flag football at all. If a playbook calls for pullers, it is not describing a play a 5v5 team can run. ### When should I call counter in 5v5? After the defense has started flowing hard to your outside runs, and usually on a down where losing three yards is survivable. First and ten after two successful sweeps is the classic spot. Third and four is not, because a counter that meets a disciplined backside defender finishes behind the line. ### What makes a counter fail at five a side? Almost always a soft first step. With only five defenders, nobody has to travel far to recover, so a lean rather than a genuine hard step fools no one and the runner has just added two yards to his own journey. The step has to be committed enough that it would look like a real run if the play stopped there. ## Related - [Counter in 11v11](/plays/11v11/counter) - [Counter in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/counter) - [Dive in 5v5](/plays/5v5/dive) - [End Around in 5v5](/plays/5v5/end-around) - [Jet Sweep in 5v5](/plays/5v5/jet-sweep) - [Option in 5v5](/plays/5v5/option) - [Draw your own 5v5 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Counter in the designer Opens this exact 5v5 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fcounter) --- --- title: "What is the Dive concept in 5v5 flag football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/5v5/dive" updated: "2026-09-14" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fdive" --- # What is the Dive concept in 5v5 flag football? In 5v5 flag football a dive is a short-yardage call and very little else. Nobody may block, so there is no crease to run through: the back takes the handoff a stride behind the line and goes at whatever gap the defense has left unoccupied. The three receivers run straight downfield to pull defenders out of the middle, which is the only way that gap gets created. ## The diagram 5v5 play diagram for Dive. 5 offensive players: QB, RB, Y, Z, X. QB runs a custom; RB runs a dive at 4 yards; X runs a go at 20 yards; Y runs a go at 20 yards; Z runs a go at 20 yards. Dive out of Spread Right, drawn for 5v5. Straight ahead, right now. Without a line there is no crease, so at five a side this is a real fourth-and-one call and a poor first-and-ten one. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fdive ## Why Dive works in 5v5 ### There is no hole, only an absence At eleven players the dive runs between two defenders somebody is blocking. At five nobody is blocked, so the back is running at a defender who is unobstructed and closing. The gap exists only because three receivers have run their men out of the middle, and it closes the moment one of those defenders stops chasing and looks back at the ball. ### It is a fourth and one call, not a first and ten call Two yards is a good outcome here and four is a very good one. Calling it on early downs at five a side wastes a down against a defense that has not been moved anywhere, whereas on fourth and short it is the fastest way to get the ball past the marker before anyone can arrive. ### The receivers' verticals are the play On most concepts the three non-carriers are occupying defenders as a courtesy. Here they are the entire mechanism. A receiver who runs a lazy ten yards and drifts back toward the ball has personally closed the gap the dive was going to use, and that is worth saying out loud in practice. ### It is faster to the line than any other call The exchange happens a stride behind the line of scrimmage and the runner is already going forward when he takes it. Nothing else in the run game reaches the line that quickly, which is why a dive can beat a defense that is technically faster than the offense: they simply have not moved yet. ### It punishes a defense that has spread out Every defender who widens to take away the perimeter is a defender standing further from the middle. A team that has been running outside successfully has usually pulled the defense apart, and the dive collects the space that leaves behind without asking anyone to win a footrace. ### It is the easiest run to teach There is one exchange, one direction and no decision. For a young team that is not a small thing: a play with no read is a play that works on the first snap of the season, and it gives a coach something to call while the rest of the run game is still being learned. ## How to read it 1. **Go on the snap, not after it** The dive is a timing play and the timing is immediate. A back who waits to see what the defense does has already lost the only advantage the concept has. 2. **Pick a side of the centre before the snap** Straight ahead means at a gap, not at a man. The runner should know which shoulder he is aiming past before the ball is snapped rather than deciding on the way. 3. **Take the first crease, do not hunt for a better one** Bouncing a dive outside is the most common way it loses yards. The play is built to gain two or three without drama, and a runner looking for six will usually find minus two. 4. **Fall forward** On short yardage the last half yard is the play. Getting the ball past the marker matters more than staying upright, and a runner who is still trying to make someone miss has forgotten what was called. ## What changes in 5v5 Covered above under "There is no hole, only an absence", "It is a fourth and one call, not a first and ten call", "The receivers' verticals are the play". ## When not to call Dive ### It is not a first down play on its own A dive gains what the defense is not occupying and no more. Calling it on second and eight is asking a concept built for two yards to produce eight, and it will not, however good the back is. ### It stops working the moment the middle is crowded The dive collects space rather than creating it. Against a defense that has stacked the middle there is no space to collect, and the answer is to make them spread out again rather than to run it harder. ## FAQ ### Does a dive work in 5v5 flag football? On short yardage, yes. Anywhere else, rarely. With no blocking there is no crease, so the dive gains only what the defense has vacated, and against five defenders that is usually two yards. It is the right call on fourth and one and the wrong one on first and ten. ### Can I run a dive near the goal line in 5v5? Often not. Many 5v5 rule sets, including NFL FLAG's, use no-run zones covering the five yards before the goal line and either side of midfield, where running plays are not allowed at all. Those are exactly the short-yardage spots a dive is for, so check your rulebook before you build a goal-line package around it. ### What age can you run a dive in 5v5 flag? The youngest. There is one exchange and no read, which makes it the first thing many teams install alongside the sweep. The only coaching point that matters at five and six years old is that the back goes on the snap rather than waiting to see what happens. ## Related - [Dive in 11v11](/plays/11v11/dive) - [Dive in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/dive) - [End Around in 5v5](/plays/5v5/end-around) - [Jet Sweep in 5v5](/plays/5v5/jet-sweep) - [Option in 5v5](/plays/5v5/option) - [QB Keep in 5v5](/plays/5v5/qb-keep) - [Draw your own 5v5 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Dive in the designer Opens this exact 5v5 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fdive) --- --- title: "What is the End Around concept in 5v5 flag football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/5v5/end-around" updated: "2026-09-14" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fend-around" --- # What is the End Around concept in 5v5 flag football? In 5v5 flag football an end around is a reverse with one handoff instead of two. The backside receiver runs behind the formation and takes it straight from the quarterback just right of the ball, while the back fakes a run up the middle with nothing in his hands. It develops about a second faster than a reverse and drops far less often. ## The diagram 5v5 play diagram for End Around. 5 offensive players: QB, RB, Y, Z, X. QB runs a custom; Z runs a reverse at 10 yards; RB runs a dive at 4 yards; X runs a go at 20 yards; Y runs a go at 20 yards. End Around out of Spread Right, drawn for 5v5. A reverse without the second handoff, which makes it quicker and far less likely to be dropped. Worth teaching before the reverse at younger ages for that reason alone. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fend-around ## Why End Around works in 5v5 ### It is the reverse you install first Both plays beat the same defense the same way, but one exchange between two moving players is meaningfully easier than two. At five a side, where a ball on the ground sits in open space with nobody engaged and five defenders free to run at it, that difference decides which concept a younger team can actually use. Teach this one, then add the reverse when the exchange is clean. ### The fake is a whole player's job, and he cannot block The back sells a run he is not carrying and that is his entire contribution to the play. In tackle football he would fake and then block somebody; in flag he fakes and then has nothing left to do. That makes the quality of the fake worth real practice time, because it is the only thing his twenty percent of the offense is producing. ### It costs you your deep threat for the down With three receivers, the one running the end around is often the one who would otherwise be stretching the defense. While he is gathering a handoff behind the line, a third of your passing threat is standing in the backfield, which is a real price at five a side that barely registers at eleven. ### One exchange is the whole advantage Every handoff is a moment when the ball belongs to nobody. Taking one of them out halves the risk and shortens the play by roughly a second, and against a defense that recovers quickly that second is often the difference between a big gain and a runner caught from behind. ### The receiver is already moving when he gets it He has run behind the formation to arrive, so he takes the ball at speed and pointed where he intends to go. That is a better starting position than most runs offer, and it is why an end around frequently turns the corner before the defense has finished reading it. ### The fake costs one player and buys the whole backside The back sells a run in the other direction with nothing in his hands. He is not blocking anyone and could not, so his entire contribution is the picture he paints, and if he paints it well the defenders chasing him are out of the play without anybody touching them. ## How to read it 1. **The receiver leaves early enough to arrive at speed** He should be moving before the snap or immediately on it. An end around where the receiver is still accelerating at the exchange has given up the one thing that makes it better than a reverse. 2. **The back fakes it like he has it** Eyes down, shoulders square, full speed for four or five steps. A visible fake is not a fake, and the defenders it was meant to hold will simply look past him at the receiver. 3. **Take it flat, then get north** The receiver runs behind the line to gather it, but the yards are upfield. A runner who keeps arcing toward the sideline is running into the pursuit rather than away from it. 4. **Beat the edge, do not beat everybody** The end around is a play to the perimeter. Once the edge is turned, taking what is in front is the right outcome; cutting back across the field to look for more usually finds the defenders the fake had already removed. ## What changes in 5v5 Covered above under "It is the reverse you install first", "The fake is a whole player's job, and he cannot block", "It costs you your deep threat for the down". ## When not to call End Around ### It shows itself earlier than a reverse The receiver has to start moving before the ball does, so an alert defense sees the shape of it coming. A reverse hides behind a genuine run for longer, which is the trade: the end around is safer and less deceptive. ### It puts your fastest player in the backfield The receiver running it is usually the one you would otherwise have threatening deep, and while he is gathering a handoff behind the line he is not stretching anybody. Called too often it quietly removes your best player from the passing game. ## FAQ ### End around or reverse in 5v5 flag football? End around first. They attack the same over-pursuit, but the end around has one exchange rather than two, develops about a second sooner and is far less likely to put the ball on the ground. Add the reverse once your team can hand off cleanly between two players running opposite directions. The reverse hides behind a genuine run for longer, so it is the more deceptive of the two when you can execute it. ### Who should run the end around? Your fastest receiver, with the caveat that he is also the one you would rather have running deep. It is worth calling when the defense has been flowing hard to your outside runs, and worth leaving alone on a down where you need him threatening the top of the coverage. ### What age can you run an end around in 5v5 flag? Around eight, a year or two before the reverse. The single exchange is the reason: young players can generally take one handoff on the move, and struggle with the second one going the other way. If your team can run this cleanly, they are ready to be taught the reverse. ## Related - [End Around in 11v11](/plays/11v11/end-around) - [End Around in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/end-around) - [Jet Sweep in 5v5](/plays/5v5/jet-sweep) - [Option in 5v5](/plays/5v5/option) - [QB Keep in 5v5](/plays/5v5/qb-keep) - [Reverse in 5v5](/plays/5v5/reverse) - [Draw your own 5v5 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open End Around in the designer Opens this exact 5v5 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fend-around) --- --- title: "What is the Jet Sweep concept in 5v5 flag football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/5v5/jet-sweep" updated: "2026-09-14" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fjet-sweep" --- # What is the Jet Sweep concept in 5v5 flag football? In 5v5 flag football the jet sweep is the one run concept that improves when blocking is taken away. The formation puts all three receivers right, which pulls the defense right, and the outside man comes back across in motion to take the handoff going left at full speed. With nobody allowed to block, a runner already moving is the only leverage available. ## The diagram 5v5 play diagram for Jet Sweep. 5 offensive players: QB, RB, X, Y, Z. QB runs a custom; X runs a go at 20 yards; Y runs a go at 20 yards; RB runs a custom; Z runs a custom; Z runs a sweep. Jet Sweep out of Trips Right, drawn for 5v5. Trips right pulls the defense right; the ball goes left. Z is at full speed before the snap, takes the handoff behind the quarterback and races the weak edge with the back leading. The motion has to be timed so he is passing the quarterback as the ball is snapped. Walk it through before you run it. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fjet-sweep ## Why Jet Sweep works in 5v5 ### It gets better in flag, not worse Every other run concept loses something when blocking becomes illegal: the dive loses its crease, the sweep loses its kick-out, the counter loses its puller. The jet sweep loses nothing, because its advantage was never a block. It was always the speed the runner already had, and that is just as legal at five a side as at eleven. ### The alignment does the work a blocker would Three receivers to one side is not a passing look here, it is leverage. It obliges the defense to put bodies on that side, and then the ball goes the other way into the space they left. At eleven players a coach creates that space with a blocking scheme. At five he has to create it with where people stand before the snap. ### The timing is less forgiving with five players There is nobody to absorb a mistimed exchange and no traffic for it to happen behind. If the motion man arrives early he is standing still when he takes it, and if he arrives late there is no handoff at all, with five defenders watching it happen in open space. Rehearse the timing before the play is ever called in a game. ### Speed at the exchange is worth more than speed after it A back taking a normal handoff has to build up to full pace after he has the football, and the edge defender is building up at the same time. A receiver in motion is already there. That head start is the whole play and it is available before the ball has even been snapped. ### The motion moves the defense before the snap Defenders have to account for a man crossing the formation, so many of them shift with him. Whatever they do in response is information, and doing nothing is its own answer: a defense that ignores jet motion has conceded the edge before the play starts. ### Everything can be run off it Because the motion forces a reaction, the same look sells a handoff inside, a keeper the other way and a throw behind the motion. The jet sweep is less a play than a starting position, and teams that run it well end up with a package rather than a call. ## How to read it 1. **Time the motion to the snap, not the other way round** The receiver should be passing the quarterback as the ball arrives. Too early and he is standing still again; too late and there is no exchange. This is the single thing to rehearse before the play is ever called live. 2. **Take it without changing stride** The advantage is the speed he already has. A receiver who slows to secure the football has converted a jet sweep into a slow sweep, and there was no reason to run the motion at all. 3. **Read the edge on the run** Same decision as any perimeter run and less time to make it. If the edge defender has widened with the motion, cut up inside him; if he has stayed inside, keep going and beat him to the corner. 4. **Get upfield the moment the edge is turned** The head start is worth about a second. Spending it running parallel to the line gives the pursuit exactly the time it needs to make up the ground the motion bought. ## What changes in 5v5 Covered above under "It gets better in flag, not worse", "The alignment does the work a blocker would", "The timing is less forgiving with five players". ## When not to call Jet Sweep ### The exchange is the fragile part A handoff between two players moving at different speeds in different directions is genuinely hard, and a missed one is a loose football behind the line. This is the concept that most rewards walking it through slowly before running it fast. ### It tells the defense where the ball is going Motion is visible. Run as a straight call often enough, the defense simply follows the motion man and the edge closes early. The counters off it matter more here than on almost any other run. ## FAQ ### Why does the jet sweep work so well in flag football? Because blocking is illegal, so the only currency in the run game is leverage, and a player already moving at full speed has more of it than anyone standing still. Every other run concept is a weakened version of its tackle self. The jet sweep is the same play it always was. ### How do I time jet motion in 5v5? The receiver should be passing the quarterback at the moment the ball is snapped, which means he starts moving on a count rather than on the snap itself. Pick a cadence and rehearse it at walking pace first. Getting this wrong is the only way the concept fails, and it fails as a loose ball rather than a short gain. ### What do I run off jet motion once they start chasing it? A handoff to the back going the other way, or a throw behind the motion to the man who just vacated. The motion forces a reaction, and any reaction can be punished. Teams that run the jet sweep well end up with a package built on one pre-snap picture rather than a single call. ## Related - [Stop the sweep (5v5)](/defense/5v5/stop-the-sweep) - [Jet Sweep in 11v11](/plays/11v11/jet-sweep) - [Jet Sweep in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/jet-sweep) - [Option in 5v5](/plays/5v5/option) - [QB Keep in 5v5](/plays/5v5/qb-keep) - [Reverse in 5v5](/plays/5v5/reverse) - [Toss in 5v5](/plays/5v5/toss) - [Draw your own 5v5 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Jet Sweep in the designer Opens this exact 5v5 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fjet-sweep) --- --- title: "What is the Option concept in 5v5 flag football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/5v5/option" updated: "2026-09-14" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Foption" --- # What is the Option concept in 5v5 flag football? In 5v5 flag football the option is usually pitch-only, because most rulebooks bar the quarterback from running the ball across the line of scrimmage. He attacks the edge to make the defender there commit, then pitches to the back trailing about five yards outside and two yards deeper. Check your own league before installing it: this is the most rules-dependent call in flag football. ## The diagram 5v5 play diagram for Option. 5 offensive players: QB, RB, Y, Z, X. QB runs a sprintout at 3 yards; RB runs a toss at 5 yards; X runs a go at 20 yards; Y runs a go at 20 yards; Z runs a go at 20 yards. Option out of Spread Right, drawn for 5v5. Attack the edge and make one defender wrong whichever way he goes. Most 5v5 rulebooks only let the quarterback run after a handoff or pitch, which turns this into the pitch-only version drawn here. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Foption ## Why Option works in 5v5 ### The keep is usually illegal, so it is a pitch-only read At eleven players the quarterback threatens to keep it and that threat is half the concept. In most 5v5 rule sets he may not run it across the line at all, so the defender he is reading knows the ball is coming outside eventually. The play still works, because the defender still has to respect the quarterback moving at him, but it is a weaker version of the read and it is honest to say so. ### The pitch relationship is the whole play with nobody blocking The drawing keeps the back about five yards outside the quarterback and two yards deeper, moving at the same speed. That spacing is not a detail: with no blockers, a pitch man who closes it down gives the read defender both runners at once, and one who drifts too far cannot be reached with a catchable ball. ### Both backside receivers are holding, not running routes The diagram captions them HOLD BACKSIDE, and that is their entire job. With five players there is no one spare to run anything speculative, so the two away from the play exist to stop their defenders from folding back into the option. A receiver who quits on that assignment personally adds a defender to the read. ### It removes the defender you cannot block Every run has a defender the scheme cannot account for. An option does not try to account for him; it reads him. That turns the hardest problem in the run game into the mechanism the play runs on, which is why the concept has survived every era of football that has tried to coach it out. ### The defense's discipline becomes the offense's information A well-drilled defender does the same thing every time, and doing the same thing every time is exactly what an option punishes. The better coached the man being read is, the more reliably the play produces, which is an unusual property for any concept. ### It stretches the defense horizontally with two threats Two runners on the same side moving in the same direction means one defender has to cover two gaps. Even when the read is wrong, somebody is usually running free, because the arithmetic of the perimeter does not work for the defense. ## How to read it 1. **Identify the read defender before the snap** One man, named out loud in the huddle. An option run without a specific defender in mind is two players running sideways hoping something opens. 2. **Attack him, do not drift past him** The carrier has to threaten him genuinely or he never has to choose. Running wide of the read defender lets him sit and wait for the pitch, which is the whole play defended by doing nothing. 3. **Give it when he comes, keep it when he widens** The rule is that simple and it should not be overthought in the moment. If the defender commits to the ball carrier, the ball goes outside; if he expands to take the trailing runner, it stays inside. 4. **The trailing runner keeps his relationship** Four or five yards outside and slightly behind, moving at the same speed. A pitch man who gets ahead of the carrier or drifts too close removes the option from the option. ## What changes in 5v5 Covered above under "The keep is usually illegal, so it is a pitch-only read", "The pitch relationship is the whole play with nobody blocking", "Both backside receivers are holding, not running routes". ## When not to call Option ### It is the most rules-dependent call you can make Whether the quarterback may run, and when, changes between leagues and between formats more than any other rule in the game. A playbook that assumes he can is wrong somewhere, so the rulebook has to be read before this concept is installed. ### A pitch in space is a turnover waiting to happen The exchange happens on the move, under pressure, with the carrier looking at a defender rather than at his teammate. It is the highest-risk delivery in the run game and it does not become safe with repetition alone. ## FAQ ### Can the quarterback run the ball in 5v5 flag football? It depends on your league, and this is the rule that varies most in flag football. NFL FLAG's rulebook is explicit that the quarterback cannot run the ball across the line of scrimmage, though he may move behind it. Many other 5v5 rule sets allow him to run only after the ball has been handed off or pitched to someone else first. Read your own rulebook before you build anything around a quarterback keeper. ### Is the option worth running if the quarterback cannot keep it? Yes, but as a pitch play rather than a true option. The quarterback attacking the edge still forces the defender there to honour him, and the back arrives outside with a head start. You are giving up the part of the concept that makes the defender genuinely wrong either way, so expect it to produce like a good sweep rather than like an option. ### What age can you run an option in 5v5 flag? Ten or eleven at the earliest, and later than most of the run game. A pitch made on the move while reading a defender is the hardest single skill in a youth run game, and getting it wrong puts the ball on the ground in open space. Teach the toss first: it is the same delivery without the read. ## Related - [Stop the quarterback running (5v5)](/defense/5v5/stop-the-qb-run) - [Option in 11v11](/plays/11v11/option) - [QB Keep in 5v5](/plays/5v5/qb-keep) - [Reverse in 5v5](/plays/5v5/reverse) - [Toss in 5v5](/plays/5v5/toss) - [Wildcat in 5v5](/plays/5v5/wildcat) - [Draw your own 5v5 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Option in the designer Opens this exact 5v5 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Foption) --- --- title: "What is the QB Keep concept in 5v5 flag football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/5v5/qb-keep" updated: "2026-09-14" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fqb-keep" --- # What is the QB Keep concept in 5v5 flag football? In 5v5 flag football a quarterback keep is legal in some leagues and not in others, so check your rulebook first. Where it is allowed, the quarterback fakes the handoff up the middle and runs the opposite way behind it. The fake is the play: the back has nothing in his hands and no one to block, so selling it is his entire job on the down. ## The diagram 5v5 play diagram for QB Keep. 5 offensive players: QB, RB, Y, Z, X. QB runs a bootleg at 5 yards; RB runs a dive at 4 yards; X runs a go at 20 yards; Y runs a drag at 6 yards; Z runs a go at 20 yards. QB Keep out of Spread Right, drawn for 5v5. He fakes the handoff and keeps it himself. Legal only where the league lets the quarterback run at all, which varies more than any other rule in flag football. Check locally before you install it. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fqb-keep ## Why QB Keep works in 5v5 ### Whether you can run it at all is a local question This is the most variable rule in flag football. NFL FLAG's rulebook states the quarterback cannot run the ball across the line of scrimmage, full stop. Other 5v5 rule sets permit it only after the ball has been handed off or pitched first, which rules out a keep specifically. A minority allow it freely. Nothing else in this run game needs checking as badly as this. ### The fake has to carry the play because nothing else can In tackle football the back fakes and then blocks somebody. In flag he fakes and then his down is over, so the quality of that fake is the only thing his share of the offense produces. If he does not sell it with his eyes, his shoulders and his speed, the defenders who were supposed to chase him simply watch the quarterback run. ### You are running your passer, with five defenders and no protection At eleven players a quarterback keep has a pocket collapsing behind it and bodies in the way. At five there is nothing between him and anyone who reads it, and he is the one player you cannot afford to have running into traffic every down. Treat it as a change-up rather than as part of the base run game. ### The defense counts the quarterback last Almost every defender is taught to find the ball carrier, and almost none of them expect that to be the man who just handed it off. A keep exploits a habit rather than a weakness, which is why it works against defenses that are otherwise well drilled. ### It is a numbers problem the defense cannot solve A defense that accounts for every eligible receiver and the back has, by definition, nobody left for the quarterback. Making him a runner adds an attacker they have not planned for without adding a player to the field. ### The fake is free The back is going to run somewhere anyway. Sending him into a fake costs nothing that was not already being spent, and it buys the two or three defenders who follow him. Few concepts convert so little effort into so much space. ## How to read it 1. **Sell the handoff with the whole body** The fake has to look like the run it is imitating, including the depth and the direction. A quarterback who turns his shoulders early has told everyone where the ball is before anyone has to guess. 