guidance on flag football

[joecrisp]

I played in a local 8-man league here in Richmond last year, and we played according to the USFFA rulebook:

http://www.usffa.org/rulebook.htm

I really liked the way the USFFA game is played.

I would think we could do 8-on-8, and perhaps even have offensive and defensive squads, if each team can get 16 people. That way, you've got plenty of subs.

Here's some other good sites for flag football guidelines:

http://www.flagfootball.org/StylesOfPlay.htm

http://www.aftfl.com/rulebook.cfm

http://www.nvffa.com/rules04.htm

[joecrisp]

While there were a few scrambling QBs in my league, the most effective offenses were predicated on the short passing game.

Most defenses were able to deploy an effective QB containment strategy, while maintaining adequate coverage downfield. This mostly requires discipline on the part of the D-linemen/linebackers, maintaining the proper angles on the quarterback so that he can't esape outside or up the middle.

If you're playing 8-on-8, you'll usually have 3 blockers (center and two tackles), a quarterback and 4 receivers on offense. On defense, you'll want 2 linemen, a linebacker, 4 cornerbacks and a safety, or some variation, depending on what kind of offense you're facing. Generally, though, the linemen and linebacker(s) are able to keep the QB in check and force him to throw the ball.

As far as contact goes, there was plenty of contact in that 8-man league, especially if you were on the line. We were allowed to jam receivers within 5 yards of the LOS, also. It's not tackle, but it's pretty damn fun, regardless.

I don't think there's any way we'd be able to get a tackle game approved, or attract enough interested players to make it work. Most folks just don't want to risk the kind of injury that can occur in tackle football. Heck, I played flag last fall and broke my finger. I wasn't cleared for work for six weeks, which meant I had to take short-term disability pay. Let's just say getting 50% of your pay for six weeks is no vacation-- especially when you're not making much to begin with.

[KLHJ2]

Originally Posted by joecrisp

While there were a few scrambling QBs in my league, the most effective offenses were predicated on the short passing game.

Most defenses were able to deploy an effective QB containment strategy, while maintaining adequate coverage downfield. This mostly requires discipline on the part of the D-linemen/linebackers, maintaining the proper angles on the quarterback so that he can't esape outside or up the middle.

If you're playing 8-on-8, you'll usually have 3 blockers (center and two tackles), a quarterback and 4 receivers on offense. On defense, you'll want 2 linemen, a linebacker, 4 cornerbacks and a safety, or some variation, depending on what kind of offense you're facing. Generally, though, the linemen and linebacker(s) are able to keep the QB in check and force him to throw the ball.

As far as contact goes, there was plenty of contact in that 8-man league, especially if you were on the line. We were allowed to jam receivers within 5 yards of the LOS, also. It's not tackle, but it's pretty damn fun, regardless.

I don't think there's any way we'd be able to get a tackle game approved, or attract enough interested players to make it work. Most folks just don't want to risk the kind of injury that can occur in tackle football. Heck, I played flag last fall and broke my finger. I wasn't cleared for work for six weeks, which meant I had to take short-term disability pay. Let's just say getting 50% of your pay for six weeks is no vacation-- especially when you're not making much to begin with.

I never thought that I would be saying this to a civilian. I work on salary and get paid whether I am hurt, or not, able to show up to work, or not. The funny thing is that you make more money than I do.

You must have been playing with a bunch of guys that have not evolved the flag game as much as we have. When I said that the QB made up modt of the yards, I meant it. There is much more defense in the flag that I play. Players do not get open often, and the QB has no choice but to try and scramble, but because of the limitations of the O line in flag, he doesnt have anywhere to go. However, every once in a while he breaks free. Often games are decided by 1 or 2 scores and if a total of 25 points were scored. It was a high scoring game. 13-12

[joecrisp]

Originally Posted by angryssg

You must have been playing with a bunch of guys that have not evolved the flag game as much as we have. When I said that the QB made up modt of the yards, I meant it. There is much more defense in the flag that I play. Players do not get open often, and the QB has no choice but to try and scramble, but because of the limitations of the O line in flag, he doesnt have anywhere to go. However, every once in a while he breaks free. Often games are decided by 1 or 2 scores and if a total of 25 points were scored. It was a high scoring game. 13-12

Yeah, in the league I played in, coverage was tight, but there was usually at least one guy open enough that it was a better bet for the QB to pass it than to tuck it and run.

Don't get me wrong, though-- we had our share of Michael Vick wannabes, too-- but most defenses were able to keep those guys relatively in-check and force them to pass the ball.

Like I said, the best offenses in our league used a quick, efficient, West Coast-style offense to dink-and-dunk their way down the field. It doesn't mean the coverage sucked, it just means they ran a good offense.

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by angryssg

I never thought that I would be saying this to a civilian. I work on salary and get paid whether I am hurt, or not, able to show up to work, or not. The funny thing is that you make more money than I do.

You must have been playing with a bunch of guys that have not evolved the flag game as much as we have. When I said that the QB made up modt of the yards, I meant it. There is much more defense in the flag that I play. Players do not get open often, and the QB has no choice but to try and scramble, but because of the limitations of the O line in flag, he doesnt have anywhere to go. However, every once in a while he breaks free. Often games are decided by 1 or 2 scores and if a total of 25 points were scored. It was a high scoring game. 13-12

How stringent were you guys on contact? I have played in several leagues and the level of contact allowed changed the game completely. Each league I have been in was a 7-7 league with basically no contact whatsoever. The blocking schemes are basically boxing out like in basketball. That makes blocking extremely difficult and and getting to the qb pretty easy. The games were all predicated on short passing. We looked at a lot like the SKins of last year. Tons of WR screens and HB flats. If players are not allowed to touch at all(I mean AT ALL) then that tends to mitigate the running of the QB greatly. Still, a team with a good mobile QB does have a distinct advantage much like in regular football.