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Learn to coach flag football, one topic at a time

The Flag50 coaching library is a free set of guides for volunteer flag football coaches. It covers nine topics: coaching basics, drills, practice plans, game day, stats, rules, schemes, player development, and tools. Every guide is written for 5v5, 6v6, and 7v7, with the girls high school 7v7 game covered first wherever the format changes the answer.

The Flag50 league finder lists more than 2,800 flag football leagues across 51 states (Flag50 directory, September 2026), and this library is written for the volunteer coaches inside them.

By Jay Fraser. Published . Updated .

Nine topics

  • Coaching basics

    Your format, the rules that change your calls, and your first practice.

  • Drills

    Flag pulling, routes, catching, and the 7v7 handoff, each tied to a play.

  • Practice plans

    45, 60, and 90-minute block plans from 6U to girls high school 7v7.

  • Game day

    The checklist, the first six plays, substitutions, and the last two minutes.

  • Stats

    The seven events to track, who tracks them, and how parents see them.

  • Rules

    NFHS 7v7, FNL 6v6, and NFL FLAG 5v5, explained for the coach, not the referee.

  • Schemes

    Pick one offense and one defense that fit the roster you have.

  • Player development

    What to teach at each age, and the girls 7v7 to college pathway.

  • Tools

    Free playbook, AI play builder, wristband export, and Coach Lite, compared fairly.

Start here if this is your first season

  1. 1Read coaching basics. It tells you which rulebook you are coaching under and what to teach first. Coaching basics.
  2. 2Learn the three rules that change your play calls: can the quarterback run, where the rusher starts, and how the clock works. Rules explained for coaches.
  3. 3Run the scheme finder for your roster and take the plays it hands you. 7v7 scheme finder.
  4. 4Build one 60-minute practice and run it twice. Practice plans.
  5. 5Print a wristband and learn what to track on game day. Tools.
  6. 6Keep score and stats for your team with Coach Lite, then send parents one link to follow live. Get early access below.

The three formats this library covers

FormatRulebookCan the QB runWho plays it
7v7NFHS (girls high school and college)Yes, plus handoffs to a backGirls high school and college women
6v6FNL rulesYesYouth and adult FNL leagues
5v5NFL FLAG rulesNoYouth and adult NFL FLAG leagues

Coach Lite

Keep score and stats for your team with Coach Lite, then send parents one link to follow live.

Get early access. Leave your email and we'll email you the moment your spot opens up.

Frequently asked questions

Q01What is the Flag50 coaching library?+

A free set of flag football coaching guides organized into nine topics: coaching basics, drills, practice plans, game day, stats, rules, schemes, player development, and tools. It is written by Flag50, the company behind the free playbook, scheme finder, and wristband tools, for volunteer coaches in 5v5, 6v6, and 7v7.

Q02Do I need an account to use the Flag50 coaching guides?+

No. Every guide in the library is free to read, and the playbook browser, scheme finder, and wristband export they link to are free, work offline, and need no account. Only the Coach Lite early access form asks for an email.

Q03Which flag football format should I learn first?+

The one your league plays. Girls high school and college teams play 7v7 under NFHS rules. FNL leagues play 6v6. NFL FLAG leagues play 5v5. If you are not sure, ask your commissioner which rulebook the league uses; the answer tells you which tool page and which guides to read.

Q04Is the coaching library written for girls flag football?+

Yes, first. Wherever a topic changes with the format, the girls high school 7v7 game is covered first, then 6v6 and 5v5. Girls flag football is the fastest-growing high school sport in the country, and many of its coaches are new to the 7v7 run game.

Q05How is the library different from the Flag50 playbook tools?+

The tool pages are where you do things: find a scheme, browse plays, build a play, print a wristband. The library is where you learn: rules, drills, practice plans, and what to track. Every library page links into one tool at the moment you need it, and every tool page links back to the library.

Sources

Part of the Flag50 coach library. Do it now on the 7v7 tool page, 6v6 tool page, or 5v5 tool page.