2. **Get depth away from the fake, then flatten** The keep works by arriving outside the defenders who chased the back. Running straight upfield too early puts the quarterback back into the traffic the fake had just cleared. 3. **Read the last defender on that edge** One man decides it. If he has followed the fake, there is nothing outside him. If he has stayed, the quarterback cuts up inside him rather than trying to beat him wide. 4. **Know the yardage you need, and take it** A quarterback running is the least protected player on the field. Getting the first down and getting out is the outcome; hunting a touchdown after the sticks are made is how a good call becomes an expensive one. ## What changes in 5v5 Covered above under "Whether you can run it at all is a local question", "The fake has to carry the play because nothing else can", "You are running your passer, with five defenders and no protection". ## When not to call QB Keep ### It may not be legal at all Whether the quarterback can run is the most variable rule in flag football, and in some rule sets the answer is simply no. This is a concept that has to be checked against a rulebook before it is drawn on a whiteboard. ### It works once or twice, then it is scouted The fake is the play, and a defense only has to be fooled once to start checking the quarterback. Called repeatedly it becomes a slow run by a player who is not usually your best runner. ## FAQ ### Can the quarterback run in 5v5 flag football? It depends entirely on your league. NFL FLAG's official rules bar the quarterback from running the ball across the line of scrimmage, although he may move behind it and can be sacked there. Many other 5v5 rule sets allow him to run only after the ball has first been handed off or pitched, which makes a keep illegal by definition. Read the rulebook before installing it. ### How is a QB keep different from a QB draw? A draw sells a pass first, which needs linemen retreating as though protecting. There are no linemen in flag football, so there is no pocket to sell and no rush to invite upfield. A keep sells a handoff instead, which needs only a back and a fake, and that is why the keep travels to flag and the draw does not. ### How often should I call it? Once or twice a game, on a down where you need a specific number of yards. The fake stops working the moment a defense has seen it, and repeated keeps put your quarterback in contact with defenders in open space. It is a change-up, not a staple. ## Related - [Stop the quarterback running (5v5)](/defense/5v5/stop-the-qb-run) - [QB Keep in 11v11](/plays/11v11/qb-keep) - [Reverse in 5v5](/plays/5v5/reverse) - [Toss in 5v5](/plays/5v5/toss) - [Wildcat in 5v5](/plays/5v5/wildcat) - [Mesh in 5v5](/plays/5v5/mesh) - [Draw your own 5v5 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open QB Keep in the designer Opens this exact 5v5 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fqb-keep) --- --- title: "What is the Reverse concept in 5v5 flag football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/5v5/reverse" updated: "2026-09-14" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Freverse" --- # What is the Reverse concept in 5v5 flag football? In 5v5 flag football a reverse is the best misdirection available, because with only five defenders nobody can be left home as insurance. The back takes it left and hands to the backside receiver coming the other way about eleven yards out, where their paths cross. If the defense chased the first run at all, there is usually nobody on the backside at all. ## The diagram 5v5 play diagram for Reverse. 5 offensive players: QB, RB, Y, Z, X. QB runs a custom; RB runs a sweep at 6 yards; Z runs a reverse at 10 yards; X runs a go at 20 yards; Y runs a go at 20 yards. Reverse out of Spread Right, drawn for 5v5. Two exchanges and no blocking. It works as well at five as at eleven, arguably better, because a flag defense has fewer players to leave home as insurance. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Freverse ## Why Reverse works in 5v5 ### Five defenders cannot afford to leave one home At eleven players a defense can keep a backside player as insurance and still pursue with everyone else. At five, committing one man to standing still is twenty percent of the defense watching a play they are not involved in, so most flag defenses simply do not do it. That is why a reverse tends to produce more at five a side than at eleven rather than less. ### The receiver starts wider so he can arrive fast The drawing aligns him at nineteen yards rather than the fifteen used on the other runs. That extra width is runway: he has to be at full speed when he reaches the exchange, and a receiver who starts tight ends up either arriving early and waiting or taking the ball standing still. Both turn a big play into a loss. ### The exchange point has to be agreed before the snap Two runners moving in opposite directions with nobody blocking means the handoff happens once, cleanly, or the football is on the ground in open space. The diagram marks the spot where the paths cross for that reason, and it is the single thing worth walking through at half speed before anyone runs it live. ### The first run has to be believed, so it is a real run Unlike a fake, the first carrier genuinely has the football and could keep it. Defenders are not reacting to a mime; they are reacting to a ball carrier, and that is a far harder thing to ignore. The deception costs nothing extra because the first half of the play was going to be a play anyway. ### It turns the defense's whole body the wrong way Pursuit is not just direction, it is momentum. A defender who has taken four hard steps toward the sideline cannot simply change his mind; he has to decelerate, turn and rebuild speed. The reverse collects all of that, which is why the yardage tends to be large rather than incremental. ### It works better with fewer defenders, not worse A defense with plenty of bodies can leave one home as insurance and still chase with the rest. A defense without that luxury has to commit everyone to the first direction or give up the first run, which means there is often nobody at all on the backside when the ball comes back. ## How to read it 1. **The first carrier runs it like he is keeping it** Full speed, eyes upfield, aiming point honoured. A first carrier who is visibly waiting to give it away has told the defense what is coming before the second exchange happens. 2. **The second carrier runs to the handoff, not to the spot** He should arrive at the exchange already at speed and going the way he intends to finish. Arriving early and waiting is how a reverse turns into two players standing still in the backfield. 3. **Exchange where the paths cross, not where the drill says** The handoff happens at the point the two runners actually meet, and both should have that point in their heads before the snap. Guessing it in live traffic is the most common way the ball ends up on the ground. 4. **Once you have it, go** The second carrier's advantage is temporary and measured in a second or two. Any hesitation after the exchange lets the pursuit he just beat finish turning around. ## What changes in 5v5 Covered above under "Five defenders cannot afford to leave one home", "The receiver starts wider so he can arrive fast", "The exchange point has to be agreed before the snap". ## When not to call Reverse ### Two exchanges is two chances to lose it Every handoff is a moment where the football belongs to nobody. A reverse doubles that, in open space, usually while both players are moving in opposite directions. It is the highest-variance run in most playbooks for exactly this reason. ### It is a once-a-game call The concept spends a defense's willingness to pursue, and a defense only has to be burned once to stop spending it. Run it twice in a half and the second one meets a backside defender who has been standing still watching for it. ## FAQ ### Does a reverse work in 5v5 flag football? Better than at eleven, usually. A five-player defense cannot spare anyone to stay home against the backside, so if they chase the first run there is frequently no one left where the ball is going. The cost is two exchanges in open space with nobody blocking, which is why it is a once-a-game call rather than a staple. ### How often should I call a reverse? Once, maybe twice in a game, and only after your outside runs have made the defense flow. The concept spends their willingness to pursue, and they only need to be burned once to stop. A second reverse in the same half usually meets a defender who has been standing still waiting for it. ### What age can you run a reverse in 5v5 flag? Around nine or ten, and later than the end around. Two handoffs between players running opposite directions is genuinely hard, and younger teams tend to lose the ball on the second one often enough to cancel out the yards the play produces. Teach the end around first, which is the same idea with one exchange. ## Related - [Reverse in 11v11](/plays/11v11/reverse) - [Reverse in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/reverse) - [Toss in 5v5](/plays/5v5/toss) - [Wildcat in 5v5](/plays/5v5/wildcat) - [Mesh in 5v5](/plays/5v5/mesh) - [Flood in 5v5](/plays/5v5/flood) - [Draw your own 5v5 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Reverse in the designer Opens this exact 5v5 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Freverse) --- --- title: "What is the Toss concept in 5v5 flag football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/5v5/toss" updated: "2026-09-14" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Ftoss" --- # What is the Toss concept in 5v5 flag football? In 5v5 flag football a toss is a sweep with the ball pitched rather than handed, which puts it roughly four and a half yards wide of the quarterback instead of under three. The back catches it already running and skips the step back toward the football, so he reaches the corner about half a second sooner. Everything after the catch is a sweep. ## The diagram 5v5 play diagram for Toss. 5 offensive players: QB, RB, Y, Z, X. RB runs a toss at 5 yards; X runs a go at 20 yards; Y runs a drag at 6 yards; Z runs a go at 20 yards. Toss out of Spread Right, drawn for 5v5. The same aiming point as a sweep with a faster delivery. The ball is three yards wider and half a second earlier than a handoff can put it there, and in flag that half-second is the whole play. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Ftoss ## Why Toss works in 5v5 ### The half second matters more here than anywhere else With nobody allowed to block, a flag sweep is decided entirely by who gets to the corner first, and there is no lead blocker to buy time if the back is late. That makes the pitch worth more at five a side than at eleven, where a kick-out block can rescue a slow start. It is the clearest case in the run game where a delivery method is worth a page of its own. ### A dropped pitch is worse in flag than in tackle There are no bodies around the football and nobody is engaged with anybody, so a ball on the ground sits in open space with five defenders free to run at it. Weigh that against the half second before installing it with a young team: the sweep gives up a little width and never gives up the ball. ### It runs to the single receiver side for the same reason a sweep does The 5v5 drawing aligns two receivers away from the run and one toward it, and pitches to the one-receiver side. Since nobody blocks, the only thing that decides the play is how many defenders already stand where the ball is going, and a pitch does not change that arithmetic. It only gets you there sooner. ### The ball beats the defense to the edge A handoff travels at the speed of the back, and the back has to run to where the quarterback is before he can run to where he is going. A pitch skips that entirely and arrives already outside, so the runner spends none of his head start closing the distance to the football. Against a defense that flows fast, that is often the whole margin. ### It widens the runner's choices Catching the ball three yards wider means the edge defender has to decide sooner and from further away. A defender forced into an early decision is a defender who can be wrong, and the runner can still cut back inside him because he has not yet committed his own path to the sideline. ### It is the same teach as the sweep for everyone else Only the exchange changes. The runner's read, the aiming point and every other player's job are identical, which means a team that has installed one has effectively installed both. Very few concepts in a run game cost that little to add. ## How to read it 1. **Catch it first, then look** The one failure mode a handoff does not have is a ball on the ground. The runner's eyes belong on the football until it is secured, and the read he would otherwise be making can wait the half second that takes. 2. **Keep running while you catch** A toss caught standing still has given back the exact advantage it exists to create. The runner should be moving toward the sideline before the ball leaves the quarterback's hands. 3. **Read the edge defender on the move** Same decision as a sweep and the same answer: if he widens, cut up inside him; if he sits, keep stretching. The difference is only that the runner is making it from further outside and with more time. 4. **Turn upfield at the first clean crease** The extra width is a head start, not a licence to keep running sideways. Yards still come from getting square, and a runner who drifts to the boundary with it has spent the half second he was given. ## What changes in 5v5 Covered above under "The half second matters more here than anywhere else", "A dropped pitch is worse in flag than in tackle", "It runs to the single receiver side for the same reason a sweep does". ## When not to call Toss ### It puts the ball on the ground in a way a handoff does not A pitch is a live ball in the air with nobody blocking anyone, and a dropped one is a fumble at your own numbers rather than an incompletion. The advantage is real but small, and it is not worth having with a young or nervous exchange. ### It cannot be run to the short side in traffic The pitch needs room behind the line to travel, so a toss into a boundary or a defense already crowding that edge finishes before it starts. A handoff can still be run into a crowd and lose two; a toss into one is a recipe for losing the football. ## FAQ ### Should I call toss or sweep in 5v5 flag football? Sweep until the exchange is reliable, then toss when you need the edge. The toss gains roughly half a second and a few yards of width, which is the difference against a fast defense that strings your sweep out. It costs you the risk of a loose ball in open space. If your backs catch it cleanly in warmups, take the half second; if they do not, the sweep gets the same yards more often. ### Is a pitch backwards a fumble if it hits the ground in 5v5? In most rule sets a backward pass that hits the ground is a dead ball spotted where it landed, rather than a live fumble anyone can recover. That is more forgiving than tackle football, but it still means a loss of several yards from your own backfield. Check your league's wording, because a minority treat it as a live ball. ### How wide should the quarterback pitch it? Far enough that the back never has to come back toward it, which in practice means leading him toward the sideline rather than throwing at him. A pitch that makes the runner slow down or reach backwards has undone the only thing the concept is for. ## Related - [Stop the sweep (5v5)](/defense/5v5/stop-the-sweep) - [Toss in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/toss) - [Wildcat in 5v5](/plays/5v5/wildcat) - [Mesh in 5v5](/plays/5v5/mesh) - [Flood in 5v5](/plays/5v5/flood) - [Four Verticals in 5v5](/plays/5v5/four-verticals) - [Draw your own 5v5 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Toss in the designer Opens this exact 5v5 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Ftoss) --- --- title: "What is the Wildcat concept in 5v5 flag football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/5v5/wildcat" updated: "2026-09-14" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fwildcat" --- # What is the Wildcat concept in 5v5 flag football? In 5v5 flag football the wildcat snaps the ball straight to your best runner and splits the quarterback out wide as a receiver. There is no handoff to lose and no wasted beat, and in leagues that bar the quarterback from running it is the legal way to get the ball moving downhill immediately, because the player taking the snap is not the quarterback on that down. ## The diagram 5v5 play diagram for Wildcat. 5 offensive players: QB, RB, Y, Z, X. RB runs a dive at 4 yards; QB runs a go at 20 yards; X runs a go at 20 yards; Y runs a go at 20 yards; Z runs a go at 20 yards. Wildcat out of Spread Right, drawn for 5v5. Snap it straight to the runner and remove the exchange entirely. It also sidesteps the quarterback-run rule in most leagues, because the player taking the snap is not the quarterback for that down. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fwildcat ## Why Wildcat works in 5v5 ### It is the workaround for the quarterback-run rule Most 5v5 rule sets restrict when the quarterback may run, and some bar it outright. A direct snap changes who the quarterback is for that down, which in most leagues makes the runner a legal ball carrier from the start. It is worth confirming with your own officials rather than assuming, but it is the common reading and it is why the concept earns a place in a flag playbook. ### Removing the exchange matters more with nobody blocking In tackle football a slow handoff is absorbed by blockers buying time. In flag there is nothing to absorb it: a beat lost at the mesh is a beat the edge defender gains, with no one in his way. Deleting the exchange entirely is worth more at five a side than at eleven for exactly that reason. ### Your quarterback becomes a decoy, not a receiver The drawing splits him to nine yards and captions his assignment TAKE ONE. With three other players already occupied, his job is to hold one defender away from the run rather than to run a route anyone intends to throw to. If the defense ignores him entirely, that is the read for the next call rather than a problem with this one. ### It deletes the slowest part of a run Every handoff costs time: the runner has to get to the ball, take it cleanly and then start running. A direct snap puts the football in his hands already pointed downfield. That beat is often the entire margin on a perimeter run, and it is available for free. ### There is no exchange to lose The most common way a run play fails is not a defender making a play, it is a handoff that goes wrong. Removing it removes that failure mode, which makes wildcat unusually reliable for a concept that looks exotic. ### It puts your quarterback somewhere useful Split out, he is a legitimate receiver the defense has to account for, and a defense that ignores him is short a man somewhere else. The formation quietly converts the player who normally touches the ball every down into an extra threat. ## How to read it 1. **Check the snap before anything else** A direct snap to a moving target is the one risk this concept adds. The runner should have his hands ready and his eyes on the ball, and the snapper should have practised the distance before it is used in a game. 2. **Pick the direction before the snap** There is no exchange to disguise intent, so hesitation reads immediately. The runner should know where he is going as the ball is snapped rather than deciding once he has it. 3. **Read the first unaccounted defender** Same as any run: one man decides whether the ball goes inside or outside him, and the runner should have identified which man that is before the play starts. 4. **Get downhill early** The beat that the direct snap saves is spent immediately if the runner drifts. Use it by being at the line sooner than the defense expects. ## What changes in 5v5 Covered above under "It is the workaround for the quarterback-run rule", "Removing the exchange matters more with nobody blocking", "Your quarterback becomes a decoy, not a receiver". ## When not to call Wildcat ### The formation announces itself A defense that sees the quarterback split out knows something unusual is coming and can cheat accordingly. The concept trades surprise about the mechanism for surprise about the timing. ### It costs you the passing game for the down The player who normally throws is no longer in a position to, so most of the offense's route tree is off the table. Unless the runner can genuinely throw, wildcat is a run call the defense can treat as one. ## FAQ ### Is the wildcat legal in 5v5 flag football? In most leagues, yes, and it is often used specifically to work around restrictions on the quarterback running. The player who receives the snap is the quarterback for that down, so a direct snap to your running back makes him a legal runner in rule sets that would not let your usual passer carry it. Confirm it with your own officials before relying on it, because a minority of rulebooks define the position differently. ### Who should take the direct snap? Your best runner, and someone who can catch a snap cleanly while looking at a defense. Those are two different skills and the second one is the limiting factor with younger teams. Practise the snap at game distance before the play is ever called. ### Can you throw out of the wildcat in 5v5? Only if the player taking the snap can throw, and at that point he is the quarterback for the down and any rule restricting quarterback runs applies to him instead. Most teams run it as a pure run call and accept that the defense will treat it as one, which is a fair trade for the beat it saves. ## Related - [Wildcat in 11v11](/plays/11v11/wildcat) - [Mesh in 5v5](/plays/5v5/mesh) - [Flood in 5v5](/plays/5v5/flood) - [Four Verticals in 5v5](/plays/5v5/four-verticals) - [Spot in 5v5](/plays/5v5/spot) - [Draw your own 5v5 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Wildcat in the designer Opens this exact 5v5 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=5v5%2Fwildcat) --- --- title: "What is the Sweep concept in 11v11 tackle football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/11v11/sweep" updated: "2026-09-14" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fsweep" --- # What is the Sweep concept in 11v11 tackle football? In 11v11 tackle football a sweep is a blocking scheme, not a footrace. Six blockers work playside for outside leverage, the tight end kicks the edge defender out, and the three receivers stalk where they stand. The back is patient behind all of it before he is fast: he reads that kick-out, then turns up off it. The same call in flag football has no blockers at all. ## The diagram 11v11 play diagram for Sweep. 11 offensive players: LT, LG, C, RG, RT, X, Y, TE, Z, QB, RB. LT runs a custom; LG runs a custom; C runs a custom; RG runs a custom; RT runs a custom; X runs a custom; Y runs a custom; TE runs a custom; Z runs a custom; RB runs a sweep at 6 yards; QB runs a custom. Sweep out of Spread Doubles, drawn for 11v11. Get outside. The back attacks the edge behind blockers reaching or pulling playside, and his footwork is patient then fast: read the kick-out, and turn up the moment the corner is sealed. Turning up early is a two-yard gain; turning up late is a loss. Best against a front that has over-aligned inside and left the perimeter light. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fsweep ## Why Sweep works in 11v11 ### The edge is blocked, so the back reads a block rather than a man At five players the runner reads the edge defender directly, because nobody is going to touch him. At eleven that defender is being kicked out by a blocker, and the back is reading the result of that block instead. It is a different decision made at a different moment, and it is why the footwork here is patient before it is fast. ### Blockers mean the play can be slow and still work A flag sweep that develops slowly is dead, because the defense arrives untouched. Here the wall buys time, so the back can press, wait for the kick-out to resolve and then turn up. That patience would be fatal at five a side and is close to mandatory at eleven. ### It is a base call here and a staple there for different reasons In flag the sweep is a staple because it needs nothing: no scheme, no line, just speed. In tackle it is a staple because it is the perimeter half of a run game whose other half is downhill, and it exists to make the defense defend the whole width of the field before Power and Counter attack the middle. ### It attacks the one defender who cannot be replaced Every defense has somebody responsible for the edge. Inside runs meet a front that can shuffle and fill for each other, but the man setting the perimeter has nobody behind him to cover a mistake. A sweep asks that single defender to be right immediately, and if he takes one step inside the runner is already past the only player who could have stopped him. ### Speed is the only thing it needs to work There is no timing, no read that has to be correct and no route that has to be run at a depth. A sweep fails when the back is slow to the corner and works when he is not, which makes it the most reliable call a team has before it is good at anything else. It is also why it survives every level of football rather than being coached out. ### It makes everything that looks like it more dangerous A defense that has been beaten around the edge starts flowing at the first sign of sideways movement, and flow is what counter, reverse and end around are built to punish. The sweep is the setup call for half the run game, so its value is not only the yards it gains but the yards the next three calls gain because of it. ## How to read it 1. **Take the ball moving, not standing** The back should already be going sideways when the exchange happens. A back who catches the ball flat-footed and then turns has given the edge defender the half second he needs, and no amount of speed afterwards buys it back. 2. **Read the edge defender, not the sideline** The decision is about one man. If he widens with the runner, the ball cuts up inside him. If he sits or crashes inside, the runner keeps stretching and beats him to the corner. Running at the sideline regardless of what he does is the most common way a sweep loses yards. 3. **Get to the line of scrimmage, then turn** Yards come from getting square. A back who runs parallel to the line looking for more room is running away from the first down and into pursuit that has had time to arrive. 4. **Take what is there rather than the whole corner** A sweep that gains four is a good sweep. Bouncing a run that has already been walled off, in search of the edge that is no longer available, is how a four yard gain becomes a loss of six. ## What changes in 11v11 Covered above under "The edge is blocked, so the back reads a block rather than a man", "Blockers mean the play can be slow and still work", "It is a base call here and a staple there for different reasons". ## When not to call Sweep ### It does not answer a fast defense that has seen it The counter to a sweep is speed and discipline on the edge, and any defense gets both eventually. Once the perimeter player stops guessing, the sweep stops producing, and the answer is the misdirection it set up rather than running it harder. ### It is a bad call when you need a yard Every step sideways is a step not forward, and the play is not over until the runner turns upfield. On third and one that is a long time to hold the ball behind the line of scrimmage with nobody blocked, which is why short yardage belongs to something downhill. ## FAQ ### What is the difference between a sweep in tackle and flag football? Blocking, and it changes the play completely. In 11v11 nine players block, the edge defender is kicked out and the back reads that block before turning up. In flag football blocking is illegal, so the same call is a footrace to the corner in which the other players can only run their own defenders away from the ball. Same aiming point, entirely different skill. ### Who blocks the edge on a sweep? Usually a tight end, wing or pulling lineman kicking the outside defender out, with the playside linemen reaching the men over them to wall off pursuit. The kick-out is the block the back is reading, so which player makes it matters less than that it happens on time and outside-in. ### Why is my sweep getting strung out? Almost always because the back is running for the sideline instead of pressing the line. Widening lets the pursuit run with him and turns the play into a race he has already lost. Press downhill first, make the edge defender commit, then take what the kick-out gives. ## Related - [Stop the sweep (11v11)](/defense/11v11/stop-the-sweep) - [Sweep in 5v5](/plays/5v5/sweep) - [Sweep in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/sweep) - [Dive in 11v11](/plays/11v11/dive) - [Counter in 11v11](/plays/11v11/counter) - [Reverse in 11v11](/plays/11v11/reverse) - [Power in 11v11](/plays/11v11/power) - [Draw your own 11v11 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Sweep in the designer Opens this exact 11v11 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fsweep) --- --- title: "What is the Dive concept in 11v11 tackle football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/11v11/dive" updated: "2026-09-14" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fdive" --- # What is the Dive concept in 11v11 tackle football? In 11v11 tackle football a dive runs through a hole that nine blockers create, which is the whole difference from flag football where no hole exists at all. The line steps playside together, the back presses downhill and takes the first crease that shows. It is an every-down call here rather than a short-yardage-only one. ## The diagram 11v11 play diagram for Dive. 11 offensive players: LT, LG, C, RG, RT, X, Y, TE, Z, QB, RB. QB runs a custom; LT runs a custom; LG runs a custom; C runs a custom; RG runs a custom; RT runs a custom; X runs a custom; Y runs a custom; TE runs a custom; Z runs a custom; RB runs a dive at 4 yards. Dive out of Spread Doubles, drawn for 11v11. The simplest run there is and the one everything else is built off. The back takes it at the mesh and hits the first crease between the tackles; the line blocks inside zone. Two to four yards, predictably, which is exactly what it is for. It keeps the chains moving and it softens the interior for the play-action that follows. Short yardage between the tackles against a soft front. