Coaching NFL FLAG on a One-Way Field
On a one-way field, every drive starts at the 40 and goes toward 1 goal. There are no safeties. An interception stops where it is caught. Everything else is NFL FLAG 5v5. So most of your coaching carries over. What changes is how you call plays on a short field.
Updated · Coaching 101
Who this guide is for
You don't need to know football. Most new coaches are parents who said yes. This guide gets you through your first practice and your first game.
- Who
- Coaches in NFL FLAG leagues that play on a one-direction field.
- Level
- Youth divisions on a one-way field
- Ages
- Ages 9 to 14
- Format and rules
- 5v5, NFL FLAG One-Way Field
They can run a small playbook, read one defender and play a simple zone. They want to compete, so give every drill a score and every player a job.
Your first practice: 60 minutes
Use the same 5 blocks every week. The full plan has the drills, coaching points and a free PDF.
- 10 minWarm-up
- 20 minSkill stations
- 10 minTeam period
- 15 minScrimmage
- 5 minCooldown
Positions in 5v5, and what each player does
Carry 7 to 10 players so everyone rests and everyone plays. Rotate quarterback and center in practice: every player should know both.
Offense
- Center
- Snaps the ball to the quarterback, then releases into a short route. In most 5v5 rulebooks the center is an eligible receiver, so they are your safety valve.
- Quarterback
- Calls the play, takes the snap and either hands off, pitches or throws. Teach a quick read and a quick release: the rush is coming.
- Running back
- Lines up beside or behind the quarterback, takes handoffs and pitches, and runs a short route on pass plays.
- Wide receivers (2)
- Line up wide, run the deeper routes and stretch the defense. One usually runs a go or post to pull the safety away.
Defense
- Rusher
- Starts back at the rush line with a hand up. On the snap, she runs straight at the quarterback and reaches for the flag.
- Cornerbacks (2)
- Cover the wide receivers. Stay between her and the end zone. Pull the flag the moment she catches it.
- Linebacker
- Plays the middle: watches the center and running back, takes away short throws and fills fast on runs.
- Safety
- The last line. Stays deep, keeps everything in front of her and is the one who must not miss a flag pull.
What to teach first
- 1
Flag pulling
Take the angle that cuts the runner off, not the one that chases her. Break down, near hand to the near flag, finish through it.
- 2
Route basics
Depth and timing. A 5-yard out is 5 yards every time. Receivers who run the same route twice the same way get the ball.
- 3
Snap and handoff
Add the fake: the quarterback shows the handoff and keeps it to throw. Fakes only work if the real handoff is clean.
- 4
No-contact habits
No screening on routes, no lowered shoulders, no stiff arms, hands off your own flags. Penalties here cost a down, so they cost drives.
10 rules that change how you coach
In our words, with the rulebook section to check. Your league can change some of these, so confirm with your league before the first game.
1.Every drive starts at the 40
The rule: Every drive starts at the 40-yard line.
The field is short, and every drive starts at the same spot. Plan your first 3 plays from the 40. Practice them from there.
Watch: Changing possessionHow to stat it in BreakAway (0:31)2.The ball never starts behind the 40
The rule: The ball never starts further back than the 40.
A turnover on downs never pins you deep. Be more willing to go for it on the last down.
Watch: Turning it over on downsHow to stat it in BreakAway (0:31)3.Interceptions are dead at the catch
The rule: The play ends at the catch. The ball goes to the 40.
No return, so defenders should catch it and go down. Do not teach a return on this field.
Watch: Logging an interceptionHow to stat it in BreakAway (0:32)4.No safeties
The rule: No safeties. The other team gets the ball at the 40.
A flag pull in your own end zone does not give up 2 points. The other team just gets the ball at the 40.
Watch: Changing possessionHow to stat it in BreakAway (0:31)5.A punt call is final
The rule: Once you call a punt, you can't change it.
Once you declare the punt, you cannot change your mind. Make the call before the huddle breaks.
Watch: Punting on 4th downHow to stat it in BreakAway (0:26)6.Your quarterback does not run
The rule: Handoffs, pitches and laterals only behind the line. One forward pass. It must start behind the line and cross it. The quarterback can't run with the snap. No center sneak.
Practice handoffs every week. The quarterback can't run the ball past the line herself. Every run starts with a handoff or pitch behind the line. You get 1 forward pass a play, thrown from behind the line. On game day, a dropped handoff costs you the play.
Watch: Logging a rushHow to stat it in BreakAway (0:40)7.Rushers come from 7 yards
The rule: Up to 2 rushers, each with a hand raised. They start at the 7-yard rush line. Anyone may rush after a handoff or pitch. The passer has 7 seconds. A sack is pulling the quarterback's flag behind the line. No rushing in league play for 8U and younger.
The base rush rules apply: up to two rushers with a hand raised, and a short clock to throw.
Watch: Logging a sackHow to stat it in BreakAway (0:41)8.Flag guarding costs a down
The rule: It means blocking a flag pull. That covers a stiff arm, or dropping your shoulder, arm, hand, head or the ball in the way. A jersey over the flags counts too. Penalty: 5 yards and the down.
Teach ball carriers to run with arms free and shirts tucked. Stiff arms are a foul. So is dropping a shoulder or covering a flag. On game day, it costs 5 yards and a down.
Watch: Logging a penaltyHow to stat it in BreakAway (0:32)9.Nobody blocks, nobody screens
The rule: No blocking or screening. No holding the ball carrier or running through them.
Receivers clear space with routes, not bodies. Teach them to run past defenders, never to set up in a defender's path.
Watch: Logging a penaltyHow to stat it in BreakAway (0:32)10.Pick the try before you snap it
The rule: Touchdown: 6. The try after it: 1 point from the 5 (pass only) or 2 from the 10 (run or pass). You call your choice. Changing it costs a timeout.
1 point from the 5 must be a pass. 2 points from the 10 can be a run or a pass. Have one play ready for each, and know which you want before the touchdown happens.
Watch: Logging the extra pointHow to stat it in BreakAway (0:39)
The official rulebook
- NFL FLAG Official Playing Rules (Revised March 24, 2025)
For your level
Younger players
8U, 7U and 6U teams get their own rule changes. In league games, kids can run anywhere and nobody rushes early. See the 8U and 6U guides.
Game-day checklist
- A flag belt and flags for every player, plus spares, in a color that does not match anyone's shorts.
- Mouth guards, water and a first aid kit.
- Game balls in the size your ruleset sets for this age.
- Your roster with jersey numbers, and who starts at quarterback and center.
- A short play sheet: three or four plays, one for the goal line, one for the try.
- A quick word with the other coach and the official on the rules you are playing.
- Someone to stat the game in the BreakAway app. Families follow along, and every player gets a stat card.
- Your call for every 4th down: go for it, or take the punt your ruleset allows.
Stat your games free in BreakAway
- Statting is free.
- Pick the NFL FLAG One-Way Field preset in the app. Change what your league does differently. Then stat every game.
- 100,000+ ruleset combinations, so your league's rules fit.
- Every game you stat gets a live game center families can follow from anywhere. You also get a box score and a stat card for every athlete. Team leaderboards, season totals and recaps come with it.
A completed pass, logged in seconds.