What is the best play against a blitz in flag football?
Run Slant-Flat and throw it before the rusher gets there. One receiver breaks inside at three yards while another runs out to the flat underneath him, so a single defender has to cover two routes going opposite directions. Against a blitz in flag football the answer is never a better route, it is a faster one: the ball has to be gone on the quarterback's third step.
Why it works
A blitz buys you a defender, not just pressure
Every player who rushes is a player not covering. Blitzing in a five-player defense means one fewer body in coverage, and this concept aims two receivers at whoever is left.
Opposite breaks cannot both be covered
One route goes in, the other goes out, and they cross the same defender's face at the same depth. There is no leverage he can take that is right for both.
It is a rhythm throw
The quarterback knows where he is going before the snap. He is not surveying the field under pressure, he is confirming one read and letting go.
How to run it
- 1
Identify the rush before the snap
Count the defenders on the line. If more than one is showing rush, the blitz answer is already the call and the quarterback should know it in the huddle.
- 2
Z slants inside at three yards
Three hard steps and break in at forty-five degrees. He should be looking for the ball the instant he turns his head.
- 3
Y runs out to the flat
Immediate release toward the sideline, staying flat rather than gaining depth. His job is to pull the defender away from the slant.
- 4
The back swings opposite
He releases to the other side as a second outlet, which also gives the quarterback somewhere to go if the rush comes clean from that edge.
- 5
Throw on the third step
Set the clock, not the read. If the quarterback is still holding the ball on his fifth step against a blitz, the play has already failed regardless of who is open.
Adjustments
If they rush two
Keep the concept but add a go route on the backside. Two rushers means two coverage defenders for three receivers, and somebody deep is running free.
If the flat defender sits on the flat
Convert the slant into a slant-and-go. He is cheating on a three-yard route, which means there is nothing behind him.
For younger teams
Drop the slant and run both receivers to the flat on either side. Two easy outlets beats one good read when the quarterback is seven.
Against a delayed rush
Add a pump fake on the first step. A rusher who is counting will commit early, and the slant turns into a much bigger gain.
When not to call it
When they are not actually blitzing
Against a standard rush with everybody else in coverage, this is a three-yard play with three-yard results. Save it for the down where the pressure is real.
Backed up near your own goal line
A slant breaking toward the middle of the field is the one throw you do not want intercepted deep in your own end. Run something toward the sideline instead.
Open Slant-Flat in the designer
Load the concept, fit it to your personnel, and save it as your blitz answer.
Open this playRelated questions
How do you know a blitz is coming in flag football?
How many steps should a flag football quarterback take?
What is a hot route in flag football?
Should you block the rusher in flag football?
Related guides
Coach Ante Pehar
Nine seasons running 7v7 and adult competitive flag programs, including three regional tournament finals. He writes about defensive structure and the route concepts that beat it.