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fdive ## Why Dive works in 11v11 ### There is an actual crease, and it is made rather than found In flag the dive collects whatever space the defense happens to have vacated, which is usually two yards on a good down. At eleven the line displaces the front and the crease is a product of the scheme, so the same concept becomes a first-and-ten call that can produce five or six rather than an emergency call that produces two. ### The back reads blocks, not gaps A flag back is running at a space between defenders. A tackle back is reading how his linemen's blocks are resolving and cutting off the first one that gives, which is a skill that takes years and does not exist in the flag version of the concept at all. ### It sets up everything downhill Run enough times, the dive pulls linebackers forward and safeties down, and that is what makes play-action, the trap and the draw work later. In flag the dive sets up nothing, because it never threatens enough to move anybody. Here it is the foundation of the rest of the run game. ### It is faster to the line than any other call The exchange happens a stride behind the line of scrimmage and the runner is already going forward when he takes it. Nothing else in the run game reaches the line that quickly, which is why a dive can beat a defense that is technically faster than the offense: they simply have not moved yet. ### It punishes a defense that has spread out Every defender who widens to take away the perimeter is a defender standing further from the middle. A team that has been running outside successfully has usually pulled the defense apart, and the dive collects the space that leaves behind without asking anyone to win a footrace. ### It is the easiest run to teach There is one exchange, one direction and no decision. For a young team that is not a small thing: a play with no read is a play that works on the first snap of the season, and it gives a coach something to call while the rest of the run game is still being learned. ## How to read it 1. **Go on the snap, not after it** The dive is a timing play and the timing is immediate. A back who waits to see what the defense does has already lost the only advantage the concept has. 2. **Pick a side of the centre before the snap** Straight ahead means at a gap, not at a man. The runner should know which shoulder he is aiming past before the ball is snapped rather than deciding on the way. 3. **Take the first crease, do not hunt for a better one** Bouncing a dive outside is the most common way it loses yards. The play is built to gain two or three without drama, and a runner looking for six will usually find minus two. 4. **Fall forward** On short yardage the last half yard is the play. Getting the ball past the marker matters more than staying upright, and a runner who is still trying to make someone miss has forgotten what was called. ## What changes in 11v11 Covered above under "There is an actual crease, and it is made rather than found", "The back reads blocks, not gaps", "It sets up everything downhill". ## When not to call Dive ### It is not a first down play on its own A dive gains what the defense is not occupying and no more. Calling it on second and eight is asking a concept built for two yards to produce eight, and it will not, however good the back is. ### It stops working the moment the middle is crowded The dive collects space rather than creating it. Against a defense that has stacked the middle there is no space to collect, and the answer is to make them spread out again rather than to run it harder. ## FAQ ### Is a dive the same as inside zone? They overlap. A dive is the simplest downhill run to the nearest gap; inside zone is the scheme most teams use to block it, where every lineman takes an area rather than a man and the back cuts off the first thing that shows. Many playbooks use the words interchangeably, and this play is tagged both. ### When should I call a dive in 11v11? Early, often, and on short yardage. It is the play that tells you what the front is doing and the one that makes everything else in the run game believable. Unlike the flag version it does not need to be saved for fourth and one, because the blocking produces yards on ordinary downs. ### Why is my dive getting stuffed? Usually the back is looking for a hole instead of pressing one. Inside runs work when the runner goes downhill and forces the linebackers to commit before he cuts. A back who dances at the line gives the second level time to fill and turns a three yard gain into nothing. ## Related - [Dive in 5v5](/plays/5v5/dive) - [Dive in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/dive) - [Counter in 11v11](/plays/11v11/counter) - [Reverse in 11v11](/plays/11v11/reverse) - [Power in 11v11](/plays/11v11/power) - [Trap in 11v11](/plays/11v11/trap) - [Draw your own 11v11 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Dive in the designer Opens this exact 11v11 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fdive) --- --- title: "What is the Counter concept in 11v11 tackle football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/11v11/counter" updated: "2026-09-14" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fcounter" --- # What is the Counter concept in 11v11 tackle football? In 11v11 tackle football a counter is a gap scheme with two pullers: the back takes a false step away, and a backside guard and tackle pull across to kick the edge out and wrap up into the hole. In flag football the same concept has no linemen to pull, so the misdirection has to be carried by a route instead. ## The diagram 11v11 play diagram for Counter. 11 offensive players: LT, LG, C, RG, RT, X, Y, TE, Z, QB, RB. QB runs a custom; C runs a custom; RG runs a custom; RT runs a custom; X runs a custom; Y runs a custom; TE runs a custom; Z runs a custom; RB runs a counter at 5 yards; LG runs a custom; LT runs a custom. Counter out of Spread Doubles, drawn for 11v11. Misdirection off the same gap scheme. The back jab-steps away from the play to hold the linebackers, then takes it back behind the pulling guard and tackle. The defense's pursuit has already committed the wrong way. Call it against an aggressive front that flies to the back's first step. The harder they chase it, the better this looks. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fcounter ## Why Counter works in 11v11 ### Two linemen do the lying, and the arriving The pullers serve both purposes at once. Their movement sells the direction to the linebackers reading them, and then they arrive at the point of attack as two extra blockers the defense has not counted. At five players that job is done by a slot receiver running away from the play, which sells the direction and blocks nobody. ### The back's false step is small here and large there With two linemen carrying the deception, the back only needs a jab step to complete the picture. In flag, where nothing else is selling it, he has to take a genuine hard step in the wrong direction and it costs him real ground. The tackle version is faster to the hole for that reason. ### It is a base run rather than a change-up Because the scheme itself produces the numbers advantage, counter can be called on any down at eleven players and will get the line of scrimmage even when the defense is expecting it. In flag it needs genuine over-pursuit to have been established first, which makes it a call you earn rather than one you own. ### Misdirection is free It costs no extra player, no blocking scheme and no rule. The only thing it spends is a defense that has been coached to flow to the football, which is every defense that has been coached at all. That makes counter one of the highest-return calls available to a team with no other advantages. ### It is paid for by the runs you already called A counter against a defense that has never seen your sweep gains nothing, because nobody is flowing anywhere yet. Against one that has been chasing it all afternoon it gains the whole backside. The play is a withdrawal from an account the rest of the run game has been paying into. ### It punishes the defense's best players first The defenders who react hardest to the first step are the aggressive ones, which are usually the fastest and the most disciplined about pursuit. A counter turns their strongest instinct against them, and it removes them from the play more completely than any block could. ## How to read it 1. **Sell the first step** One hard step in the wrong direction, with the eyes and shoulders going too. A counter run at three quarter speed in the first direction fools nobody and has simply taken the runner further from where he is going. 2. **Plant and go, do not drift** The change of direction has to be a plant rather than a curve. A rounded counter gives the defense the time it needs to stop and redirect, which is exactly what the concept is trying to deny them. 3. **Read the backside defender** The man who did not chase is the whole play. If he stayed home the runner cuts up inside him; if he flowed with everyone else there is nothing between the runner and the sideline. 4. **Get north once the edge is turned** The counter has already spent its deception. Continuing to run sideways after the redirect just lets the pursuit it beat catch back up. ## What changes in 11v11 Covered above under "Two linemen do the lying, and the arriving", "The back's false step is small here and large there", "It is a base run rather than a change-up". ## When not to call Counter ### It does not work as an opener Called first, before anything has established flow, a counter is a slower version of the run it is countering. It needs the defense to have a habit before it can punish one. ### It is slow, and slow is expensive when nobody blocks Two changes of direction take time, and against a disciplined defense that stays home the play arrives late with the runner still behind the line. It gains a lot or loses several, rarely two. ## FAQ ### What is the difference between counter and power? Power pulls one lineman and the back goes downhill playside immediately. Counter pulls two and starts the back away first. Power is the more reliable of the two against a loaded box; counter gains more when the linebackers are flowing hard, because the false step and the pullers are both working on them. ### Which linemen pull on counter? Most commonly the backside guard kicks out the edge defender and the backside tackle wraps into the hole, which is the classic counter trey. Some teams pull a guard and a fullback or H-back instead. The rule is one blocker kicks, one wraps, and the back runs off the wrapper. ### Why does my counter keep losing yards? Usually the pullers are late or the back is early. The scheme takes longer to develop than a dive, and if the back arrives before his blockers he meets an unblocked defender in the backfield. Slow the first step down before speeding the rest up. ## Related - [Counter in 5v5](/plays/5v5/counter) - [Counter in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/counter) - [Reverse in 11v11](/plays/11v11/reverse) - [Power in 11v11](/plays/11v11/power) - [Trap in 11v11](/plays/11v11/trap) - [Draw in 11v11](/plays/11v11/draw) - [Draw your own 11v11 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Counter in the designer Opens this exact 11v11 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fcounter) --- --- title: "What is the Reverse concept in 11v11 tackle football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/11v11/reverse" updated: "2026-09-14" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Freverse" --- # What is the Reverse concept in 11v11 tackle football? In 11v11 tackle football a reverse is a trick play rather than a base run, because an eleven-man defense can afford to leave a backside defender home and still pursue with everyone else. The ball goes one way behind a full run action, then comes back the other way with a receiver. It is a once-a-game call, most often used near the goal line. ## The diagram 11v11 play diagram for Reverse. 11 offensive players: LT, LG, C, RG, RT, X, Y, TE, Z, QB, RB. QB runs a custom; LT runs a custom; LG runs a custom; C runs a custom; RG runs a custom; RT runs a custom; Y runs a custom; TE runs a custom; Z runs a custom; RB runs a custom; X runs a custom; X runs a reverse. Reverse out of Spread Doubles, drawn for 11v11. Two exchanges and three ball-handlers. The first receiver comes across in pre-snap motion and takes it in stride, carries it briefly against the motion, then hands back to the man coming the other way, who attacks the far perimeter after the defense has flowed to the jet. If they bite on the motion it springs; if they do not, it is a loss. Best in the red zone or on the boundary once you have shown them the jet. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Freverse ## Why Reverse works in 11v11 ### The defense can afford insurance here and cannot in flag A five-man defense that leaves someone home has committed twenty percent of itself to a play it may not be involved in, so most of them simply do not. At eleven, keeping a backside end or corner disciplined costs nine percent and is standard coaching. That single difference moves the reverse from a staple to a trick. ### There is a full run action to hide behind In flag the first carrier is genuinely running with nobody blocking, so the picture is thin. At eleven the entire line is blocking a real play in the first direction, which makes the fake far more convincing and is why the play can still work against a defense that knows it exists. ### It is a red-zone call as much as a misdirection call The field is compressed near the goal line, pursuit angles get shorter and a defense that has been stuffing the run inside is at its most committed. That combination is when eleven-man defenses stop keeping anyone home, which is the only moment the concept reliably produces at this level. ### The first run has to be believed, so it is a real run Unlike a fake, the first carrier genuinely has the football and could keep it. Defenders are not reacting to a mime; they are reacting to a ball carrier, and that is a far harder thing to ignore. The deception costs nothing extra because the first half of the play was going to be a play anyway. ### It turns the defense's whole body the wrong way Pursuit is not just direction, it is momentum. A defender who has taken four hard steps toward the sideline cannot simply change his mind; he has to decelerate, turn and rebuild speed. The reverse collects all of that, which is why the yardage tends to be large rather than incremental. ### It works better with fewer defenders, not worse A defense with plenty of bodies can leave one home as insurance and still chase with the rest. A defense without that luxury has to commit everyone to the first direction or give up the first run, which means there is often nobody at all on the backside when the ball comes back. ## How to read it 1. **The first carrier runs it like he is keeping it** Full speed, eyes upfield, aiming point honoured. A first carrier who is visibly waiting to give it away has told the defense what is coming before the second exchange happens. 2. **The second carrier runs to the handoff, not to the spot** He should arrive at the exchange already at speed and going the way he intends to finish. Arriving early and waiting is how a reverse turns into two players standing still in the backfield. 3. **Exchange where the paths cross, not where the drill says** The handoff happens at the point the two runners actually meet, and both should have that point in their heads before the snap. Guessing it in live traffic is the most common way the ball ends up on the ground. 4. **Once you have it, go** The second carrier's advantage is temporary and measured in a second or two. Any hesitation after the exchange lets the pursuit he just beat finish turning around. ## What changes in 11v11 Covered above under "The defense can afford insurance here and cannot in flag", "There is a full run action to hide behind", "It is a red-zone call as much as a misdirection call". ## When not to call Reverse ### Two exchanges is two chances to lose it Every handoff is a moment where the football belongs to nobody. A reverse doubles that, in open space, usually while both players are moving in opposite directions. It is the highest-variance run in most playbooks for exactly this reason. ### It is a once-a-game call The concept spends a defense's willingness to pursue, and a defense only has to be burned once to stop spending it. Run it twice in a half and the second one meets a backside defender who has been standing still watching for it. ## FAQ ### Is a reverse a good play in 11v11? Once or twice a game, in the right spot. It is filed as a trick play rather than a run for good reason: an eleven-man defense can leave a backside defender home and still pursue, so a reverse called into a disciplined front loses ten yards rather than gaining thirty. The red zone, after you have established the run inside, is where it works. ### How is a reverse different from an end around? The number of exchanges. An end around takes the ball straight from the quarterback; a reverse hands it off once first, then again going the other way. The extra handoff makes the reverse more deceptive and considerably more likely to end on the ground. ### Why does the reverse work better in flag football? Because five defenders cannot spare one to stay home. In flag football, if the defense chases the first run at all there is frequently nobody at all on the backside, which is why the same concept is close to a base call at five a side and a trick play at eleven. ## Related - [Reverse in 5v5](/plays/5v5/reverse) - [Reverse in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/reverse) - [Power in 11v11](/plays/11v11/power) - [Trap in 11v11](/plays/11v11/trap) - [Draw in 11v11](/plays/11v11/draw) - [QB Draw in 11v11](/plays/11v11/qb-draw) - [Draw your own 11v11 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Reverse in the designer Opens this exact 11v11 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Freverse) --- --- title: "What is the Power concept in 11v11 tackle football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/11v11/power" updated: "2026-09-14" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fpower" --- # What is the Power concept in 11v11 tackle football? In 11v11 tackle football Power is the hammer: everyone playside blocks down, the backside guard pulls through the playside gap as an extra man, and the back presses the line and runs off him. It gets the line of scrimmage against a stacked box, which is why it is the call when you need two yards and everyone in the stadium knows it. ## The diagram 11v11 play diagram for Power. 11 offensive players: LT, LG, C, RG, RT, X, Y, TE, Z, QB, RB. QB runs a custom; LT runs a custom; C runs a custom; RG runs a custom; RT runs a custom; X runs a custom; Y runs a custom; TE runs a custom; Z runs a custom; RB runs a dive at 4 yards; LG runs a custom. Power out of Spread Doubles, drawn for 11v11. The hammer. The backside guard pulls and leads through the playside B-gap while the line down-blocks in front of him; the back follows the puller, presses the line and breaks downhill. The first defender to fill the gap takes the contact and the back is already past him. It gets the line of scrimmage even against a stacked box, which is why it is the call when you need two or three yards and everyone knows it. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fpower ## Why Power works in 11v11 ### It cannot exist below eleven players in any form Flag football has no linemen and no legal blocking, so there is nothing to pull and nothing to block down with. This is not a concept that gets weaker at smaller formats; it simply does not exist there. A coach who has been told to run Power at five a side has been given a play from a different sport. ### The numbers advantage is created rather than found Down blocks take the nearest defenders away from the hole and the puller arrives as one more attacker than the defense aligned there. Most runs need the defense to make a mistake somewhere; Power does not, which is why it still produces against a front that has committed everybody to stopping it. ### One player carries the whole scheme The pulling guard has to move well, find the right man in traffic and arrive on time, every snap, travelling further than anyone else on the play. It is the hardest job on the offensive line, and a Power scheme is only ever as good as the player doing it. ### It creates a numbers advantage at one point Down blocks take the defenders nearest the hole away from it, and the puller arrives as an extra attacker the defense has not accounted for on that side. Whatever the front looked like before the snap, at the moment of contact the offense has one more man where the ball is going. ### Down blocks are the easiest blocks in football A lineman blocking a man already inside him is working with the defender's own alignment rather than against it. That makes Power unusually reliable for a scheme with this much movement in it: the difficult part is the pull, and everything else is the simplest assignment a lineman gets. ### It gets the line of scrimmage against a loaded box Most runs need the defense to be wrong somewhere. Power does not. Against a defense that has put everyone in the box and knows what is coming, it still produces two or three yards, which is why it is the call when everybody in the stadium knows you are running. ## How to read it 1. **The back presses the line before he cuts** Running at the hole rather than for it holds the second level in place. A back who declares his path early lets the linebackers flow to it, and the puller arrives to find the crease already filled. 2. **Follow the puller, do not pass him** The guard is the lead blocker and the timing depends on him arriving first. A back who beats his own puller to the hole has removed the extra man the whole scheme exists to deliver. 3. **Take it downhill off his outside hip** The crease opens where the puller makes contact. The back's job is to be one step behind and slightly outside, then turn upfield the moment the contact happens rather than waiting to see how it resolves. 4. **One cut, then north** Power is not a play for improvisation. The scheme has already decided where the yards are; a back looking for a better crease is running into the pursuit the down blocks were holding off. ## What changes in 11v11 Covered above under "It cannot exist below eleven players in any form", "The numbers advantage is created rather than found", "One player carries the whole scheme". ## When not to call Power ### It is slow to the edge and always will be A guard has to travel from one side of the formation to the other before the play can happen. Against a fast, penetrating front that shoots the gap he is vacating, the puller can be cut off before he arrives and the run is dead behind the line. ### It asks a lot of one player The pulling guard has to move well, find the right man in traffic and arrive on time, every snap. It is the hardest job on the offensive line, and a scheme that depends on it is only as good as the one player doing it. ## FAQ ### What is the difference between power and counter? The number of pullers and the back's first step. Power pulls one lineman and the back goes downhill playside immediately. Counter pulls two and starts the back away first to hold the linebackers. Power is the more reliable against a loaded box; counter gains more against a defense that is flowing hard. ### Can you run Power in flag football? No. The pull is the play, and pulling means a lineman leaving his spot to block someone at the point of attack. Blocking of any kind is illegal in flag football, so there is no version of this concept at 5v5, 7v7 or NFL Flag. The nearest thing a flag team has is a dive, which gains what the defense has vacated rather than what the offense has taken. ### Why is my puller getting cut off? Usually a penetrating defender shooting the gap the guard is vacating, which is the standard answer to Power and the reason the scheme is slow to the edge. Tightening the guard's path so he runs closer to the line of scrimmage, and making sure the centre and backside tackle account for the backside gap, is where to look first. ## Related - [Trap in 11v11](/plays/11v11/trap) - [Draw in 11v11](/plays/11v11/draw) - [QB Draw in 11v11](/plays/11v11/qb-draw) - [Outside Zone in 11v11](/plays/11v11/outside-zone) - [Draw your own 11v11 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Power in the designer Opens this exact 11v11 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fpower) --- --- title: "What is the Trap concept in 11v11 tackle football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/11v11/trap" updated: "2026-09-14" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Ftrap" --- # What is the Trap concept in 11v11 tackle football? In 11v11 tackle football a trap leaves an interior defender deliberately unblocked, lets him run himself upfield, then hits him from the side with a pulling guard while the back runs through the gap he just vacated. Here it is drawn as the Wing-T Buck Trap, off the same reverse-pivot and sweep fake the whole buck series opens with. ## The diagram 11v11 play diagram for Trap. 11 offensive players: LT, LG, C, RG, RT, X, TE, Y, QB, FB, RB. QB runs a custom; LT runs a custom; C runs a custom; RG runs a custom; RT runs a custom; TE runs a custom; Y runs a custom; X runs a custom; FB runs a dive at 4 yards; RB runs a handoff at 6 yards; LG runs a custom. Trap out of Wing-T, drawn for 11v11. The inside answer off the identical first move. The quarterback reverse-pivots exactly as he does on the sweep, the halfback runs the full sweep track with nothing in his hands, and the fullback keeps it on a dive into the middle. The playside line blocks down and deliberately leaves the first defender past the center unblocked. The backside guard pulls flat and traps him from the side. He thinks he is free, steps upfield, and gets hit from an angle he never saw. Run it at the trap block, not at a hole number. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Ftrap ## Why Trap works in 11v11 ### The deception and the block are the same act This is the one run concept where leaving a man alone IS the scheme rather than a mistake. It needs the free defender to believe he has won and accelerate, and it needs a blocker arriving from his blind side a fraction later. Take the blockers away and there is nothing left: no fake, no block, no play. ### It is the inside answer off an identical first move The quarterback's pivot, the halfback's sweep track and the fullback's path are the same as the buck sweep for the first second. A defense that has been beaten outside has to honour that action, and the trap collects the interior defenders who are chasing it. The series is the point rather than the play. ### It punishes the defense's most aggressive player specifically An interior lineman shooting a gap is doing his job well, and the harder he does it the further from the play he takes himself. Trap converts good defensive technique into the mechanism of its own defeat, which no other run in the playbook does. ### It punishes the defender who is trying hardest An aggressive interior lineman shooting a gap is doing his job well, and a trap turns that into the mechanism of his own removal. The harder he penetrates, the further from the play he takes himself and the easier the block that finishes him becomes. ### Unblocked looks like a win until it is not A defender who finds nobody in front of him assumes he has beaten the protection and accelerates. That acceleration is what the scheme is counting on: it commits his weight forward, which is precisely the condition under which a block from the side works. ### It opens the middle without needing to move anybody Most interior runs ask linemen to displace defenders who do not want to be displaced. A trap asks them to leave one alone and go somewhere else, which is easier, and the hole appears because a man removed himself rather than because he was driven out. ## How to read it 1. **Aim at the man you are not blocking** The back's path goes at the gap the trapped defender is vacating, which feels wrong the first few times because it means running directly at a free defender. Trusting the block is the skill. 