9th Grade Study Guide
Cherokee High School
Flag Football
History
Princeton and Rutgers played the first collegiate football game in 1879. Much of what makes
American football distinctive can be attributed to Walter Camp, a Yale player, coach, and athletic
director who was central to the evolution of the rules and rulebooks from the late 1880s until
his death in 1925. Professional football had its start with the National Football League (NFL) in
1920.
Football & Wellness
Flag football provides an opportunity to increase an individual’s overall wellness. Playing flag football
can increase your physical fitness level by combining periods of slow and fast movement with added
bouts of sprinting. This makes the heart work at different paces and not just at an elevated level. This
mimics the new trend known as ‘interval training. Football is a team sport and requires players to
work together, communicate, and strategize to be successful.
Skills
• Grip the football by putting the forefinger on the seam and three fingers on the laces so
there is a V between the forefinger and the thumb.
• Pass so the ball reaches receivers in the numbers (where jersey numbers would be on the chest)
as they arrive where they are anticipated to go. Avoid throwing to a stationary player.
• Catch with eyes on the ball so that you see it into your hands. For high passes, catch with
palms open and fingers up, watching the tip of the ball into the window between your
forefingers and thumbs. For low passes, do the same with fingers down. Run pass patterns
without looking for the ball until you have made the cut.
Route Running Tips
1. Run CRISP routes
2. Run full speed
3. Timing is vital. Proper QB
and wide receiver route
running & timing will
develop with practice
4. Different pass patterns
are used depending on the
game situation and/or team
strategy.
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Flag Football Rules
1) A regulation football game starts with a kick off. Cherokee flag football games are started by
placing the ball approximately 10 yards from the end zone (blue line).
2) The place where the ball is spotted is called the line of scrimmage. In regulation football,
you have four plays from the line of scrimmage to get 10 yards, which equals a first
down. In Cherokee flag football the offense gets four plays to move the ball to the middle set
of cones for a first down. They then have four more downs to reach the end zone. If they do
not get the first down or a touchdown in four plays the defensive team takes over on downs at
that location.
3) Ball carriers can only be stopped by pulling one of their flags.
4) Intentional physical contact will result in the loss of a down, possible ejection from the game. It
is important that every player has control of their bodies and avoids contact with other
players to keep the game safe.
5) There can be no forward passes in front of the line of scrimmage.
6) The defensive team cannot cross the line of scrimmage until the count has reached 5
Mississippi (“1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi, 3 Mississippi . . . etc.). This gives the quarterback
time to throw the ball to a wide receiver without defensive pressure.
Offensive Positions & Strategy
In flag football, as in regular football, it is important for the offense to use teamwork and
communication. The quarterback and wide receivers must communicate about which routes the wide
receivers will run. This will give the quarterback the advantage of knowing where to throw the ball
before the wide receiver arrives at that location. The goal of the offense is to move the ball down the
field to score a touchdown.
Quarterback- The player who takes the snap from the center and continues the play from there. The
quarterback will throw a pass to a wide receiver. The importance of poise and confidence in the
pocket cannot be overstated. For a quarterback to be successful they must make smart decisions,
have good instincts, good arm strength, and throwing accuracy.
Center - A special offensive lineman, the center is responsible for snapping the ball to the
quarterback in larger flag football leagues. The center must have quick reflexes, for as soon as they
snap the ball, they must raise up and take on a charging pass rusher to protect the quarterback.
Wide Receiver- Wide receivers line up on the line of scrimmage to begin the play. When the ball is
hiked, they will run down the field in a predetermined passing route. Receivers and quarterbacks who
have worked together will develop a sense of timing, allowing the quarterback to know where the
receiver will be on the field at any given time. A wide receiver should have speed, good eye hand
coordination, and good catching skills.
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Defensive Positions & Strategy
Cooperation and communication are important for a successful defense. Every defensive player
must communicate about coverage to make sure that all wide receivers will be covered each play.
The goal of the defense is to work together and stop the offense from advancing down field.
Defensive Backs- The defensive backs are positioned to cover the wide receivers. They will either
play man-to-man or zone coverage. In man-to-man coverage, each defensive back is assigned an
offensive player to cover. Regardless of where that player goes, the defensive back will follow, which
required a great amount of agility. In a zone defense, the player covers a certain area of the field,
shadowing any offensive player who enters his area of responsibility.
The Playing Field
The playing field is 120 yards long and 53 1/3 yards wide. The goal lines are 100 yards apart and
there is 10 yards worth of depth in each end zone. The field is marked by yard increments. The
object is to move the ball into the other team’s end zone (6 points for a touchdown in a regulation
game) or to get close enough to kick a field goal (3 points for a field goal in a regulation game).
revised 10/14
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