2. **Be on time, not early** The trap block and the back arrive within a fraction of a second of each other. A back who gets there first meets the defender before the block does, which is the play failing in the most direct way available. 3. **Get vertical immediately behind the block** The crease a trap opens is narrow and brief. There is no bouncing it outside: the ball goes through the hole the moment it exists or it does not go anywhere. 4. **Expect to see the second level quickly** Because nobody displaced the front, the linebackers are closer than they would be on a downhill scheme. The back should be ready for contact two yards past the line rather than looking for open field. ## What changes in 11v11 Covered above under "The deception and the block are the same act", "It is the inside answer off an identical first move", "It punishes the defense's most aggressive player specifically". ## When not to call Trap ### It fails completely against a defender who reads it A lineman who has been trapped before learns to stay square and look inside rather than penetrating. Against that, the scheme has left a man unblocked in the middle of the play for no gain at all, which is worse than any other run failing. ### It needs a specific kind of front to exist There has to be an interior defender aligned where he can be left free and reached from the side. Against fronts that do not present one, the concept has nobody to trap and the call is simply unavailable. ## FAQ ### Why do you leave a defender unblocked on a trap? Because an unblocked defender accelerates. He assumes he has beaten the protection and commits his weight upfield, which is exactly the condition that makes a block from the side work and exactly the movement that empties the gap the back is aiming at. Blocking him would keep him in the hole. ### Who do you trap? The first interior defender who can be left free and reached from the side, usually a three technique or a nose aligned where the pulling guard has a clean angle. Against fronts that do not present one, the concept has nobody to trap and the call is simply unavailable that week. ### Does the trap work against a disciplined defender? Not well. A lineman who has been trapped before learns to stay square and look inside rather than penetrating, and against that you have left a man unblocked in the middle of the play for nothing. It is a concept that beats aggression and loses to patience, which is why it lives inside a series rather than being called on its own. ## Related - [Draw in 11v11](/plays/11v11/draw) - [QB Draw in 11v11](/plays/11v11/qb-draw) - [Outside Zone in 11v11](/plays/11v11/outside-zone) - [Inside Zone in 11v11](/plays/11v11/inside-zone) - [Draw your own 11v11 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Trap in the designer Opens this exact 11v11 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Ftrap) --- --- title: "What is the Draw concept in 11v11 tackle football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/11v11/draw" updated: "2026-09-14" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fdraw" --- # What is the Draw concept in 11v11 tackle football? In 11v11 tackle football a draw is a run disguised as a pass. The line pass-sets, the receivers release into routes to widen the coverage, and the handoff comes late into the middle the rush has just vacated. It is a third-down call that gains most against the best pass rushes, because the harder they come the wider the lane they leave. ## The diagram 11v11 play diagram for Draw. 11 offensive players: LT, LG, C, RG, RT, X, Y, TE, Z, QB, RB. QB runs a custom; LT runs a custom; LG runs a custom; C runs a custom; RG runs a custom; RT runs a custom; RB runs a dive at 6 yards; X runs a go at 18 yards; Z runs a go at 18 yards; Y runs a curl at 10 yards; TE runs a curl at 10 yards. Draw out of Gun Doubles, drawn for 11v11. A run disguised as a pass. The line pass-sets, the receivers run routes to widen the coverage, and the handoff comes late into the middle the rush has just vacated. Third-and-long against a defense in pass-rush mode is where this belongs. The rushers commit upfield and the back runs through the hole they left. Especially good against a light box. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fdraw ## Why Draw works in 11v11 ### There is no flag version, because there is no pass set The entire concept rests on linemen retreating as though protecting, which invites the rush upfield and opens the lane. Flag football has no linemen, so there is no pocket to sell, no rush to invite and nothing to run through. A draw is the clearest case in the run game of a concept that needs a line to exist at all. ### The defense digs the hole rather than the offense Pass rushers are coached to get upfield and around the edge, and every step they take that way is a step out of the running lane. The offense does not have to displace anybody. It waits, which is why the concept produces most against exactly the fronts that are hardest to block. ### It is a situational call, not a base run The lane only exists when the defense is rushing and dropping rather than defending the run, which means third and long or an obvious passing down. Called on first and ten against a normal front there is nothing vacated to find, and a draw is just a slow handoff into a defense that never moved. ### The rush digs its own hole Pass rushers are coached to get upfield and around the edge, and the harder they do it the wider the gap they leave behind them. A draw does not have to move anybody. It waits for the defense to move itself, which is why it gains most against the best pass rushes. ### It is a run that works when they know you must pass Third and long is when a defense abandons run responsibility entirely: linebackers drop, safeties bail, everybody rushes or covers. That is the whole point of the call. The yardage is available precisely because nobody has been asked to defend it. ### It makes protection look like protection The linemen are doing what they do on every pass, so there is no unusual movement to tip it. A draw is one of very few runs that is genuinely indistinguishable from the play it is imitating until the handoff has already happened. ## How to read it 1. **Sell the drop first** The quarterback's first three steps and his eyes have to belong to a pass. A draw where he is already looking at the back is a slow handoff into a front that has not moved. 2. **The back waits, then goes** He sets as though protecting before he becomes a runner. Leaving early is the single most common way a draw is given away, and the whole play depends on the defense believing nothing is happening yet. 3. **Read the gap the rush has left** There is no predetermined hole. The back takes whichever lane the pass rush has vacated, which is usually where the most aggressive rusher was standing a second ago. 4. **Take what the down needs** A draw on third and twelve that gains eight is a good play that ends in a punt. Knowing whether you are taking points off the board or setting up fourth and short changes how hard the back should press it. ## What changes in 11v11 Covered above under "There is no flag version, because there is no pass set", "The defense digs the hole rather than the offense", "It is a situational call, not a base run". ## When not to call Draw ### It rarely gets what third and long actually needs Draws gain five to eight yards reliably and very little more. Called on third and twelve it is often a decision to punt from a better spot, which can be correct but should be a decision rather than a surprise. ## FAQ ### When should you call a draw? Third and long, or any down where the defense has abandoned run responsibility to rush and cover. The yardage is available precisely because nobody has been asked to defend it. Be honest about the arithmetic first though: draws reliably gain five to eight and rarely more, so on third and twelve you may be choosing to punt from a better spot. ### Can you run a draw in flag football? No. The fake needs a pass set, which needs linemen retreating as though protecting, and flag football has neither. Without a pocket there is no rush to invite upfield and nothing to run into. The closest flag equivalent is a delayed handoff, which shares the timing and none of the mechanism. ### Why does my draw get blown up? Usually the back leaves early. He has to set as though protecting before he becomes a runner, and any movement toward the ball before the rush has committed gives the whole thing away. The other common cause is a quarterback whose eyes drop to the handoff instead of staying downfield. ## Related - [QB Draw in 11v11](/plays/11v11/qb-draw) - [Outside Zone in 11v11](/plays/11v11/outside-zone) - [Inside Zone in 11v11](/plays/11v11/inside-zone) - [Iso in 11v11](/plays/11v11/iso) - [Draw your own 11v11 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Draw in the designer Opens this exact 11v11 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fdraw) --- --- title: "What is the QB Draw concept in 11v11 tackle football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/11v11/qb-draw" updated: "2026-09-14" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fqb-draw" --- # What is the QB Draw concept in 11v11 tackle football? In 11v11 tackle football a quarterback draw removes the handoff from the concept entirely. The line pass-sets, every receiver clears out, and the quarterback hesitates as though reading the field before running straight up the middle. Nothing tips it, because until he tucks the ball nothing has happened that looks like a run. ## The diagram 11v11 play diagram for QB Draw. 11 offensive players: LT, LG, C, RG, RT, X, Y, TE, Z, QB, RB. LT runs a custom; LG runs a custom; C runs a custom; RG runs a custom; RT runs a custom; QB runs a dive at 7 yards; X runs a go at 18 yards; Z runs a go at 18 yards; Y runs a seam at 16 yards; TE runs a seam at 14 yards; RB runs a custom. QB Draw out of Gun Doubles, drawn for 11v11. The quarterback takes the snap, hesitates as though he is reading it, and runs straight up the middle. The line pass-sets to sell it and every receiver runs a vertical clear to pull coverage away from the lane. Third-and-medium against a deep-rotation defense: the rush vacates the middle, the coverage turns its back, and seven or eight yards are free. Deadly if the quarterback can actually run. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fqb-draw ## Why QB Draw works in 11v11 ### It needs two things flag football does not have A pass set to sell, which needs a line, and a quarterback who is allowed to run, which most flag rule sets restrict or forbid outright. Either one alone would rule it out. That is why the flag run game carries QB Keep instead, which needs only a fake and a rulebook that permits the carry. ### Removing the handoff makes it later and better A normal draw has an exchange, and an exchange is visible. Here the only movement that gives it away is the quarterback starting to run, by which point the rushers are past him and the linebackers have turned their backs to drop. No other run in the playbook improves the longer it waits. ### You are carrying the ball with your most valuable player Every carry is a chance to lose the quarterback, and that cost does not go down with how well the play works. Most teams keep this to a handful of calls a season, which is the opposite of how the same idea is used at five a side where the quarterback is often simply the best athlete. ### Nothing tips it, because nothing happens A normal draw has a handoff, and a handoff is visible. On a quarterback draw the only movement that gives it away is the quarterback starting to run, by which point the rushers are already past him and the linebackers have turned their backs to drop into coverage. ### Everyone in coverage is facing the wrong way Defenders dropping into zone are watching the quarterback's eyes and the receivers behind them. The moment he tucks it and goes, every one of them has to turn around and find the ball, and turning around is slow. ### It is the latest-developing run in the playbook The longer the quarterback holds it, the further upfield the rush travels and the wider the lane becomes. No other run improves the longer it waits, which is what makes this the specific answer to a defense that is pinning its ears back. ## How to read it 1. **Hold it longer than feels comfortable** The lane opens late. A quarterback who runs at two seconds is running into a rush that is still square to him; at three he is running through the space they have just left. 2. **Keep the eyes downfield until the last moment** The coverage drops as long as he looks like he is throwing. Dropping the eyes to find the lane is what turns a free ten yards into a linebacker waiting in it. 3. **Pick the side the rush has cleared** It is called up the middle but it is run wherever the rushers are not. Usually that means following the widest rusher's vacated gap, which the quarterback can feel as much as see. 4. **Slide, get down, get out** This is the least protected player on the team carrying the ball in traffic. Getting the yards and ending the play is the whole outcome; a quarterback still fighting for extra is a risk with no upside worth having. ## What changes in 11v11 Covered above under "It needs two things flag football does not have", "Removing the handoff makes it later and better", "You are carrying the ball with your most valuable player". ## When not to call QB Draw ### It puts your quarterback in contact on purpose Every carry is a chance to lose the most important player on the roster, and that cost does not scale down with how well the play works. Most teams keep this to a handful of calls a season for exactly that reason. ### It only exists on obvious passing downs The concept needs a rush that is committed and coverage that is dropping. On any down where the defense is honouring the run there is no vacated middle, and the play has nothing to run into. ## FAQ ### How is a QB draw different from a QB keep? A draw sells a pass, which needs linemen pass-setting to invite the rush upfield. A keep sells a handoff, which needs only a back and a fake. That is why the draw is an eleven-man concept and the keep travels to flag football, where there is no line to sell protection with. ### When do you call a quarterback draw? Third and medium to long, against a defense committed to rushing and dropping. It is at its best against exactly the aggressive pass rush that makes everything else difficult, because the harder they come upfield the wider the lane in the middle becomes. ### How long should the quarterback hold it? Longer than feels comfortable. The lane opens late: at two seconds the rush is still square to him, at three he is running through the space they have just vacated. The eyes stay downfield the whole time, because the coverage keeps dropping only as long as he still looks like a passer. ## Related - [Stop the quarterback running (11v11)](/defense/11v11/stop-the-qb-run) - [Outside Zone in 11v11](/plays/11v11/outside-zone) - [Inside Zone in 11v11](/plays/11v11/inside-zone) - [Iso in 11v11](/plays/11v11/iso) - [Jet Sweep in 11v11](/plays/11v11/jet-sweep) - [Draw your own 11v11 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open QB Draw in the designer Opens this exact 11v11 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fqb-draw) --- --- title: "What is the Outside Zone concept in 11v11 tackle football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/11v11/outside-zone" updated: "2026-09-17" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Foutside-zone" --- # What is the Outside Zone concept in 11v11 tackle football? In 11v11 football outside zone is five linemen taking a lateral first step toward the sideline and trying to reach the defender outside them, with the tight end on the edge. The back aims at the tight end's outside hip and makes one decision: bounce it if the edge is reached, bang it inside if the tackle got there first, or bend it all the way back if the whole front over-ran it. ## The diagram 11v11 play diagram for Outside Zone. 11 offensive players: LT, LG, C, RG, RT, X, Y, TE, Z, QB, RB. QB runs a custom; LT runs a custom; LG runs a custom; C runs a custom; RG runs a custom; RT runs a custom; TE runs a custom; X runs a custom; Y runs a custom; Z runs a custom; RB runs a sweep at 5 yards. Outside Zone out of Spread Doubles, drawn for 11v11. The stretch. Every lineman takes a lateral first step playside and tries to reach the man outside him, and the back aims at the tight end's outside hip before choosing: bounce it if the edge is reached, bang it if the tackle got there, cut it all the way back if the whole front over-ran it. It is the one run where the back's eyes matter more than the hole, and it is the reason a fast flowing defense can be wrong three different ways on one play. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Foutside-zone ## Why Outside Zone works in 11v11 ### This concept does not exist below nine a side Outside zone is not a play, it is an instruction to an offensive line, and flag football has no offensive line and no legal blocking at all. There is nothing left of it to run. That makes this one of the few pages on the site with no flag equivalent to compare against, and it is why the run shelf at 5v5 and NFL Flag stops at ten concepts while this one carries eighteen. ### The back has three answers, not one Bounce, bang and bend are the same call. At five a side a sweep has exactly one destination and the back is running a footrace to it. Here the destination is chosen after the snap based on one defender, and the same play can finish outside the numbers or fifteen yards back across the formation. Coaching the read is most of coaching the play. ### It is a volume call, and that is the point Because the read is about defenders reacting to a picture they have seen, the tenth carry is a different play from the first. Teams that run it twenty times are not being stubborn, they are building the evidence the cutback cashes in. Nothing in a five-player game rewards repetition this way, because there is no front to condition. ### It makes the defense run sideways to stop it A front that stays square gets reached and the ball goes outside. So the defense has to move laterally at the snap, and a defender moving laterally is a defender who is not attacking. Everything else in a zone running game is built on that: the cutback, the play-action, the counter all punish a front that has learned it must flow. ### One play covers the whole width of the field Because the aiming point is a landmark rather than a gap, the same call can hit outside the tight end, inside him, or fifteen yards back across the formation. The defense has to be right everywhere at once, and it only takes one man over-running his responsibility for the ball to come out behind him. ### It gets better the more you run it The read the back is making is about defenders reacting to a picture they have seen before, so the tenth carry is a different play from the first even though the call is identical. Teams that commit to it are not being stubborn; they are building the evidence the later carries cash in. ## How to read it 1. **Aim outside, then be patient** The first three steps are the same every time, regardless of what you plan to do. A back who has already decided to cut before he gets there tells the defense where the ball is going and removes the whole point of the play. 2. **Read the man over the playside tackle** If he is reached, keep going. If he has fought outside, the lane is inside him. That one defender answers the question before the back has to look at anybody else, which is why this can be run fast even though it is a read. 3. **One cut, then north** The decision happens once and it happens behind the line. A back still picking at two yards downfield has turned a zone run into a scramble, and pursuit that was beaten by the stretch has caught up while he thought about it. 4. **Take the backside when they give it** The cutback is not a broken play, it is the play working. When the whole front has flowed, the biggest space on the field is behind them, and the back who trusts that is the one who breaks the long one. ## What changes in 11v11 Covered above under "This concept does not exist below nine a side", "The back has three answers, not one", "It is a volume call, and that is the point". ## When not to call Outside Zone ### It needs a line that can move laterally The scheme asks five men to run sideways and stay connected. A line that is strong but slow will get reached itself, and the play becomes a two-yard loss on the edge rather than a four-yard gain. This is the run that most exposes a mismatch in athleticism rather than size. ### It is a poor call for exactly one yard Every step sideways is a step not forward, and the read takes time the down does not have. On third and inches the answer is something downhill that hits before the defense has finished reacting, which is the opposite of what this asks for. ## FAQ ### What is the difference between inside zone and outside zone? The aiming point and the first step. Inside zone steps playside but works vertically, and the back is looking for the first crease between the tackles. Outside zone steps laterally and tries to reach the edge, and the back is aiming outside the tight end before he decides anything. Inside zone has its own page on this site, and the Dive page runs the same blocking as a quick hitter. ### Can you run outside zone in flag football? No, and not because it is hard. Blocking is illegal in every flag rule set on this site, so a scheme that consists entirely of blocking rules has nothing to execute. A flag coach reaching for the same idea wants the sweep or the jet sweep, which get to the edge with speed and leverage instead of with reach blocks. ### Why does my back keep bouncing it outside? Usually because he has decided before the snap. The first three steps have to be identical whatever he plans to do, and a back who is already leaning toward the sideline tells the defense where the ball is going. The other common cause is that he is reading the wrong man: it is the defender over the playside tackle, not the corner. ### What do we call after outside zone has been working? Anything that punishes flow. A counter or a jet sweep the other way, or play-action off the same first step. The value of a zone running game is rarely the yards it gains on its own; it is that a front which has learned it must run sideways is a front that can be made wrong. ## Related - [Inside Zone in 11v11](/plays/11v11/inside-zone) - [Iso in 11v11](/plays/11v11/iso) - [Jet Sweep in 11v11](/plays/11v11/jet-sweep) - [End Around in 11v11](/plays/11v11/end-around) - [Draw your own 11v11 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Outside Zone in the designer Opens this exact 11v11 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Foutside-zone) --- --- title: "What is the Inside Zone concept in 11v11 tackle football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/11v11/inside-zone" updated: "2026-09-20" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Finside-zone" --- # What is the Inside Zone concept in 11v11 tackle football? In 11v11 football inside zone is five linemen taking a short playside step and blocking whoever shows in their gap, with a double team at the point of attack climbing to a linebacker. The back aims at the playside guard's outside hip and picks one of two answers: bang it up through the double team, or bend it back behind a front that over-flowed. ## The diagram 11v11 play diagram for Inside Zone. 11 offensive players: LT, LG, C, RG, RT, X, Y, TE, Z, QB, RB. QB runs a custom; LT runs a custom; LG runs a custom; C runs a custom; RG runs a custom; RT runs a custom; TE runs a custom; X runs a custom; Y runs a custom; Z runs a custom; RB runs a dive at 5 yards. Inside Zone out of Gun Doubles, drawn for 11v11. The most-run play in football and the one the rest of the zone game is built from. Every lineman takes a short playside step and blocks whoever shows in his gap, the double team at the point of attack climbs to a linebacker, and the back presses the playside guard's outside hip before choosing: bang it straight up if the front held its ground, bend it behind the double team if the linebackers over-flowed. From the gun the exchange happens beside the quarterback rather than in front of him, which buys the back an extra beat to see which one happened. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Finside-zone ## Why Inside Zone works in 11v11 ### It is the same blocking as the dive, and a different play The Dive page on this site blocks inside zone too, and always has. What separates them is the back: a dive is a quick hitter from under centre that takes the first crease and asks no questions, and this is the scheme run as a scheme, from the gun, with a read at the point of attack. Same five linemen, two different jobs behind them. ### The gun buys the read a beat Taking the exchange beside the quarterback rather than in front of him puts the back a yard deeper and moving downhill later, which is exactly the time the read needs. It is why the shotgun version became the standard one, and why the under-centre version is the short-yardage call rather than the base. ### There is no flag version of it at all This is one of eight run concepts on this site that exist only where blocking is legal. Five players stepping in unison is the entire play, and no flag rule set allows any of it. The run shelf at 5v5 and NFL Flag stops at ten concepts for that reason while this one carries eighteen. ### Nobody has to identify anybody Gap rules beat recognition. A lineman who has been told to step playside and take whoever arrives cannot be wrong about a stunt, a slant or a linebacker walking down late, which is the failure that ruins man-blocked runs against a front that moves. It is why this is the first run most teams install and the last one they abandon. ### The double team is the play Two blockers on one defender move him backwards, and the moment a linebacker commits, one of them leaves for him. A defense can be sound and still lose that exchange, and every yard the double team wins is a yard the back gets for free before anybody makes a decision. ### It punishes a front that flows The cutback is not the play going wrong. A defense that chases the first step leaves the biggest space on the field behind it, and a back who presses first and trusts what he sees takes it. The more the play is run, the more the front has to flow, and the better the bend gets. ## How to read it 1. **Press the playside guard's outside hip** The aiming point is a body, not a gap, and the first three steps are identical whatever happens next. A back who leans toward his cut before he gets there tells the linebackers where it is going and throws away the double team. 2. **Read the first defender past the double team** If he holds his ground, bang it straight up. If he runs playside with the flow, bend it behind him. One defender answers the question, which is what lets the read be made at full speed. 3. **One cut, then downhill** The decision is made behind the line and it is made once. A back still picking at two yards has let the pursuit that the scheme beat catch back up, and turned four yards into one. ## What changes in 11v11 Covered above under "It is the same blocking as the dive, and a different play", "The gun buys the read a beat", "There is no flag version of it at all". ## When not to call Inside Zone ### It does not exist without a line Inside zone is an instruction to five blockers. Flag football allows no blocking of any kind, so a flag coach reaching for it wants the dive, which is the same aiming point run as a race rather than as a scheme. ### A penetrating front can beat it in the backfield Zone steps are lateral before they are vertical, so a defensive line that fires into gaps can meet the back before the double team has moved anybody. The answer is a gap scheme with a puller, which is why every team that runs this also runs power or counter. ## FAQ ### What is the difference between inside zone and a dive? The blocking is identical and the back's job is not. A dive hits the first crease between the tackles and asks no questions, usually from under centre in short yardage. Inside zone presses the playside guard's hip and then reads the first defender past the double team, which is why it is run from the gun and why it gets better the more it is called. ### What is the difference between inside zone and outside zone? The aiming point and the first step. Inside zone steps playside but works vertically, and the back is looking for the first crease between the tackles. Outside zone steps laterally, tries to reach the edge, and the back aims outside the tight end before deciding anything. ### Can you run inside zone in flag football? No. The play is a set of blocking rules and blocking is illegal in every flag rule set on this site. The nearest legal thing is the dive, which uses the same aiming point and gets its yards from timing rather than from movement at the line. ### Why does my back keep bouncing inside zone outside? Usually because he is reading the edge rather than the double team. The decision is made on the first defender past the point of attack, and everything about the play is designed to hit between the tackles. A back who drifts is also making the double team useless, because he arrives after it has been passed off. ## Related - [Iso in 11v11](/plays/11v11/iso) - [Jet Sweep in 11v11](/plays/11v11/jet-sweep) - [End Around in 11v11](/plays/11v11/end-around) - [Option in 11v11](/plays/11v11/option) - [Draw your own 11v11 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Inside Zone in the designer Opens this exact 11v11 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Finside-zone) --- --- title: "What is the Iso concept in 11v11 tackle football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/11v11/iso" updated: "2026-09-17" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fiso" --- # What is the Iso concept in 11v11 tackle football? In 11v11 football an iso sends the fullback through the playside A-gap to block one linebacker one on one, while the line blocks down and doubles at the point of attack. The halfback runs off the fullback's outside hip and takes what is left. It is the only run in this playbook where a blocker leads into the hole rather than clearing a lane beside it. ## The diagram 11v11 play diagram for Iso. 11 offensive players: LT, LG, C, RG, RT, X, TE, Y, QB, FB, RB. QB runs a custom; LT runs a custom; LG runs a custom; C runs a custom; RG runs a custom; RT runs a custom; TE runs a custom; X runs a custom; Y runs a custom; FB runs a custom; RB runs a custom. Iso out of Wing-T, drawn for 11v11. The only run in this book where a blocker leads into the hole instead of clearing one beside it. The line blocks down and doubles at the point of attack, the fullback runs through the playside A-gap and takes the linebacker on, and the halfback runs off his outside hip into whatever is left. There is nothing clever about it. It is the call that tells you whether your front can move theirs, and coaches keep it for exactly that answer. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fiso ## Why Iso works in 11v11 ### It is the only run here with a blocker in front of the ball Every other run on this site creates space beside the carrier: a sweep empties the edge, a zone scheme moves a front sideways, a trap lets a man through and hits him from the side. This one puts a fullback directly in the hole and asks him to win. That requires eleven players and a back in the backfield, and no smaller format on this site has either. ### There is no read, and that is deliberate The hole is named in the huddle and the back runs to it. Most missed yards in a young running game come from hesitation rather than from the defense, and a back who knows exactly where he is going arrives at full speed. It is the opposite design philosophy to outside zone, which is on the neighbouring page and asks him to decide. ### It is how you take a linebacker's speed away A fast linebacker who reads zone and runs to the ball is a hard problem for any play asking him to be wrong. Iso does not ask him to be wrong; it sends a man to him. Against a defense being quarterbacked by one player, this is often the only call that removes him rather than trying to out-guess him. ### It removes every read from the runner There is one hole, it is named in the huddle, and the back runs to it. That is worth more than it sounds with young or inexperienced players, because most missed yards in a running game come from hesitation rather than from the defense. A back who knows exactly where he is going hits the line at full speed. ### It answers a linebacker who is beating you with movement A fast linebacker who reads zone schemes and runs to the ball is a hard problem for a play that asks him to be wrong. Iso does not ask him to be wrong. It sends a blocker straight to him and takes his speed out of the equation, which is often the only way to stop a defense being quarterbacked by one man. ### It sets up everything that fakes it A defense that has been hit downhill starts filling downhill, and the moment it does, play-action and any misdirection off the same backfield action become far more dangerous. The iso is frequently worth more for the two plays after it than for the yards it gains itself. ## How to read it 1. **The fullback picks a shoulder and commits** He is not looking for someone to hit, he has been told who. Taking the linebacker's outside shoulder sends the ball inside him and taking the inside shoulder sends it outside, so the block itself decides where the run goes and the back reads it. 2. **The back runs off the block, not around it** Tight to the fullback's hip. A halfback who gives himself room to see the hole has given the unblocked defenders room to reach it, and the only advantage this play has is that it arrives before they can. 3. **Two yards is a success** This is not a call that is trying to break. It is trying to make the distance manageable and to make the defense play honest, and a back who bounces it looking for more has traded a certain two for a possible eight and a likely loss. ## What changes in 11v11 Covered above under "It is the only run here with a blocker in front of the ball", "There is no read, and that is deliberate", "It is how you take a linebacker's speed away". ## When not to call Iso ### It does not exist without a fullback The play is a lead blocker and a runner. Spread personnel with no back in the backfield cannot run it at all, which is a large part of why it has become less common: the same offenses that stopped carrying a fullback stopped having this call available. ### A defense that outnumbers the box wins anyway There is no read and no answer built in. If the defense has one more man near the line than the offense can account for, somebody is unblocked and arrives free, every single time. Against a loaded box the answer is to make them pay for loading it, not to run at it harder. ## FAQ ### Do I need a fullback to run iso? Yes. The play is a lead blocker and a runner, so without a second back there is nobody to lead. Spread personnel with one back cannot run it at all, which is much of the reason it has become less common: the offenses that stopped carrying a fullback stopped having this available. ### Which shoulder should the fullback take? Whichever one sends the ball where you want it. Taking the linebacker's outside shoulder puts the run inside him, taking the inside shoulder puts it outside. The block decides the direction and the halfback reads it, so the fullback should be told which one rather than left to choose in traffic. ### Can you run iso in flag football? No. Blocking is illegal in every flag rule set on this site, and this play is nothing but a block. The closest flag idea is the dive, where the back hits a gap before the defense closes it, but nobody is clearing that gap for him and nobody may. ### What do I do when they load the box? Stop calling it. There is no read and no built-in answer, so if the defense has one more man near the line than you can account for, somebody arrives unblocked every single time. Make them pay for loading the box with play-action off this exact look rather than running into it again. ## Related - [Jet Sweep in 11v11](/plays/11v11/jet-sweep) - [End Around in 11v11](/plays/11v11/end-around) - [Option in 11v11](/plays/11v11/option) - [QB Keep in 11v11](/plays/11v11/qb-keep) - [Draw your own 11v11 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Iso in the designer Opens this exact 11v11 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fiso) --- --- title: "What is the Jet Sweep concept in 11v11 tackle football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/11v11/jet-sweep" updated: "2026-09-17" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fjet-sweep" --- # What is the Jet Sweep concept in 11v11 tackle football? In 11v11 football a jet sweep sends a receiver in motion across the formation and hands it to him at full speed, with the line reaching playside and the backside slot kicking out the edge defender ahead of him. Where a flag jet sweep is pure speed and leverage, this one has five blockers working to the same sideline, which is what lets it be run at the strength rather than away from it. ## The diagram 11v11 play diagram for Jet Sweep. 11 offensive players: LT, LG, C, RG, RT, X, Y, TE, Z, QB, RB. QB runs a custom; LT runs a custom; LG runs a custom; C runs a custom; RG runs a custom; RT runs a custom; Y runs a custom; X runs a custom; TE runs a custom; RB runs a custom; Z runs a custom. Jet Sweep out of Spread Doubles, drawn for 11v11. Z crosses the formation before the snap and takes it at full speed, which is the whole play: he is moving and the defense is not. The line reaches playside, away from the tight end, and the backside slot kicks the edge out ahead of him. Where the sweep asks a back to get from a standstill to the corner, this one starts him there. It punishes a defense that has stopped honouring motion, and it sets up the counter that goes back the other way. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fjet-sweep ## Why Jet Sweep works in 11v11 ### Somebody kicks the edge out for him In flag the motion man is running at an edge defender nobody may touch, so the play is a footrace he has to win outright. Here the slot on the side he is running to blocks that defender out and the line reaches underneath, which turns a race into a lane. It is the difference between needing the fastest player on the field and merely needing a fast one. ### The line blocks where the ball is going, not where the play started Watch the diagram: every lineman steps toward the side the motion is heading for, away from the tight end. That is worth saying because it looks backwards on a formation whose strength is the other way. The jet is run away from the tight end precisely because the defense sets to him, and the line has to follow the ball rather than the formation. ### It is a full-speed exchange, which is a timing problem eleven players make harder The motion has to start early enough that the receiver is at top speed when he arrives, and the snap has to come at exactly that moment. With five players a coach can time that by eye. With eleven the quarterback has a centre between him and the ball and four linemen firing in front of him, so this is the play most often ruined in practice by a snap that is half a count late. ### Speed at the exchange is worth more than speed after it A back taking a normal handoff has to build up to full pace after he has the football, and the edge defender is building up at the same time. A receiver in motion is already there. That head start is the whole play and it is available before the ball has even been snapped. ### The motion moves the defense before the snap Defenders have to account for a man crossing the formation, so many of them shift with him. Whatever they do in response is information, and doing nothing is its own answer: a defense that ignores jet motion has conceded the edge before the play starts. ### Everything can be run off it Because the motion forces a reaction, the same look sells a handoff inside, a keeper the other way and a throw behind the motion. The jet sweep is less a play than a starting position, and teams that run it well end up with a package rather than a call. ## How to read it 1. **Time the motion to the snap, not the other way round** The receiver should be passing the quarterback as the ball arrives. Too early and he is standing still again; too late and there is no exchange. This is the single thing to rehearse before the play is ever called live. 2. **Take it without changing stride** The advantage is the speed he already has. A receiver who slows to secure the football has converted a jet sweep into a slow sweep, and there was no reason to run the motion at all. 3. **Read the edge on the run** Same decision as any perimeter run and less time to make it. If the edge defender has widened with the motion, cut up inside him; if he has stayed inside, keep going and beat him to the corner. 4. **Get upfield the moment the edge is turned** The head start is worth about a second. Spending it running parallel to the line gives the pursuit exactly the time it needs to make up the ground the motion bought. ## What changes in 11v11 Covered above under "Somebody kicks the edge out for him", "The line blocks where the ball is going, not where the play started", "It is a full-speed exchange, which is a timing problem eleven players make harder". ## When not to call Jet Sweep ### The exchange is the fragile part A handoff between two players moving at different speeds in different directions is genuinely hard, and a missed one is a loose football behind the line. This is the concept that most rewards walking it through slowly before running it fast. ### It tells the defense where the ball is going Motion is visible. Run as a straight call often enough, the defense simply follows the motion man and the edge closes early. The counters off it matter more here than on almost any other run. ## FAQ ### Which way should the jet sweep go? Away from your tight end, usually. The defense declares its strength to the side with the extra blocker, so running the jet to the other side means fewer bodies to get around. The diagram on this page does exactly that: the tight end is right, the motion and the blocking both go left. ### How early does the motion have to start? Early enough that he is at full speed as he passes the quarterback, which for most players is four to six steps. If he is still accelerating at the exchange you have a slower sweep with an extra thing to go wrong, and you would be better off handing it to a back from a standstill. ### What is the difference between a jet sweep and an end around? When the motion starts and how much of the defense it is meant to move. A jet is a pre-snap motion that hits immediately, so it beats the defense with speed. An end around starts after the snap and travels further, so it beats them with misdirection. The end around page on this site blocks away from the ball for exactly that reason. ### What comes off the jet sweep? The counter. Once the front starts flying to the motion, handing it the other way to the back is the single most dangerous call you own, and it needs the jet to have hurt them first. On this site that is the Counter page, which pulls the guard and the tackle back the other way. ## Related - [Stop the sweep (11v11)](/defense/11v11/stop-the-sweep) - [Jet Sweep in 5v5](/plays/5v5/jet-sweep) - [Jet Sweep in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/jet-sweep) - [End Around in 11v11](/plays/11v11/end-around) - [Option in 11v11](/plays/11v11/option) - [QB Keep in 11v11](/plays/11v11/qb-keep) - [Wildcat in 11v11](/plays/11v11/wildcat) - [Draw your own 11v11 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Jet Sweep in the designer Opens this exact 11v11 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fjet-sweep) --- --- title: "What is the End Around concept in 11v11 tackle football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/11v11/end-around" updated: "2026-09-17" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fend-around" --- # What is the End Around concept in 11v11 tackle football? In 11v11 football an end around sends the backside receiver on a flat track behind the line and hands it to him going the other way, with the offensive line deliberately blocking away from where the ball will end up. The line's flow is the lie: in flag football the same play has no line to lie with, so it has to be sold entirely by the back's fake and the receiver's speed. ## The diagram 11v11 play diagram for End Around. 11 offensive players: LT, LG, C, RG, RT, X, Y, TE, Z, QB, RB. QB runs a custom; LT runs a custom; LG runs a custom; C runs a custom; RG runs a custom; RT runs a custom; TE runs a custom; Y runs a custom; Z runs a custom; RB runs a dive at 3 yards; X runs a custom. End Around out of Spread Doubles, drawn for 11v11. X starts backside, runs flat behind the line and takes it going the other way with a full head of steam. No back touches it, which is what separates this from the reverse: there is no first handoff to sell, so it lives or dies on how long the defense believes the line's initial flow. Block it away from the ball. Best on the drive after your inside run has finally started working. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fend-around ## Why End Around works in 11v11 ### The line is the misdirection Every lineman steps away from where the ball is going, which is the whole deception. A linebacker reads the guard in front of him, sees him going left, and goes left. At five a side there is nobody to read, so the same play is sold only by a back running a fake, and one man lying is far less convincing than five. ### No back touches it, which is what separates it from the reverse A reverse hands the ball on twice: back first, then receiver. An end around goes straight from the quarterback to the receiver, so there is no first exchange to sell and no second one to fumble. It is faster and less risky than a reverse and correspondingly less convincing, which is why it works best after the inside run has already made the front honest. ### It is a once-a-game call and eleven players make that more true Against five defenders a trick play that fails costs a down. Against eleven, with a receiver running flat behind his own line and away from every blocker, a defensive end who does not bite is standing exactly where the ball is going, unblocked and untouched. The downside is a twelve-yard loss rather than a two-yard one. ### One exchange is the whole advantage Every handoff is a moment when the ball belongs to nobody. Taking one of them out halves the risk and shortens the play by roughly a second, and against a defense that recovers quickly that second is often the difference between a big gain and a runner caught from behind. ### The receiver is already moving when he gets it He has run behind the formation to arrive, so he takes the ball at speed and pointed where he intends to go. That is a better starting position than most runs offer, and it is why an end around frequently turns the corner before the defense has finished reading it. ### The fake costs one player and buys the whole backside The back sells a run in the other direction with nothing in his hands. He is not blocking anyone and could not, so his entire contribution is the picture he paints, and if he paints it well the defenders chasing him are out of the play without anybody touching them. ## How to read it 1. **The receiver leaves early enough to arrive at speed** He should be moving before the snap or immediately on it. An end around where the receiver is still accelerating at the exchange has given up the one thing that makes it better than a reverse. 2. **The back fakes it like he has it** Eyes down, shoulders square, full speed for four or five steps. A visible fake is not a fake, and the defenders it was meant to hold will simply look past him at the receiver. 3. **Take it flat, then get north** The receiver runs behind the line to gather it, but the yards are upfield. A runner who keeps arcing toward the sideline is running into the pursuit rather than away from it. 4. **Beat the edge, do not beat everybody** The end around is a play to the perimeter. Once the edge is turned, taking what is in front is the right outcome; cutting back across the field to look for more usually finds the defenders the fake had already removed. ## What changes in 11v11 Covered above under "The line is the misdirection", "No back touches it, which is what separates it from the reverse", "It is a once-a-game call and eleven players make that more true". ## When not to call End Around ### It shows itself earlier than a reverse The receiver has to start moving before the ball does, so an alert defense sees the shape of it coming. A reverse hides behind a genuine run for longer, which is the trade: the end around is safer and less deceptive. ### It puts your fastest player in the backfield The receiver running it is usually the one you would otherwise have threatening deep, and while he is gathering a handoff behind the line he is not stretching anybody. Called too often it quietly removes your best player from the passing game. ## FAQ ### What is the difference between an end around and a reverse? The number of exchanges. On an end around the quarterback hands it straight to the receiver. On a reverse the back gets it first and hands it on. The reverse sells harder because there is a real handoff to believe, and it is riskier for the same reason: two exchanges behind the line instead of one. ### Which way should the line block? Away from the ball. That is what makes the linebackers wrong, and it is drawn that way on this page. It does mean nobody is blocking the side the receiver is running to, which is why the receivers on that side have to stalk their men and why the play has a short shelf life once a team has seen it. ### When should I call an end around? On the drive after your inside run has finally started working, and not before. The play depends entirely on the defense believing the line's first step, and a front that has not yet been hurt inside has no reason to believe anything. Called cold on the first series it is just a slow sweep. ### Does the receiver need to be fast? Faster than the pursuit, which is less demanding than it sounds because the pursuit is running the wrong way for the first beat. What matters more is that he takes it going full speed and does not round the corner, since every extra step behind the line gives the defensive end more time to recognise it. ## Related - [End Around in 5v5](/plays/5v5/end-around) - [End Around in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/end-around) - [Option in 11v11](/plays/11v11/option) - [QB Keep in 11v11](/plays/11v11/qb-keep) - [Wildcat in 11v11](/plays/11v11/wildcat) - [Mesh in 11v11](/plays/11v11/mesh) - [Draw your own 11v11 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open End Around in the designer Opens this exact 11v11 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fend-around) --- --- title: "What is the Option concept in 11v11 tackle football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/11v11/option" updated: "2026-09-17" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Foption" --- # What is the Option concept in 11v11 tackle football? In 11v11 football a zone option leaves the backside defensive end deliberately unblocked and lets the quarterback read him: if he crashes on the back, the quarterback pulls it and gets outside him; if he sits and waits for the quarterback, the ball goes inside on the zone. He has to be wrong. The option cannot exist in NFL Flag at all, because its rulebook forbids the man who takes the snap from crossing the line. ## The diagram 11v11 play diagram for Option. 11 offensive players: LT, LG, C, RG, RT, X, Y, TE, Z, QB, RB. QB runs a custom; LT runs a custom; LG runs a custom; C runs a custom; RG runs a custom; RT runs a custom; TE runs a custom; X runs a custom; Y runs a custom; Z runs a custom; RB runs a dive at 4 yards. Option out of Gun Doubles, drawn for 11v11. The backside end is deliberately left unblocked, which is the point rather than a mistake: blocking him would use a man to do what the quarterback's eyes can do for free. If he crashes on the back, the quarterback pulls it and gets outside him. If he sits and waits for the quarterback, the ball goes inside on the zone. He has to be wrong, and the offense is right either way. This is why the option survives at every level that lets the quarterback run. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Foption ## Why Option works in 11v11 ### A defender is left unblocked on purpose Every other run on this site tries to account for everybody. This one picks a man and ignores him, because blocking him would spend a blocker doing what the quarterback's eyes can do for free. That trade only makes sense when you have eleven bodies and a quarterback who is allowed to run, which is why the option is a tackle-football idea rather than a flag one. ### It is arithmetic, not deception Leaving one defender unblocked means one extra blocker somewhere else, so the offense is playing eleven against ten at the point of attack. Nothing is being disguised. The defense knows exactly what is happening and is still a man short, which is the property that has kept the option alive at every level that permits it. ### NFL Flag forbids it in one sentence, and not the one people quote Its rulebook says the quarterback cannot run across the line of scrimmage, and then defines the quarterback as the player who receives the snap. A quarterback who cannot gain yards running cannot be a threat to keep, and an option with no keep threat is a handoff. That is why the run shelf at NFL Flag has seven concepts and this one has eighteen. ### It removes the defender you cannot block Every run has a defender the scheme cannot account for. An option does not try to account for him; it reads him. That turns the hardest problem in the run game into the mechanism the play runs on, which is why the concept has survived every era of football that has tried to coach it out. ### The defense's discipline becomes the offense's information A well-drilled defender does the same thing every time, and doing the same thing every time is exactly what an option punishes. The better coached the man being read is, the more reliably the play produces, which is an unusual property for any concept. ### It stretches the defense horizontally with two threats Two runners on the same side moving in the same direction means one defender has to cover two gaps. Even when the read is wrong, somebody is usually running free, because the arithmetic of the perimeter does not work for the defense. ## How to read it 1. **Identify the read defender before the snap** One man, named out loud in the huddle. An option run without a specific defender in mind is two players running sideways hoping something opens. 2. **Attack him, do not drift past him** The carrier has to threaten him genuinely or he never has to choose. Running wide of the read defender lets him sit and wait for the pitch, which is the whole play defended by doing nothing. 3. **Give it when he comes, keep it when he widens** The rule is that simple and it should not be overthought in the moment. If the defender commits to the ball carrier, the ball goes outside; if he expands to take the trailing runner, it stays inside. 4. **The trailing runner keeps his relationship** Four or five yards outside and slightly behind, moving at the same speed. A pitch man who gets ahead of the carrier or drifts too close removes the option from the option. ## What changes in 11v11 Covered above under "A defender is left unblocked on purpose", "It is arithmetic, not deception", "NFL Flag forbids it in one sentence, and not the one people quote". ## When not to call Option ### It is the most rules-dependent call you can make Whether the quarterback may run, and when, changes between leagues and between formats more than any other rule in the game. A playbook that assumes he can is wrong somewhere, so the rulebook has to be read before this concept is installed. ### A pitch in space is a turnover waiting to happen The exchange happens on the move, under pressure, with the carrier looking at a defender rather than at his teammate. It is the highest-risk delivery in the run game and it does not become safe with repetition alone. ## FAQ ### Which defender does the quarterback read? The first defender outside the last man the line is blocking, on the backside of the run. On this page's diagram the line is stepping right, so the read is the end on the left. Pick him in the huddle and tell the quarterback his number, because hunting for the read after the snap is how this play gets slow. ### What happens if the end does nothing? Give it. A defender who sits and waits has taken himself out of the run, so the inside zone is being blocked eleven on ten and the back should simply take the yards. The mistake to coach out is a quarterback who pulls it anyway because he wanted to run. ### Can you run the option in flag football? Not in NFL Flag, whose rulebook defines the quarterback as whoever receives the snap and bars him from crossing the line, so there is no keep to threaten. Some other flag rule sets do allow the quarterback to run, and there the pitch version works. Check your own rulebook rather than assuming, because the rule varies more than almost any other. ### Is this the same as a read option or an RPO? It is a read option. An RPO is a run-pass option, where the quarterback reads a second-level defender and either hands off or throws. They look similar at the mesh and are completely different afterwards, and the diagram on this page is deliberately not carrying an RPO marker for that reason. ## Related - [Stop the quarterback running (11v11)](/defense/11v11/stop-the-qb-run) - [Option in 5v5](/plays/5v5/option) - [QB Keep in 11v11](/plays/11v11/qb-keep) - [Wildcat in 11v11](/plays/11v11/wildcat) - [Mesh in 11v11](/plays/11v11/mesh) - [Flood in 11v11](/plays/11v11/flood) - [Draw your own 11v11 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Option in the designer Opens this exact 11v11 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Foption) --- --- title: "What is the QB Keep concept in 11v11 tackle football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/11v11/qb-keep" updated: "2026-09-17" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fqb-keep" --- # What is the QB Keep concept in 11v11 tackle football? In 11v11 football a quarterback keep is the half of the zone read where he pulls the ball and runs it himself, replacing the defender the line deliberately left unblocked. The mesh and the blocking are identical to the give, and the only difference is what the read told him. In NFL Flag the keep does not exist at all, because the man who takes the snap may not cross the line of scrimmage. ## The diagram 11v11 play diagram for QB Keep. 11 offensive players: LT, LG, C, RG, RT, X, Y, TE, Z, QB, RB. LT runs a custom; LG runs a custom; C runs a custom; RG runs a custom; RT runs a custom; TE runs a custom; X runs a custom; Y runs a custom; Z runs a custom; RB runs a dive at 4 yards; QB runs a sweep at 4 yards. QB Keep out of Gun Doubles, drawn for 11v11. The half of the option where the quarterback keeps it. The mesh is identical, the line blocks the same inside zone, and the only difference is that the read told him to pull. He replaces the unblocked end and runs behind the backside guard. It is the play that makes the defense assign somebody to the quarterback, and the moment they do, everything else in the run game gets a man lighter. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fqb-keep ## Why QB Keep works in 11v11 ### It forces the defense to spend a man on the quarterback As long as the quarterback cannot run, a defense can play the run with one fewer body and treat him as a passer only. The moment he keeps it and gains yards, somebody has to be assigned to him, and every other run in the playbook is suddenly facing one less defender. The keep is often worth more for that than for its own yardage. ### The give and the keep are two pages because they are two pictures This site draws the give on the Option page and the keep here. One diagram cannot show both without two black arrows, and a black line means the ball everywhere in this library, so two of them would read as two carriers. Each page draws one unambiguous outcome and points at the other, which is also how a coach installs them: same call, two answers. ### The rule that kills it in NFL Flag is narrower than people quote Its rulebook bars the quarterback from running the ball ACROSS the line of scrimmage, and a sack there is defined as his flags being pulled BEHIND the line, so he is live back there and may move. What he cannot do is gain yards. That distinction is why an NFL Flag quarterback can scramble to buy time and still has no keep in his run game. ### The defense counts the quarterback last Almost every defender is taught to find the ball carrier, and almost none of them expect that to be the man who just handed it off. A keep exploits a habit rather than a weakness, which is why it works against defenses that are otherwise well drilled. ### It is a numbers problem the defense cannot solve A defense that accounts for every eligible receiver and the back has, by definition, nobody left for the quarterback. Making him a runner adds an attacker they have not planned for without adding a player to the field. ### The fake is free The back is going to run somewhere anyway. Sending him into a fake costs nothing that was not already being spent, and it buys the two or three defenders who follow him. Few concepts convert so little effort into so much space. ## How to read it 1. **Sell the handoff with the whole body** The fake has to look like the run it is imitating, including the depth and the direction. A quarterback who turns his shoulders early has told everyone where the ball is before anyone has to guess. 2. **Get depth away from the fake, then flatten** The keep works by arriving outside the defenders who chased the back. Running straight upfield too early puts the quarterback back into the traffic the fake had just cleared. 3. **Read the last defender on that edge** One man decides it. If he has followed the fake, there is nothing outside him. If he has stayed, the quarterback cuts up inside him rather than trying to beat him wide. 4. **Know the yardage you need, and take it** A quarterback running is the least protected player on the field. Getting the first down and getting out is the outcome; hunting a touchdown after the sticks are made is how a good call becomes an expensive one. ## What changes in 11v11 Covered above under "It forces the defense to spend a man on the quarterback", "The give and the keep are two pages because they are two pictures", "The rule that kills it in NFL Flag is narrower than people quote". ## When not to call QB Keep ### It may not be legal at all Whether the quarterback can run is the most variable rule in flag football, and in some rule sets the answer is simply no. This is a concept that has to be checked against a rulebook before it is drawn on a whiteboard. ### It works once or twice, then it is scouted The fake is the play, and a defense only has to be fooled once to start checking the quarterback. Called repeatedly it becomes a slow run by a player who is not usually your best runner. ## FAQ ### Is a quarterback keep the same as a quarterback draw? No. A draw sells a pass first: the line pass-sets, the quarterback drops, and he runs when the rush has cleared. A keep is a run from the start, off a run mesh with a run-blocking line, and it happens immediately. This site has both, and they are called against opposite defensive reactions. ### How do I protect my quarterback on this? Give him a number of carries you have decided in advance and a rule for getting down. The play works because the defense has to account for him, and it keeps working as long as he is available, so a quarterback who runs out of bounds on the fourth carry is worth more than one who fights for the extra yard on the first. ### Can my quarterback keep it in flag football? Not in NFL Flag. Its rulebook defines the quarterback as the player who receives the snap and forbids him from running across the line, and snapping it to somebody else does not help because that player becomes the quarterback for the down. Other flag rule sets differ, so check your own before installing anything built on the keep. ### What if the end never crashes? Then you never keep it, and that is a win. A defensive end who is committed to the quarterback is not playing the run, so the give is being blocked with an extra man. Hand it off until they change, and the moment they do, this call is waiting. ## Related - [Stop the quarterback running (11v11)](/defense/11v11/stop-the-qb-run) - [QB Keep in 5v5](/plays/5v5/qb-keep) - [Wildcat in 11v11](/plays/11v11/wildcat) - [Mesh in 11v11](/plays/11v11/mesh) - [Flood in 11v11](/plays/11v11/flood) - [Four Verticals in 11v11](/plays/11v11/four-verticals) - [Draw your own 11v11 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open QB Keep in the designer Opens this exact 11v11 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fqb-keep) --- --- title: "What is the Wildcat concept in 11v11 tackle football?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/11v11/wildcat" updated: "2026-09-17" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fwildcat" --- # What is the Wildcat concept in 11v11 tackle football? In 11v11 football a wildcat snaps the ball directly to the running back and splits the quarterback out wide, which leaves the defense a man short because the player they were accounting for has nobody to hand to. There is no exchange to time and no mesh to miss. It is legal here and illegal in NFL Flag, where the rulebook defines the quarterback as whoever receives the snap. ## The diagram 11v11 play diagram for Wildcat. 11 offensive players: LT, LG, C, RG, RT, X, Y, TE, Z, QB, RB. LT runs a custom; LG runs a custom; C runs a custom; RG runs a custom; RT runs a custom; TE runs a custom; X runs a custom; Y runs a custom; Z runs a custom; QB runs a custom; RB runs a dive at 5 yards. Wildcat out of Gun Doubles, drawn for 11v11. Snap it straight to the back and the defense is suddenly a man short, because the quarterback they were accounting for is standing on the numbers with nobody to hand to. There is no exchange to time and no mesh to miss. What you give up is everything the quarterback would have threatened, so it is a short-yardage call and a change-up, not a base. Legal here in a way it is not in NFL Flag, where the man taking the snap simply becomes the quarterback. Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fwildcat ## Why Wildcat works in 11v11 ### It buys a blocker, and eleven players is where that matters In a normal formation the quarterback hands off and then does nothing. Snapping straight to the runner removes that wasted man and effectively adds one to the count at the point of attack. Against a defense that has already loaded the box, one extra body is frequently the entire difference on third and one. ### You give up everything the quarterback threatened Split out wide he is a decoy, and everyone knows it. The defense can play the run with impunity, so the wildcat is a short-yardage call and a change-up rather than a base offense. Teams that ran it for a series at a time found it stopped working the moment it became expected, which is the honest history of the play. ### NFL Flag closes exactly this workaround, and it is the second sentence that does it Its rulebook says the quarterback cannot run across the line, then defines the quarterback as the offensive player who receives the snap. So the back taking a direct snap becomes the quarterback for that down and inherits the same ban. The formation is legal there and the run off it is not, which is a distinction worth knowing before you install it. ### It deletes the slowest part of a run Every handoff costs time: the runner has to get to the ball, take it cleanly and then start running. A direct snap puts the football in his hands already pointed downfield. That beat is often the entire margin on a perimeter run, and it is available for free. ### There is no exchange to lose The most common way a run play fails is not a defender making a play, it is a handoff that goes wrong. Removing it removes that failure mode, which makes wildcat unusually reliable for a concept that looks exotic. ### It puts your quarterback somewhere useful Split out, he is a legitimate receiver the defense has to account for, and a defense that ignores him is short a man somewhere else. The formation quietly converts the player who normally touches the ball every down into an extra threat. ## How to read it 1. **Check the snap before anything else** A direct snap to a moving target is the one risk this concept adds. The runner should have his hands ready and his eyes on the ball, and the snapper should have practised the distance before it is used in a game. 2. **Pick the direction before the snap** There is no exchange to disguise intent, so hesitation reads immediately. The runner should know where he is going as the ball is snapped rather than deciding once he has it. 3. **Read the first unaccounted defender** Same as any run: one man decides whether the ball goes inside or outside him, and the runner should have identified which man that is before the play starts. 4. **Get downhill early** The beat that the direct snap saves is spent immediately if the runner drifts. Use it by being at the line sooner than the defense expects. ## What changes in 11v11 Covered above under "It buys a blocker, and eleven players is where that matters", "You give up everything the quarterback threatened", "NFL Flag closes exactly this workaround, and it is the second sentence that does it". ## When not to call Wildcat ### The formation announces itself A defense that sees the quarterback split out knows something unusual is coming and can cheat accordingly. The concept trades surprise about the mechanism for surprise about the timing. ### It costs you the passing game for the down The player who normally throws is no longer in a position to, so most of the offense's route tree is off the table. Unless the runner can genuinely throw, wildcat is a run call the defense can treat as one. ## FAQ ### Is the wildcat legal in flag football? Not in NFL Flag as a run. Its rulebook defines the quarterback as whoever receives the snap, so the back taking a direct snap is the quarterback for that down and may not cross the line of scrimmage. Some other flag rule sets define the position differently, which is exactly why it is worth reading yours rather than assuming the usual workaround applies. ### Where does the quarterback go? Out wide, as a receiver. He is not a threat and the defense knows it, but leaving him in the backfield is worse: he would be a body in the way with no job. Splitting him out at least occupies a defender who has to honour the possibility of a throw from the back, which is legal behind the line. ### Who should take the direct snap? Your best runner, and somebody who can catch a snap cleanly under pressure. The play's advantage is that there is no exchange to fumble, and that advantage evaporates if the snap itself is the risk. Practise it with a live rush before you call it in a game. ### When is the wildcat worth calling? Short yardage, goal line, and as a change-up two or three times a game. It is not a base offense, because it trades your entire passing threat for one extra blocker. The moment a defense starts expecting it, the extra man stops being an advantage and you are running into a loaded box with no answer. ## Related - [Wildcat in 5v5](/plays/5v5/wildcat) - [Mesh in 11v11](/plays/11v11/mesh) - [Flood in 11v11](/plays/11v11/flood) - [Four Verticals in 11v11](/plays/11v11/four-verticals) - [Spot in 11v11](/plays/11v11/spot) - [Draw your own 11v11 plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Wildcat in the designer Opens this exact 11v11 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=11v11%2Fwildcat) --- --- title: "What is the Dive concept in NFL Flag?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/nfl-flag/dive" updated: "2026-09-15" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Fdive" --- # What is the Dive concept in NFL Flag? In NFL Flag a dive costs you something no other format charges. The rulebook says that the moment the ball is handed off, the seven-second pass clock disappears and every defender becomes eligible to rush, instead of the usual maximum of two. So the back has to be through the gap before a defense that is suddenly unlimited can get there. ## The diagram NFL Flag play diagram for Dive. 5 offensive players: C, QB, Y, X, Z. X runs a go at 14 yards; Z runs a go at 14 yards; C runs a dig at 6 yards; Y runs a custom. Dive out of One Back, drawn for NFL Flag. The simplest run in the book: the back takes it downhill through the right gap before the defense has moved. Nothing is trying to trick anybody. It is the play that makes every reverse on the next six pages believable, so install it first and run it until they crowd the middle. Ball: QB → Y. One handoff, at the mesh a yard behind the QB. Source: NFL FLAG 2024 Playbook, HB DIVE (p47). Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Fdive ## Why Dive works in NFL Flag ### Handing off releases the whole defense Before the exchange only two rushers may come, and only from the seven-yard rush line. After it, the rulebook makes every defensive player eligible to rush and removes the pass clock entirely. A dive is therefore a decision to give up the one rule that was protecting you, which is why it works on first sound and fails completely if the back hesitates. ### It is illegal exactly where you want it most The no-run zones sit five yards before midfield and five before the opponent's end zone, and running plays are not allowed in either. Those are the two places a coach reaches for a dive on fourth and one, and each drive approaches both. Know where the ball is before you call it. ### The man snapping it is also a receiver NFL Flag's centre is an eligible receiver, which plain 5v5 does not do, and the rulebook bans the centre sneak outright: the quarterback may not hand off, pitch or lateral to him first. So he can catch a pass but cannot be your short-yardage runner, which is a distinction worth teaching before somebody tries it. ### It is faster to the line than any other call The exchange happens a stride behind the line of scrimmage and the runner is already going forward when he takes it. Nothing else in the run game reaches the line that quickly, which is why a dive can beat a defense that is technically faster than the offense: they simply have not moved yet. ### It punishes a defense that has spread out Every defender who widens to take away the perimeter is a defender standing further from the middle. A team that has been running outside successfully has usually pulled the defense apart, and the dive collects the space that leaves behind without asking anyone to win a footrace. ### It is the easiest run to teach There is one exchange, one direction and no decision. For a young team that is not a small thing: a play with no read is a play that works on the first snap of the season, and it gives a coach something to call while the rest of the run game is still being learned. ## How to read it 1. **Go on the snap, not after it** The dive is a timing play and the timing is immediate. A back who waits to see what the defense does has already lost the only advantage the concept has. 2. **Pick a side of the centre before the snap** Straight ahead means at a gap, not at a man. The runner should know which shoulder he is aiming past before the ball is snapped rather than deciding on the way. 3. **Take the first crease, do not hunt for a better one** Bouncing a dive outside is the most common way it loses yards. The play is built to gain two or three without drama, and a runner looking for six will usually find minus two. 4. **Fall forward** On short yardage the last half yard is the play. Getting the ball past the marker matters more than staying upright, and a runner who is still trying to make someone miss has forgotten what was called. ## What changes in NFL Flag Covered above under "Handing off releases the whole defense", "It is illegal exactly where you want it most", "The man snapping it is also a receiver". ## When not to call Dive ### It is not a first down play on its own A dive gains what the defense is not occupying and no more. Calling it on second and eight is asking a concept built for two yards to produce eight, and it will not, however good the back is. ### It stops working the moment the middle is crowded The dive collects space rather than creating it. Against a defense that has stacked the middle there is no space to collect, and the answer is to make them spread out again rather than to run it harder. ## FAQ ### Why does a run feel riskier in NFL Flag than in other flag formats? Because the rulebook says it is. Handing the ball off eliminates the seven-second pass clock and makes every defensive player eligible to rush, where before only two could come and only from the seven-yard line. No other format on this site trades the rush cap for a handoff, and it is the main reason NFL Flag teams run less than their 5v5 counterparts. ### Can I run a dive on the goal line in NFL Flag? No. The five yards before the opponent's end zone is a no-run zone and running plays are not allowed there at all. The same applies to the five yards before midfield when you are going for a first down. Each drive meets both, so a goal-line package built on a dive will be unusable at exactly the moment you need it. ### Can the back throw it after he takes the handoff? Yes, from behind the line of scrimmage. The rulebook states that any player who receives a handoff, backward pass, pitch or lateral can throw the ball from behind the line. That makes every run in this format a potential pass, and it is the mechanism the install's HB Option play is built on. ## Related - [Dive in 5v5](/plays/5v5/dive) - [Dive in 11v11](/plays/11v11/dive) - [Reverse in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/reverse) - [Sweep in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/sweep) - [Toss in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/toss) - [Jet Sweep in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/jet-sweep) - [Draw your own NFL Flag plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Dive in the designer Opens this exact NFL Flag diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Fdive) --- --- title: "What is the Reverse concept in NFL Flag?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/nfl-flag/reverse" updated: "2026-09-15" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Freverse" --- # What is the Reverse concept in NFL Flag? The reverse is the concept NFL Flag's own playbook believes in most: four of its nine runs are this one idea, escalating from a single reverse to a fake triple. The trade is in the rulebook. Every handoff, pitch or lateral eliminates the pass clock and makes every defender eligible to rush, so each exchange buys deception and sells protection. ## The diagram NFL Flag play diagram for Reverse. 5 offensive players: X, C, QB, Y, Z. X runs a go at 14 yards; Y runs a go at 14 yards; C runs a corner at 4 yards; QB runs a custom; Z runs a custom. Reverse out of Four Across, drawn for NFL Flag. The quarterback drops straight back and gives it to Z coming the other way, and the whole thing lives or dies on the drop selling a pass for half a second. Z has the entire back side of the field to run to. Call it after the dive and the end around have made them start guessing. Ball: QB drops, hands to Z crossing behind him. One exchange. Source: NFL FLAG 2024 Playbook, REVERSE (p50). Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Freverse ## Why Reverse works in NFL Flag ### The governing body teaches four versions of it Reverse, Double Reverse, Fake Double Reverse and Fake Triple Reverse run consecutively through the official install. No other concept in that playbook gets more than one page. That is not a drafting accident: with a narrow field and a defense that cannot send more than two rushers until you hand off, misdirection is the cheapest yardage available. ### Every exchange releases more of the defense The rulebook eliminates the seven-second clock and frees every defender to rush the moment a handoff or lateral happens. A single reverse pays that once. A double reverse has already paid it before the second exchange, so the deception has to be worth an unlimited rush arriving while the ball is still behind the line. ### The fakes exist because the real ones get scouted Two of the four versions never hand it on at all. That progression is the install telling you the concept has a shelf life: run the reverse, run the double, then run the play that looks identical and keeps it. A team that only owns the first version gets one good gain and then nothing. ### The first run has to be believed, so it is a real run Unlike a fake, the first carrier genuinely has the football and could keep it. Defenders are not reacting to a mime; they are reacting to a ball carrier, and that is a far harder thing to ignore. The deception costs nothing extra because the first half of the play was going to be a play anyway. ### It turns the defense's whole body the wrong way Pursuit is not just direction, it is momentum. A defender who has taken four hard steps toward the sideline cannot simply change his mind; he has to decelerate, turn and rebuild speed. The reverse collects all of that, which is why the yardage tends to be large rather than incremental. ### It works better with fewer defenders, not worse A defense with plenty of bodies can leave one home as insurance and still chase with the rest. A defense without that luxury has to commit everyone to the first direction or give up the first run, which means there is often nobody at all on the backside when the ball comes back. ## How to read it 1. **The first carrier runs it like he is keeping it** Full speed, eyes upfield, aiming point honoured. A first carrier who is visibly waiting to give it away has told the defense what is coming before the second exchange happens. 2. **The second carrier runs to the handoff, not to the spot** He should arrive at the exchange already at speed and going the way he intends to finish. Arriving early and waiting is how a reverse turns into two players standing still in the backfield. 3. **Exchange where the paths cross, not where the drill says** The handoff happens at the point the two runners actually meet, and both should have that point in their heads before the snap. Guessing it in live traffic is the most common way the ball ends up on the ground. 4. **Once you have it, go** The second carrier's advantage is temporary and measured in a second or two. Any hesitation after the exchange lets the pursuit he just beat finish turning around. ## What changes in NFL Flag Covered above under "The governing body teaches four versions of it", "Every exchange releases more of the defense", "The fakes exist because the real ones get scouted". ## When not to call Reverse ### Two exchanges is two chances to lose it Every handoff is a moment where the football belongs to nobody. A reverse doubles that, in open space, usually while both players are moving in opposite directions. It is the highest-variance run in most playbooks for exactly this reason. ### It is a once-a-game call The concept spends a defense's willingness to pursue, and a defense only has to be burned once to stop spending it. Run it twice in a half and the second one meets a backside defender who has been standing still watching for it. ## FAQ ### Why are there four reverses in the NFL Flag playbook? Because the format rewards misdirection more than it rewards anything else, and because one version is not enough. Pages 50 to 53 run Reverse, Double Reverse, Fake Double Reverse and Fake Triple Reverse consecutively. The last two are the answer to a defense that has learned the first two, and they are why the series keeps producing after the surprise is gone. ### Does each handoff really release every rusher? Yes. The rulebook is explicit: once the ball has been handed off, pitched or lateralled, the seven-second passing clock is eliminated and all defensive players are eligible to rush. Before that, a maximum of two may come and only from the seven-yard rush line. On a double reverse you have given that up early and the ball is still behind the line. ### Can you run a reverse in a no-run zone? No. The five yards before midfield and the five before the opponent's end zone are no-run zones where running plays are not permitted, and a reverse is a running play however many times the ball changes hands. Each drive approaches both zones, so know where the ball is spotted before the call goes in. ## Related - [Reverse in 5v5](/plays/5v5/reverse) - [Reverse in 11v11](/plays/11v11/reverse) - [Sweep in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/sweep) - [Toss in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/toss) - [Jet Sweep in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/jet-sweep) - [Counter in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/counter) - [Draw your own NFL Flag plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Reverse in the designer Opens this exact NFL Flag diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Freverse) --- --- title: "What is the Sweep concept in NFL Flag?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/nfl-flag/sweep" updated: "2026-09-17" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Fsweep" --- # What is the Sweep concept in NFL Flag? In NFL Flag a sweep is won entirely before the ball crosses the line, because the rulebook stops your other players helping after it does. Any offensive player near the carrier must halt once he crosses, so the three men not carrying it have one job: run their defenders away from the corner early. The centre is one of those three, which is a man plain 5v5 does not have. ## The diagram NFL Flag play diagram for Sweep. 5 offensive players: C, QB, Y, X, Z. X runs a go at 14 yards; Z runs a go at 14 yards; C runs a dig at 6 yards; Y runs a custom. Sweep out of One Back, drawn for NFL Flag. The simplest way to get outside: one back, one handoff, and a footrace to the corner. Nobody is blocking for him and nobody may, so the two receivers run straight up the field to drag their defenders away from the edge he is aiming at. Run it at the side with one defender rather than at your own strength. Ball: QB → Y, handed off a yard and a half to the right of the quarterback. Source: drawn for RC Football against NFL FLAG's 2025 Official Playing Rules, section X (Running Game). Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Fsweep ## Why Sweep works in NFL Flag ### Your teammates must stop once he crosses the line Section X rule 9 says offensive players in close proximity to the ball carrier have to stop their motion once the ball has crossed the line of scrimmage, and spells out that there is no running with the ball carrier. Everywhere else a sweep is helped by bodies arriving with the back. Here that help is a penalty, so every yard your receivers are worth has to be earned in the first two seconds. ### You have a fourth man to send away, and he snaps the ball The fifth player in NFL Flag is a centre who is an eligible receiver on every down, where plain 5v5 uses a running back and has no centre at all. On a sweep that is one more defender you can drag to the wrong side of the field. Send him against the run, not with it, and the edge you are attacking has one fewer body in it. ### Screening is banned by name, not just blocking Rule 8 reads no blocking or screening is allowed at any time, and naming the screen matters because standing in a defender's path is the workaround coaches reach for when they are told they cannot block. In this format it is the same foul. A receiver who drifts back toward the ball to get in somebody's way has cost you five yards rather than bought you two. ### It attacks the one defender who cannot be replaced Every defense has somebody responsible for the edge. Inside runs meet a front that can shuffle and fill for each other, but the man setting the perimeter has nobody behind him to cover a mistake. A sweep asks that single defender to be right immediately, and if he takes one step inside the runner is already past the only player who could have stopped him. ### Speed is the only thing it needs to work There is no timing, no read that has to be correct and no route that has to be run at a depth. A sweep fails when the back is slow to the corner and works when he is not, which makes it the most reliable call a team has before it is good at anything else. It is also why it survives every level of football rather than being coached out. ### It makes everything that looks like it more dangerous A defense that has been beaten around the edge starts flowing at the first sign of sideways movement, and flow is what counter, reverse and end around are built to punish. The sweep is the setup call for half the run game, so its value is not only the yards it gains but the yards the next three calls gain because of it. ## How to read it 1. **Take the ball moving, not standing** The back should already be going sideways when the exchange happens. A back who catches the ball flat-footed and then turns has given the edge defender the half second he needs, and no amount of speed afterwards buys it back. 2. **Read the edge defender, not the sideline** The decision is about one man. If he widens with the runner, the ball cuts up inside him. If he sits or crashes inside, the runner keeps stretching and beats him to the corner. Running at the sideline regardless of what he does is the most common way a sweep loses yards. 3. **Get to the line of scrimmage, then turn** Yards come from getting square. A back who runs parallel to the line looking for more room is running away from the first down and into pursuit that has had time to arrive. 4. **Take what is there rather than the whole corner** A sweep that gains four is a good sweep. Bouncing a run that has already been walled off, in search of the edge that is no longer available, is how a four yard gain becomes a loss of six. ## What changes in NFL Flag Covered above under "Your teammates must stop once he crosses the line", "You have a fourth man to send away, and he snaps the ball", "Screening is banned by name, not just blocking". ## When not to call Sweep ### It does not answer a fast defense that has seen it The counter to a sweep is speed and discipline on the edge, and any defense gets both eventually. Once the perimeter player stops guessing, the sweep stops producing, and the answer is the misdirection it set up rather than running it harder. ### It is a bad call when you need a yard Every step sideways is a step not forward, and the play is not over until the runner turns upfield. On third and one that is a long time to hold the ball behind the line of scrimmage with nobody blocked, which is why short yardage belongs to something downhill. ## FAQ ### Can my receivers run with the ball carrier on a sweep in NFL Flag? No. The rulebook requires any offensive player close to the carrier to stop moving once the ball crosses the line of scrimmage, and states plainly that there is no running with the ball carrier. This is one of the clearest differences between NFL Flag and other flag rule sets, and it is why the clear-out routes matter so much more here than the pursuit does. ### Can the centre carry the ball on a sweep? He cannot be handed it. Rule 3 bans the centre sneak outright and says the quarterback may not hand off, pitch or lateral to the centre first. He is a fully eligible receiver and may catch a pass all day, but he is never your sweep back. Use him as the extra man you send away from the run instead. ### Is a sweep legal near the goal line in NFL Flag? No, and this is the trap. NFL Flag uses no-run zones five yards out from the goal line and five yards either side of midfield, and each drive approaches two of them. Those are exactly the spots where a coach reaches for the sweep, so check where the ball is before you call it or you will lose the down. ### What do I call when the sweep stops getting outside? The jet sweep first, because it gets the ball moving before the exchange rather than after it, and then the counter off that same motion once the defense starts chasing it. A sweep that is being strung out has taught the edge defender to run, and both of those are built to make him wrong for doing it. ## Related - [Stop the sweep (5v5)](/defense/5v5/stop-the-sweep) - [Sweep in 5v5](/plays/5v5/sweep) - [Sweep in 11v11](/plays/11v11/sweep) - [Toss in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/toss) - [Jet Sweep in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/jet-sweep) - [Counter in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/counter) - [End Around in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/end-around) - [Draw your own NFL Flag plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Sweep in the designer Opens this exact NFL Flag diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Fsweep) --- --- title: "What is the Toss concept in NFL Flag?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/nfl-flag/toss" updated: "2026-09-17" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Ftoss" --- # What is the Toss concept in NFL Flag? In NFL Flag a toss is much safer than the same call in tackle football, because a dropped pitch is not a turnover. The rulebook makes the ball dead where it hits the ground, so the worst case is a loss of yards rather than a loss of possession. That is what makes it callable with young players, and it buys the back two yards of width over a handoff. ## The diagram NFL Flag play diagram for Toss. 5 offensive players: C, QB, Y, X, Z. X runs a go at 14 yards; Z runs a go at 14 yards; C runs a dig at 6 yards; Y runs a custom. Toss out of Offset Back, drawn for NFL Flag. The same idea as the sweep with the exchange thrown instead of handed, which buys the back two yards of width and costs a moment of risk. He starts offset to the run side and is already moving when it arrives. Pitch it flat and slightly behind him so he can catch it going forward rather than reaching back. Ball: QB → Y, pitched backward through the air. No mesh: the ball is never in two hands at once. Source: drawn for RC Football against NFL FLAG's 2025 Official Playing Rules, section X (Running Game). Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Ftoss ## Why Toss works in NFL Flag ### A dropped pitch is a dead ball, not a fumble The rulebook lists the ball hitting the ground as a way the play ends, and says that when it happens from a snap, backward pitch or lateral, the ball is placed where it landed. There is no loose ball and nothing for the defense to pick up. A toss in tackle football risks the drive; a toss here risks about four yards, which is a completely different decision. ### It has to leave your hand behind the line Handoffs, pitches and laterals are permitted behind the line of scrimmage only. If the exchange happens after the carrier has crossed it, the officials blow the play dead and spot the ball where possession was lost. On a toss that means the quarterback cannot drift forward while he waits for the back to get width, which is the most common way this play goes wrong. ### The back can still throw it Rule 3 says any player who receives a handoff, backward pass, pitch or lateral may throw the ball from behind the line of scrimmage. So the man who catches your toss is a passer, and the halfback pass off this exact look is live. It also means the defense cannot simply commit everybody to the edge the moment the ball is in the air. ### The ball beats the defense to the edge A handoff travels at the speed of the back, and the back has to run to where the quarterback is before he can run to where he is going. A pitch skips that entirely and arrives already outside, so the runner spends none of his head start closing the distance to the football. Against a defense that flows fast, that is often the whole margin. ### It widens the runner's choices Catching the ball three yards wider means the edge defender has to decide sooner and from further away. A defender forced into an early decision is a defender who can be wrong, and the runner can still cut back inside him because he has not yet committed his own path to the sideline. ### It is the same teach as the sweep for everyone else Only the exchange changes. The runner's read, the aiming point and every other player's job are identical, which means a team that has installed one has effectively installed both. Very few concepts in a run game cost that little to add. ## How to read it 1. **Catch it first, then look** The one failure mode a handoff does not have is a ball on the ground. The runner's eyes belong on the football until it is secured, and the read he would otherwise be making can wait the half second that takes. 2. **Keep running while you catch** A toss caught standing still has given back the exact advantage it exists to create. The runner should be moving toward the sideline before the ball leaves the quarterback's hands. 3. **Read the edge defender on the move** Same decision as a sweep and the same answer: if he widens, cut up inside him; if he sits, keep stretching. The difference is only that the runner is making it from further outside and with more time. 4. **Turn upfield at the first clean crease** The extra width is a head start, not a licence to keep running sideways. Yards still come from getting square, and a runner who drifts to the boundary with it has spent the half second he was given. ## What changes in NFL Flag Covered above under "A dropped pitch is a dead ball, not a fumble", "It has to leave your hand behind the line", "The back can still throw it". ## When not to call Toss ### It puts the ball on the ground in a way a handoff does not A pitch is a live ball in the air with nobody blocking anyone, and a dropped one is a fumble at your own numbers rather than an incompletion. The advantage is real but small, and it is not worth having with a young or nervous exchange. ### It cannot be run to the short side in traffic The pitch needs room behind the line to travel, so a toss into a boundary or a defense already crowding that edge finishes before it starts. A handoff can still be run into a crowd and lose two; a toss into one is a recipe for losing the football. ## FAQ ### What happens if we drop the pitch in NFL Flag? The play is dead and the ball is spotted where it hit the ground. It is not a fumble and the defense cannot recover it. You lose the down and whatever yards the ball travelled backward, which is why a toss is far more callable in NFL Flag than the same play in tackle football where a dropped pitch is a live ball. ### Is a toss a forward pass in NFL Flag? No, and it must not become one. A toss is a backward pass, which is why it is governed by the running rules rather than the passing ones. Pitch it flat or slightly behind the back. A pitch that travels forward is a forward pass, and a second forward pass or one thrown past the line carries a five yard penalty and loss of down. ### Can we toss it in the no-run zone? No. A toss is a running play, and running plays are not allowed in the no-run zones that sit five yards from midfield and five yards from the goal line. Each drive approaches two of them. The pitch being in the air does not make it a pass, so this is one of the calls you have to take off the sheet in those areas. ### Toss or handoff for young players? Handoff first, then toss once they can catch it moving. The toss buys real width and the downside is genuinely small in this format, but a back who has to stop and gather the pitch has given back more than the width was worth. Walk the exchange at half speed before anyone runs it live. ## Related - [Stop the sweep (5v5)](/defense/5v5/stop-the-sweep) - [Toss in 5v5](/plays/5v5/toss) - [Jet Sweep in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/jet-sweep) - [Counter in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/counter) - [End Around in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/end-around) - [Mesh in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/mesh) - [Draw your own NFL Flag plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Toss in the designer Opens this exact NFL Flag diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Ftoss) --- --- title: "What is the Jet Sweep concept in NFL Flag?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/nfl-flag/jet-sweep" updated: "2026-09-17" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Fjet-sweep" --- # What is the Jet Sweep concept in NFL Flag? In NFL Flag a jet sweep is a timing play with three legality conditions attached to the motion alone. Only one player may be moving at the snap, he has to be off the line of scrimmage, and his path must be parallel to the line or backward. Get those right and the handoff still has to be completed behind the line, or the officials blow it dead where possession was lost. ## The diagram NFL Flag play diagram for Jet Sweep. 5 offensive players: C, QB, Y, X, Z. X runs a go at 14 yards; C runs a corner at 6 yards; Y runs a custom; Z runs a custom. Jet Sweep out of Jet Motion, drawn for NFL Flag. Z is already at top speed when he gets it, which is the entire play. He starts wide right and runs flat behind the line; the quarterback shows the ball to Y going right, then turns and gives it to Z going left. If the motion does not start early enough for him to be moving fast at the exchange, run the sweep instead. Ball: QB → Z, taken at full speed just left of the quarterback. Y fakes the other way. Source: drawn for RC Football against NFL FLAG's 2025 Official Playing Rules, section X (Running Game). Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Fjet-sweep ## Why Jet Sweep works in NFL Flag ### The motion itself is three separate rules Exactly one player may be in motion when the ball is snapped, that player must have lined up off the line of scrimmage, and his motion has to be parallel or backward to the line at the snap. Any of the three broken is illegal motion, five yards and loss of down. Most formats let you motion a man off the line without thinking about it, and here it is the difference between the play and a penalty. ### The exchange must finish behind the line Handoffs are permitted behind the line of scrimmage only, and the rulebook says that if the exchange happens after the ball carrier has crossed it, the play is blown dead and the ball spotted where possession was lost. A jet is fast and flat by design, so the quarterback has to give it early rather than ride it. A late jet handoff does not gain a yard, it loses several. ### There is nobody to run interference, before or after Blocking and screening are both banned by name, and once the ball crosses the line any offensive player near the carrier has to stop moving entirely. So the speed is the whole play. The receivers and the centre clear their defenders out early and then genuinely do nothing, which is a strange thing to coach and the correct thing to coach here. ### Speed at the exchange is worth more than speed after it A back taking a normal handoff has to build up to full pace after he has the football, and the edge defender is building up at the same time. A receiver in motion is already there. That head start is the whole play and it is available before the ball has even been snapped. ### The motion moves the defense before the snap Defenders have to account for a man crossing the formation, so many of them shift with him. Whatever they do in response is information, and doing nothing is its own answer: a defense that ignores jet motion has conceded the edge before the play starts. ### Everything can be run off it Because the motion forces a reaction, the same look sells a handoff inside, a keeper the other way and a throw behind the motion. The jet sweep is less a play than a starting position, and teams that run it well end up with a package rather than a call. ## How to read it 1. **Time the motion to the snap, not the other way round** The receiver should be passing the quarterback as the ball arrives. Too early and he is standing still again; too late and there is no exchange. This is the single thing to rehearse before the play is ever called live. 2. **Take it without changing stride** The advantage is the speed he already has. A receiver who slows to secure the football has converted a jet sweep into a slow sweep, and there was no reason to run the motion at all. 3. **Read the edge on the run** Same decision as any perimeter run and less time to make it. If the edge defender has widened with the motion, cut up inside him; if he has stayed inside, keep going and beat him to the corner. 4. **Get upfield the moment the edge is turned** The head start is worth about a second. Spending it running parallel to the line gives the pursuit exactly the time it needs to make up the ground the motion bought. ## What changes in NFL Flag Covered above under "The motion itself is three separate rules", "The exchange must finish behind the line", "There is nobody to run interference, before or after". ## When not to call Jet Sweep ### The exchange is the fragile part A handoff between two players moving at different speeds in different directions is genuinely hard, and a missed one is a loose football behind the line. This is the concept that most rewards walking it through slowly before running it fast. ### It tells the defense where the ball is going Motion is visible. Run as a straight call often enough, the defense simply follows the motion man and the edge closes early. The counters off it matter more here than on almost any other run. ## FAQ ### Can I motion two players on a jet sweep in NFL Flag? No. The rulebook allows exactly one player in motion when the ball is snapped, and more than one person moving is specifically listed as illegal motion at five yards and loss of down. If you want a shift as well, the offense may shift at any time, but every player has to reset and be set for one full second before the snap. ### Where does my jet motion player have to line up? Off the line of scrimmage. The rulebook is explicit that the man in motion must be in motion and off the line when the ball is snapped, so a receiver walked up onto the line cannot be your jet man. Line him a yard or two back. This is the single easiest way to give away five yards on this play. ### Can the motion be angled forward? Not at the snap. All motion must be parallel to the line of scrimmage or backward at the moment the ball is snapped. Jet motion is naturally flat, so this is usually satisfied, but a receiver who starts to turn upfield early because he is anticipating the handoff has made it illegal. ### Jet sweep or sweep in NFL Flag? The jet, whenever your motion man is genuinely fast, because he is already at speed when he takes it and a sweep back is not. The plain sweep is the safer call for young players and the one to install first: it has no motion rules to get wrong and the exchange happens standing still relative to the quarterback. ## Related - [Stop the sweep (5v5)](/defense/5v5/stop-the-sweep) - [Jet Sweep in 5v5](/plays/5v5/jet-sweep) - [Jet Sweep in 11v11](/plays/11v11/jet-sweep) - [Counter in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/counter) - [End Around in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/end-around) - [Mesh in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/mesh) - [Flood in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/flood) - [Draw your own NFL Flag plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Jet Sweep in the designer Opens this exact NFL Flag diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Fjet-sweep) --- --- title: "What is the Counter concept in NFL Flag?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/nfl-flag/counter" updated: "2026-09-17" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Fcounter" --- # What is the Counter concept in NFL Flag? In NFL Flag a counter has to give the ball to somebody, because the rulebook defines the quarterback as whoever receives the snap and forbids him from running across the line. Your misdirection cannot end in a keep, and snapping it to a different player does not help since he becomes the quarterback for that down. So the fake goes one way and a real handoff goes the other. ## The diagram NFL Flag play diagram for Counter. 5 offensive players: C, QB, Y, X, Z. X runs a go at 14 yards; C runs a dig at 6 yards; Z runs a custom; Y runs a custom. Counter out of Jet Motion, drawn for NFL Flag. The answer to a defense that has started chasing the jet. Z runs the same motion he does on the jet sweep and gets nothing; the ball goes back the other way to the one back. It only works after the jet has actually hurt them, so call it second, and call it on the drive after they start flying to the motion. Ball: QB → Y, going right, after showing the ball to Z going left. Source: drawn for RC Football against NFL FLAG's 2025 Official Playing Rules, section X (Running Game). Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Fcounter ## Why Counter works in NFL Flag ### The quarterback is a role, not a position The rulebook says the quarterback cannot run across the line of scrimmage and then defines the quarterback as the offensive player who receives the snap, in shotgun or under centre. Every other format lets you build misdirection that ends with the snap taker keeping it. Here that player is barred from crossing no matter what you call him, which removes the keep, the quarterback draw and the wildcat in one sentence. ### Run it off the jet, or it is not a counter Misdirection only pays once the defense has committed to something, and the thing they commit to in this format is motion. The counter uses the identical jet motion and gives the ball back the other way, which means it is worthless on the first drive and dangerous on the third. Call the jet sweep until they start flying to it, then call this. ### The no-run zones punish this call specifically Running plays are illegal five yards from midfield and five yards from the goal line, and each drive approaches both. A counter is a play you want in exactly those spots, because it is the one that gets you three yards when they are expecting three yards. Knowing where the ball is before you call it matters more on this play than on any other run you own. ### Misdirection is free It costs no extra player, no blocking scheme and no rule. The only thing it spends is a defense that has been coached to flow to the football, which is every defense that has been coached at all. That makes counter one of the highest-return calls available to a team with no other advantages. ### It is paid for by the runs you already called A counter against a defense that has never seen your sweep gains nothing, because nobody is flowing anywhere yet. Against one that has been chasing it all afternoon it gains the whole backside. The play is a withdrawal from an account the rest of the run game has been paying into. ### It punishes the defense's best players first The defenders who react hardest to the first step are the aggressive ones, which are usually the fastest and the most disciplined about pursuit. A counter turns their strongest instinct against them, and it removes them from the play more completely than any block could. ## How to read it 1. **Sell the first step** One hard step in the wrong direction, with the eyes and shoulders going too. A counter run at three quarter speed in the first direction fools nobody and has simply taken the runner further from where he is going. 2. **Plant and go, do not drift** The change of direction has to be a plant rather than a curve. A rounded counter gives the defense the time it needs to stop and redirect, which is exactly what the concept is trying to deny them. 3. **Read the backside defender** The man who did not chase is the whole play. If he stayed home the runner cuts up inside him; if he flowed with everyone else there is nothing between the runner and the sideline. 4. **Get north once the edge is turned** The counter has already spent its deception. Continuing to run sideways after the redirect just lets the pursuit it beat catch back up. ## What changes in NFL Flag Covered above under "The quarterback is a role, not a position", "Run it off the jet, or it is not a counter", "The no-run zones punish this call specifically". ## When not to call Counter ### It does not work as an opener Called first, before anything has established flow, a counter is a slower version of the run it is countering. It needs the defense to have a habit before it can punish one. ### It is slow, and slow is expensive when nobody blocks Two changes of direction take time, and against a disciplined defense that stays home the play arrives late with the runner still behind the line. It gains a lot or loses several, rarely two. ## FAQ ### Can the quarterback keep it on a counter in NFL Flag? No. The rulebook bars the quarterback from running the ball across the line of scrimmage, and defines the quarterback as whoever receives the snap. He is live behind the line and may move there, since a sack is defined as his flags being pulled behind the line, but he cannot gain yards running. The ball has to go to somebody else. ### Can we snap it directly to the running back instead? You can, but it does not achieve what you want. The rulebook defines the quarterback as the player who receives the snap, so a back taking a direct snap becomes the quarterback for that down and inherits the same ban on crossing the line. This is why the wildcat, which is the standard workaround in other leagues, does not exist as a run in NFL Flag. ### How many players can move before the snap on a counter? One in motion at the snap, and he must be off the line and moving parallel to it or backward. Players may shift positions at any time before that, but everyone has to reset and be set for a full second before the ball is snapped. More than one person moving at the snap is illegal motion, five yards and loss of down. ### When should I install the counter? After the jet sweep is working and not before. The counter is entirely parasitic on a defense that has learned to chase motion, so running it early teaches them nothing and gains nothing. Two or three jet sweeps that hurt them is the setup, and then this is the call on the drive where they start overrunning it. ## Related - [Counter in 5v5](/plays/5v5/counter) - [Counter in 11v11](/plays/11v11/counter) - [End Around in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/end-around) - [Mesh in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/mesh) - [Flood in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/flood) - [Spot in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/spot) - [Draw your own NFL Flag plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Counter in the designer Opens this exact NFL Flag diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Fcounter) --- --- title: "What is the End Around concept in NFL Flag?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/nfl-flag/end-around" updated: "2026-09-15" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Fend-around" --- # What is the End Around concept in NFL Flag? In NFL Flag the end around is the reverse you can afford. It hands off once rather than twice, and the rulebook charges for handoffs in a way no other format does: each one eliminates the pass clock and makes every defender eligible to rush instead of the usual two. One exchange, one payment, and the ball is going the other way. ## The diagram NFL Flag play diagram for End Around. 5 offensive players: C, QB, X, Y, Z. X runs a go at 14 yards; Y runs a go at 14 yards; C runs a corner at 6 yards; Z runs a custom. End Around out of Four Across, drawn for NFL Flag. Z starts wide right, runs flat behind the line and takes it going left with a full head of steam. No back is involved at all, which is what separates it from the reverse two pages later. There is no misdirection, just a receiver who is already moving when he gets it. Best against a defense that has stopped respecting the edge. Ball: QB → Z, taken on the run as he passes behind the quarterback. Source: NFL FLAG 2024 Playbook, END AROUND (p49). Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Fend-around ## Why End Around works in NFL Flag ### Exchanges are expensive here, and this one has half as many The rulebook frees the entire defense to rush the moment the ball is handed off, where before only two could come from the seven-yard line. A reverse pays that price and then keeps developing behind the line for a second exchange. An end around pays once and the receiver is already going somewhere with it. ### It sits between the dive and the reverse in the install NFL FLAG's own playbook puts End Around on page 49, immediately after the two downhill plays and immediately before the four-page reverse series. That order is a teaching sequence rather than a table of contents: the dive makes the defense honour the middle, the end around punishes the flow, and the reverses punish the defense that has learned the end around. ### The receiver who takes it can still throw Any player who receives a handoff may throw from behind the line of scrimmage, which the rulebook states plainly. So the end around is not only a run: a receiver who gets to the edge and finds it closed has a legal pass available, and a defense that has not accounted for that is defending half the play. ### One exchange is the whole advantage Every handoff is a moment when the ball belongs to nobody. Taking one of them out halves the risk and shortens the play by roughly a second, and against a defense that recovers quickly that second is often the difference between a big gain and a runner caught from behind. ### The receiver is already moving when he gets it He has run behind the formation to arrive, so he takes the ball at speed and pointed where he intends to go. That is a better starting position than most runs offer, and it is why an end around frequently turns the corner before the defense has finished reading it. ### The fake costs one player and buys the whole backside The back sells a run in the other direction with nothing in his hands. He is not blocking anyone and could not, so his entire contribution is the picture he paints, and if he paints it well the defenders chasing him are out of the play without anybody touching them. ## How to read it 1. **The receiver leaves early enough to arrive at speed** He should be moving before the snap or immediately on it. An end around where the receiver is still accelerating at the exchange has given up the one thing that makes it better than a reverse. 2. **The back fakes it like he has it** Eyes down, shoulders square, full speed for four or five steps. A visible fake is not a fake, and the defenders it was meant to hold will simply look past him at the receiver. 3. **Take it flat, then get north** The receiver runs behind the line to gather it, but the yards are upfield. A runner who keeps arcing toward the sideline is running into the pursuit rather than away from it. 4. **Beat the edge, do not beat everybody** The end around is a play to the perimeter. Once the edge is turned, taking what is in front is the right outcome; cutting back across the field to look for more usually finds the defenders the fake had already removed. ## What changes in NFL Flag Covered above under "Exchanges are expensive here, and this one has half as many", "It sits between the dive and the reverse in the install", "The receiver who takes it can still throw". ## When not to call End Around ### It shows itself earlier than a reverse The receiver has to start moving before the ball does, so an alert defense sees the shape of it coming. A reverse hides behind a genuine run for longer, which is the trade: the end around is safer and less deceptive. ### It puts your fastest player in the backfield The receiver running it is usually the one you would otherwise have threatening deep, and while he is gathering a handoff behind the line he is not stretching anybody. Called too often it quietly removes your best player from the passing game. ## FAQ ### End around or reverse in NFL Flag? End around first, and the reason is stronger here than in other formats. Both beat the same over-pursuit, but every exchange in NFL Flag eliminates the pass clock and releases every defender to rush rather than the usual two. A reverse pays that toll and then keeps developing behind the line for a second handoff. Add the reverses once the end around has made the defense flow. ### Can the receiver throw the ball on an end around? Yes, as long as he is behind the line of scrimmage when he releases it. The rulebook allows any player who receives a handoff, backward pass, pitch or lateral to throw from behind the line. It is worth installing as a tag on this play once your team can run it cleanly, because the defense has to honour it after they have seen it once. ### Where can I not call it? The two no-run zones, five yards before midfield and five before the opponent's end zone. Running plays are not allowed in either and each drive approaches both. An end around that would have scored from the eight cannot be called from the four. ## Related - [End Around in 5v5](/plays/5v5/end-around) - [End Around in 11v11](/plays/11v11/end-around) - [Mesh in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/mesh) - [Flood in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/flood) - [Spot in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/spot) - [Smash in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/smash) - [Draw your own NFL Flag plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open End Around in the designer Opens this exact NFL Flag diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Fend-around) --- --- title: "What is the Mesh concept in NFL Flag?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/nfl-flag/mesh" updated: "2026-09-16" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Fmesh" --- # What is the Mesh concept in NFL Flag? In NFL Flag the centre is an eligible receiver, and on Mesh he is one of the two crossers: he runs a drag at five yards while X crosses under him at four. Plain 5v5 puts a running back in that spot and cannot do this. It is the fastest concept in the book, which matters when you have seven seconds to throw. ## The diagram NFL Flag play diagram for Mesh. 5 offensive players: C, QB, Y, X, Z. C runs a drag at 5 yards; X runs a drag at 4 yards; Z runs a dig at 11 yards; Y runs a wheel at 12 yards. Mesh out of Single Back, drawn for NFL Flag. The centre and X cross underneath at five yards, close enough to rub off any defender trying to chase through, while Z digs in behind them at eleven and the back wheels up the right sideline. Every level of the defense has something at it and the two crossers are running away from each other, so man coverage has to make a decision at the mesh point. The staple of the install and the first thing to teach. Source: NFL FLAG 2024 Playbook, Single Back Play 3 (p9). Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Fmesh ## Why Mesh works in NFL Flag ### The man who snaps it is in the mesh NFL Flag's centre is eligible, so he is not a placeholder who hands it off and watches. Here he runs one of the two crossing routes himself, which means the traffic at the mesh point happens right over the ball rather than out in space. Plain 5v5 fields a running back in that spot and simply cannot run this version of the concept. ### Seven seconds is the whole argument for calling it The pass clock gives you seven seconds from the snap, and a crosser at four yards is available in about two. Mesh is the concept that beats the clock rather than fighting it, which is why it belongs early in an install here and why deeper concepts belong later, when your quarterback has learned to get rid of it. ### You still have the rush cap, and that is the point At most two defenders may rush, and only from seven yards back. Every run page in this format is about giving that protection up the moment you hand off. On a pass you keep it, so the quarterback genuinely has time to let the crossers work, which is the trade a coach should be making consciously rather than by default. ### The rub is legal because nobody blocks anybody Two receivers running legitimate routes that happen to intersect is not a pick. The separation comes from the defenders colliding with each other while chasing, which is why the depths matter more than anything else in the concept: a yard apart and the traffic is real, three yards apart and the defenders simply run under it. ### It answers man and zone with the same call Against man the crossers rub free. Against zone they do not, but they run through every underneath window in sequence, so the quarterback throws the first one that sits down in space. A concept that beats both coverages is a concept you can call without knowing what you are looking at, which is most of what a youth coach needs. ### It is the safest blitz answer in the passing game Both crossers break inside almost immediately and stay on the move, so the ball comes out fast and to a receiver already running away from the pressure. That makes Mesh the call when the defense has been sending everybody and the quarterback has stopped wanting to hold the ball. ## How to read it 1. **Check the deep defender before the snap** If the deepest defender is head-up over the middle, the clear-out route will hold him and the crossers work. If there are two deep, the crossing windows are wider but the clear-out will not occupy anybody, so expect to throw underneath. 2. **Watch the crossers meet** The read happens at the mesh point, not before it. Whichever crosser comes out of the traffic with a defender trailing rather than running with him is the throw. 3. **Throw the first one who is free, in front of him** Lead the crosser so he catches it moving. A ball thrown behind a crossing receiver turns a first down into an incompletion, and it is the single most common way this concept is wasted. 4. **If neither crosser comes free, go to the outlet** Against zone both crossers may get carried. The back or the last eligible releasing away from the traffic is the checkdown, and taking it is a better outcome than waiting for a crosser to uncover. ## What changes in NFL Flag Covered above under "The man who snaps it is in the mesh", "Seven seconds is the whole argument for calling it", "You still have the rush cap, and that is the point". ## When not to call Mesh ### It does not beat a defense that sits in the crossing lanes A coach who has seen Mesh twice will drop a defender to five yards over the middle and stand there. When that happens the concept stops producing and the answer is a different call, not a deeper crosser. ### It needs receivers who will run into traffic The whole concept depends on both crossers running their depth honestly through contact. Young receivers tend to drift wide of each other to avoid the collision, which opens the mesh point up to three or four yards and quietly removes the only thing making it work. ## FAQ ### Can the centre really run a route in NFL Flag? Yes, and it is the single biggest difference between NFL Flag and plain 5v5. The centre is an eligible receiver here, which gives you four receivers out of five players. The one thing he cannot do is take the first handoff: the rulebook bans the centre sneak outright, so the quarterback may not hand off, pitch or lateral to him. ### Is the rub on Mesh legal in NFL Flag? Two receivers running their own routes that happen to intersect is legal. What is not legal is moving into a defender to obstruct him, which is illegal contact in any flag rule set. Coach the crossers to run through their own landmarks and let the traffic happen, rather than to aim at anybody. ### What do I run if the defense sits in the crossing lanes? Take the dig at eleven or the wheel. Once a defender parks over the ball at five yards the mesh has nothing to give, and with only two rushers coming the quarterback has time to get to a second read. That time is exactly what you forfeit on a running play, which is worth remembering before you check to one. ## Related - [Stop Mesh (5v5)](/defense/5v5/stop-mesh) - [Mesh in 5v5](/plays/5v5/mesh) - [Mesh in 7v7](/plays/7v7/mesh) - [Mesh in 11v11](/plays/11v11/mesh) - [Flood in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/flood) - [Spot in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/spot) - [Smash in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/smash) - [Draw your own NFL Flag plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Mesh in the designer Opens this exact NFL Flag diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Fmesh) --- --- title: "What is the Flood concept in NFL Flag?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/nfl-flag/flood" updated: "2026-09-16" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Fflood" --- # What is the Flood concept in NFL Flag? In NFL Flag a flood commits three of your four eligible receivers to one side, which is a bigger share of the offense than the same call costs at any other format. Y runs the flat at five, Z the seam between, and the centre takes the corner over the top at fourteen. One defender on that side has to pick a level and be wrong. ## The diagram NFL Flag play diagram for Flood. 5 offensive players: C, QB, X, Y, Z. C runs a corner at 7.5 yards; X runs a out at 8 yards; Y runs a flat at 10 yards; Z runs a seam at 11.5 yards. Flood out of I Formation, drawn for NFL Flag. Three routes to the left at three depths: Y runs flat to the sideline, the centre takes the corner over the top, and Z runs the seam between them. One defender covering that side has to pick a level, and whichever he picks the quarterback throws the other. X runs out to the right as the backside escape if the flood is covered. Source: NFL FLAG 2024 Playbook, I Formation Play 2 (p36). Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Fflood ## Why Flood works in NFL Flag ### Three routes is three quarters of your receivers You have four eligibles here, counting the centre. Flooding one side with three of them leaves a single receiver backside, so the concept is close to an all-in call rather than a quarter-of-the-formation call the way it is at eleven players. If the defense rotates to that side you are genuinely out of answers, which is why it pairs with a backside check. ### The corner at fourteen is a seven-second route The deepest route on this play needs most of the clock to get there, and the pass clock stops the play at seven seconds whether or not anybody is open. That makes flood the concept in this batch that is most constrained by the rule, and it is why the flat at five exists: it is the answer when the corner has not developed in time. ### The rush cap is what buys the corner its time Only two defenders may rush, and from seven yards back rather than from the line. That is the protection paying for the deepest route on the play, and it is precisely what a handoff would have thrown away. A coach who runs on first down and floods on second is making two opposite bets about the same rule. ### It attacks a decision, not a matchup The defender who steps up to take the underneath route opens the intermediate one behind him. The one who carries the deep route vacates the flat. You are not asking a receiver to beat anybody, you are asking a defender to be in two places, which is a bet that pays out regardless of how athletic his side of the field is. ### The read is teachable in one sentence Start high and work down. That is the whole instruction, and it is why Flood is one of the few three-option concepts a young quarterback can run correctly on the second day of practice. The ball goes to the first receiver who is not covered, starting from the deepest. ### It puts three men where the defense has two Most defenses distribute evenly across the field, so overloading one sideline creates a local numbers advantage before anybody moves. Formation does most of the work here, which is why the concept survives being run out of a different look in every game format. ## How to read it 1. **Pick your side before the snap** Flood is a one-way concept. Decide which sideline you are attacking by counting defenders on each side, and do not change your mind after the snap. 2. **Take the deep route if the flat defender carries** If the underneath defender drops with the intermediate route, the space behind him at the top of the concept is open. This is the biggest completion in the play and it is the first thing you look for. 3. **Take the intermediate if he sits** If he stays shallow to take the underneath route, the middle height is uncovered. This is the throw the concept produces most often and the one worth being happy with. 4. **Take the underneath route and get down** If both levels above are carried, the shortest route is open by definition. Throw it, let him turn upfield, and call it again next series. ## What changes in NFL Flag Covered above under "Three routes is three quarters of your receivers", "The corner at fourteen is a seven-second route", "The rush cap is what buys the corner its time". ## When not to call Flood ### It gives up the other half of the field Three receivers on one sideline means the backside is a single route and a decoy. Against a defense that recognises the concept and rotates coverage toward it, the backside answer is the play, not the flood itself, so know what that answer is before you call it. ### It is slow against pressure The deep route has to get to its depth before the read means anything. If the defense is bringing extra rushers, the quarterback will be throwing the underneath route every time, which is a fine outcome but not the reason you called it. ## FAQ ### Why does flood feel more expensive in NFL Flag? Because it uses three of your four eligible receivers. At eleven players a flood is three of five and you still have a backside half of the formation. Here it is three quarters of what you have, so if the defense rotates coverage to the flooded side there is one man left to throw to. Know what your backside answer is before you call it. ### How long do I have to throw it? Seven seconds from the snap. The rulebook's pass clock ends the play at that point regardless, and the corner route on this concept needs most of it. If your quarterback is still reading at five seconds, the flat at five is the throw. Practise it with a count so the clock is a habit rather than a surprise. ### Who should run the corner? On the install it is the centre, which surprises coaches who are used to plain 5v5 where that player is a running back. He is eligible here and starts in the middle of the formation, which gives him the cleanest release to the corner of anyone on the play. ## Related - [Flood in 5v5](/plays/5v5/flood) - [Flood in 7v7](/plays/7v7/flood) - [Flood in 11v11](/plays/11v11/flood) - [Spot in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/spot) - [Smash in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/smash) - [Dive in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/dive) - [Draw your own NFL Flag plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Flood in the designer Opens this exact NFL Flag diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Fflood) --- --- title: "What is the Spot concept in NFL Flag?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/nfl-flag/spot" updated: "2026-09-16" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Fspot" --- # What is the Spot concept in NFL Flag? In NFL Flag the spot triangle is called Stick, and it is the concept that most rewards the seven-second clock rather than fighting it. The inside man options at six, the middle man breaks out at five underneath him, the centre takes the corner over the top, and Z clears. The flat defender cannot cover the out and the option at once. ## The diagram NFL Flag play diagram for Spot. 5 offensive players: C, QB, X, Y, Z. C runs a corner at 6 yards; Y runs a out at 5 yards; Z runs a go at 15 yards; X runs a custom; X runs a custom. Spot out of Trips, drawn for NFL Flag. The inside man of the trips options at six, the middle man breaks out at five underneath him and Z runs off the top. It is the classic stick triangle: the flat defender cannot cover the out and the option at the same time, and the option man reads him and sits in whatever he vacates. The centre's corner route on the backside is the shot if they roll everything to the trips. Source: NFL FLAG 2024 Playbook, Trips Play 1 (p19). Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Fspot ## Why Spot works in NFL Flag ### It is a two-second concept in a seven-second format Both underneath routes are available almost immediately, which means the quarterback is throwing on rhythm rather than waiting. In a format where the play ends at seven seconds whether or not anybody uncovers, a concept that answers early is worth more than one that answers deep, and this is the clearest example of it in the install. ### The option route needs a receiver who can read The inside man sits or breaks depending on what the defender over him does, which is the hardest thing to coach in this concept and the reason it is worth coaching. It is also why the play holds up as a team improves: the same call produces a different answer every time the defense changes, without anybody signalling anything. ### The centre clears the space the triangle uses He runs the corner at twelve from the middle of the formation, which pulls the deep defender away from the two routes doing the work. At plain 5v5 that player is a running back who cannot be used this way, so the same triangle has to be built with one fewer body and a shallower clear-out. ### The triangle covers every answer a defender has Three receivers at three depths in one area is not a horizontal stretch or a vertical one, it is both at once. A defender who widens opens the middle of the triangle, one who sinks opens the flat, and one who jumps the sitting route opens the corner behind him. ### Condensed splits break man coverage without a rub Receivers lined up close together create traffic on the release simply by running their own routes. Defenders in man have to navigate around each other before they can cover anybody, and the concept gets its separation from that congestion rather than from anybody being faster. ### The sitting route is the safety valve and the primary The receiver at five is the first read and also the answer when nothing else is there. That is unusual and it is why the concept produces so few negative plays: the fallback is the same throw as the first choice, so there is no moment where the quarterback has to change his mind under pressure. ## How to read it 1. **Find the sitting route first** Look at the receiver at five yards before anything else. If he is uncovered, throw it. Most of this concept's completions are exactly that throw and there is no reason to work past it. 2. **Then read the flat defender** If he jumps the flat route, the sitting receiver behind him is free. If he widens with nobody, look up: the corner route is the throw. 3. **Take the corner against a defense playing everything short** When both underneath routes are covered it is because the defense has committed bodies to the short area, which is precisely when the route over the top has nobody deep in that quarter of the field. ## What changes in NFL Flag Covered above under "It is a two-second concept in a seven-second format", "The option route needs a receiver who can read", "The centre clears the space the triangle uses". ## When not to call Spot ### It needs a condensed set to be worth calling Spread the same three receivers out and the release traffic disappears, which is where most of the concept's advantage against man coverage comes from. Run out of wide splits it becomes three ordinary routes in the same area. ### It concedes the deep middle Everything happens in one quarter of the field and nothing threatens the middle of the coverage. A defense can play a single deep defender against this concept all day without ever being punished for it. ## FAQ ### What is the difference between Stick and Spot? They are the same triangle under different names, which is common in football and worth knowing when you read another playbook. A corner over the top, a receiver sitting or breaking at about five or six, and a route underneath in the same quarter of the field. NFL FLAG's own install calls it Stick, so that is the name used here. ### How do I coach the option route? Give the receiver one rule rather than a decision tree: sit if the defender drops off him, break out if the defender sits on him. Then throw it on time and trust the rule. Most failures on this concept are the quarterback waiting to see what the receiver chose instead of reading the same defender himself. ### Is this a good first concept for a young NFL Flag team? It is one of the best, because it answers quickly and the clock here is seven seconds. The option route is the only hard part, and a team that is not ready for it can run the same play with the inside man simply sitting at six. You keep the triangle and lose only the adaptability. ## Related - [Stop the rub routes (5v5)](/defense/5v5/stop-the-rub-routes) - [Spot in 5v5](/plays/5v5/spot) - [Spot in 7v7](/plays/7v7/spot) - [Spot in 11v11](/plays/11v11/spot) - [Smash in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/smash) - [Dive in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/dive) - [Reverse in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/reverse) - [Draw your own NFL Flag plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Spot in the designer Opens this exact NFL Flag diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Fspot) --- --- title: "What is the Smash concept in NFL Flag?" canonical: "https://rc-football.com/plays/nfl-flag/smash" updated: "2026-09-16" author: "Coach Ray Carroll" designer: "https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Fsmash" --- # What is the Smash concept in NFL Flag? In NFL Flag the smash bind is called Corner Curl, and it puts one defender in a position he cannot solve: Z drives to ten and hooks back inside while Y breaks to the corner over the top of him. The two routes break in opposite directions off the same stem, so whichever the deep defender takes, the other is open. ## The diagram NFL Flag play diagram for Smash. 5 offensive players: C, QB, X, Y, Z. C runs a dig at 6 yards; Y runs a corner at 8.5 yards; Z runs a curl at 10 yards; X runs a custom; X runs a custom. Smash out of Trips, drawn for NFL Flag. Z drives to ten and hooks back INSIDE while Y breaks to the corner over the top of him. The deep defender cannot sit on the curl and carry the corner, and the two routes break in opposite directions off the same stem. X options underneath and the centre digs away to the left. Throw the curl on time: it is only open for the step the defender spends turning around. Source: NFL FLAG 2024 Playbook, Trips Play 3 (p21). Open this exact diagram in the designer: https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Fsmash ## Why Smash works in NFL Flag ### The curl is deeper here than the classic version Most smash concepts hold the underneath defender with a hitch at about five. This one hooks at ten, which is deeper and slower and only works because the rush cap holds on a pass: at most two defenders may come, and from seven yards back. That protection is what buys a ten-yard curl the time to break back. ### It is a late concept, so the clock decides whether you have it A corner at fifteen and a curl at ten both need most of the seven seconds. If the quarterback is not ready to throw on time this becomes the play that ends with the clock expiring rather than with an incompletion, which is a worse outcome because it costs the down without testing the coverage. ### Both routes break away from each other on purpose The curl comes back inside and the corner goes outside, off the same side of the formation. That divergence is what makes the bind unsolvable rather than merely difficult, and it is why the concept does not need a third route to work. With four eligibles that economy matters more here than it does at eleven. ### It puts one defender in an unwinnable position Most concepts stretch a zone. This one isolates a single man and gives him two responsibilities eight yards apart vertically. There is no technique that covers both, so the completion is available on every snap regardless of who is playing. ### The quarterback reads a defender, never a receiver Watching receivers get open is how young quarterbacks hold the ball. Smash removes the question: pick the flat defender before the snap, watch only him, and throw opposite whatever he does. It is the cleanest single-defender read in the passing game. ### It is the best red-zone version of itself Inside the twenty the field is short and the corner route becomes a throw to the back pylon rather than a deep shot, which is easier. The same call that produces twelve yards at midfield produces a touchdown from the fifteen. ## How to read it 1. **Identify the flat defender before the snap** The defender responsible for the short outside area on the side you are throwing to. Everything in this concept is about him, so know which body he is before the ball moves. 2. **If he stays low, throw the corner** A defender who sits on the hitch has left the space over the top of himself. Put the ball outside and up, toward the sideline rather than the middle, so only your receiver can get it. 3. **If he opens and runs, throw the hitch** The moment he turns to carry the corner route the underneath receiver is uncovered. This is the throw the concept produces most often, and taking it every time it appears is what makes the corner route available later. ## What changes in NFL Flag Covered above under "The curl is deeper here than the classic version", "It is a late concept, so the clock decides whether you have it", "Both routes break away from each other on purpose". ## When not to call Smash ### A defense that plays two deep to your side takes the corner away The corner route needs the space between the flat defender and whoever is over the top. Roll a second deep defender to that side and the route runs into coverage. When that happens the hitch is the play and there is no shame in it. ### It is a half-field concept with a slow backside Everything of value is on one side. If the read is covered the quarterback is starting over rather than progressing, which is why this concept wants a defined backside answer and a clock in the quarterback's head. ## FAQ ### Why is the curl at ten instead of five? Because the protection allows it. On a pass at most two defenders may rush and they start seven yards away, so the quarterback has genuine time. A five-yard hitch would hold an underneath defender; a ten-yard curl attacks the same defender the corner is attacking, which makes the bind tighter. It is a choice the rush cap pays for. ### What if the defense plays two deep? The bind loosens, because the corner and the curl are no longer squeezing one man. Against two deep, take the curl on rhythm and stop hunting the corner. The concept is built to punish a single high defender, and forcing the corner into a second safety is how this play gets intercepted. ### Is seven seconds really enough for this? Just about, and only with rehearsed timing. This is the slowest concept in the NFL Flag pass install, which makes it the one most likely to end on the clock rather than on a decision. Coach a count out loud in practice so the quarterback knows what five seconds feels like before he finds out in a game. ## Related - [Smash in 5v5](/plays/5v5/smash) - [Smash in 7v7](/plays/7v7/smash) - [Smash in 11v11](/plays/11v11/smash) - [Dive in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/dive) - [Reverse in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/reverse) - [Sweep in NFL Flag](/plays/nfl-flag/sweep) - [Draw your own NFL Flag plays](/football-play-designer) ## Open Smash in the designer Opens this exact NFL Flag diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook. [Open this play in the designer](https://rc-football.com/designer?catalogue=nfl-flag%2Fsmash)