For children new to team sports

Flag Football Positions: How to Teach Each Job to Kids

A position is a job for this play, not a label for the child. Start with where to stand, one action to try, and where to finish. Children do not need to know football vocabulary before they can join in.

By FlagPlays · October 20, 2026

Show the game before naming the positions

A child who has rarely played a team sport may not know which way to run, when a turn starts, or why a teammate moves without the ball. Walk to the end zone together. Explain: “When we have the ball, we try to move it this way. When they have it, we try to pull a flag without grabbing or pushing.” Show your stop signal and practice stopping and resetting.

Introduce one instruction, demonstrate it, then let the child try. Use the same words each time. A quiet child can point or walk their answer; a missed catch does not mean they misunderstood the job. Begin without a defender, offer a partner demonstration, and shorten the distance if the task feels too hard.

What are the positions in 5v5 and 6v6 flag football?

In our 5v5 offense, the five players are a quarterback, a center and three receivers. Our 6v6 offense adds a running back. X, Y and Z identify the receivers in our drawings; they are not extra players. Other coaches use different formations and names.

5v5 Strong Right example. QB = quarterback; C = center; X, Y and Z = receivers. Five players: one QB, one center and three receivers. Starting spots are schematic, not measured distances.

6v6 Strong Right example. QB = quarterback; C = center; X, Y and Z = receivers. RB = running back, the sixth player. Starting spots are schematic, not measured distances.

Start beside the child and face the same direction as the drawing. Point to one marker, walk to that spot together, then ask them to find it again. A cone or matching letter can connect the picture to the field. Add movement after the starting spot is familiar.

These are examples of our system, not required lineups. Confirm center eligibility, legal snaps, handoffs, quarterback runs, alignment and rushing with your league. Our base defense uses coverage without a designated rusher. See the league rules checklist.

Teach one position at a time

Choose one of these activities for today. The goal is a child who can show their job, not a team that memorizes every position in one practice.

Offense · QB

Quarterback: Receive the snap, then deliver the ball on the called play.

“Get ready for the ball. Catch it. Find your teammate.”

Try it together: Work with a center and one receiver standing nearby. Demonstrate where to put your hands, receive a gentle snap, then make a short pass. Let the receiver show ready hands before the throw. Practice the snap alone first if the exchange is difficult.
Check understanding: Can the child show ready hands and secure the snap before looking to pass? Let them demonstrate instead of requiring a spoken explanation.
If it is not clicking yet: If the child throws before settling the ball, remove the receiver for a few repetitions. Practice receiving and holding the ball, then add the short pass again.

Offense · C

Center: Start the play with the snap; in our system, then become a short passing option.

“Send the ball. Then go to your spot and look back.”

Try it together: Put a cone a few steps beyond the starting line and to one side. Demonstrate the snap your league allows. Have the child finish the exchange, walk to the cone, turn toward the quarterback and show ready hands. Add a gentle pass after that sequence is familiar.
Check understanding: Can the child finish the snap before moving, then turn to see the quarterback? Pointing to the next spot counts as understanding.
If it is not clicking yet: If the child stays beside the quarterback, walk the path together once. If they leave too early, practice only the exchange before adding the walk.

Offense · X / Y / Z

Receiver: Follow the assigned path to create a passing option, even when someone else gets the ball.

“Wait for the snap. Follow your path. Show your hands.”

Try it together: Use cones for the start, turn and finish of one short route. Show it at walking speed. Let the child walk beside you, then try it with a partner watching. Add a gentle throw only after the child knows where to go and when to look for the ball.
Check understanding: Can the child point out the turn and finish, then walk the path without following another receiver? Praise finding the right place even if the catch is missed.
If it is not clicking yet: If everyone follows the ball, give each receiver a separate finish marker and rehearse without a ball. Explain that making space helps the teammate who receives the pass.

Offense · our 6v6 system · RB

Running back: Take the called handoff, or become a short passing option on a pass play.

“Meet the ball. Hold it securely. Follow your path.”

Try it together: Start with the quarterback and running back standing still. Demonstrate a handoff slowly and let both players feel the exchange without pulling the ball away. Add a walking approach and a finish cone. Teach the passing assignment separately, after the handoff is comfortable.
Check understanding: Can the child secure the ball before moving away? Before each repetition, let them point to where the run will finish.
If it is not clicking yet: If the child runs past the exchange, return to a stationary handoff. Add movement one step at a time rather than asking both players to go faster.

Defense · DB

Coverage defender: Cover the assigned player or area, then respond to the ball carrier.

“Find your person—or your space. Stay ready. Pull the flag, not the clothes.”

Try it together: Teach one assignment at a time. For a player matchup, have a partner walk a short route while the defender follows without contact. For zone, mark a small area with cones and walk a receiver into it. Separately practice a controlled flag pull with a stationary partner before adding walking movement.
Check understanding: Can the child show whom they are following or point to the area they are covering? Ask this before adding a ball.
If it is not clicking yet: If the child chases every receiver, remove the other players and repeat with one partner. Avoid switching between man and zone instructions during the same first activity.

Defense · S

Safety: Start deeper and help protect the space behind the other defenders.

“Start behind your teammates. Watch for someone coming deep. Nobody gets behind you.”

Try it together: Mark a deeper starting spot. Walk one receiver toward that space and show how the safety stays between the receiver and the end zone. Keep the first repetitions slow and without a ball; explain which end zone the team is protecting.
Check understanding: Can the child point to the end zone they are defending and return to the deeper starting spot after the repetition?
If it is not clicking yet: If the safety rushes toward the starting line, pause and walk back to the marker together. Show the open space behind them before repeating.

Connect one job to an animated play

Watch the offensive jobs

Watch C first: finish the snap, then move into space. Replay and follow just one receiver. Ask the child to point to that player’s start and finish before walking it on the field.

Open this play and its assignments →

Find the safety and the underneath defenders

Locate the deepest defender before pressing Run. This 5v5 zone example has four defenders underneath and one safety. The animation shows a coverage example; practice the actual flag pull separately at walking speed.

Open this play and its assignments →

A short progression for a first practice

Use about ten minutes for this introduction, with time to repeat a step. The timings are a planning suggestion; move on when the children are comfortable, not when the clock says so.

Find the field and the stop signal — two minutes. Show the boundaries, where the ball starts and which way the offense travels. Walk, stop, then reset together.
Find one spot — two minutes. Give each child a marker. Ask them to point to their starting place and walk there. Explain that teammates have different jobs on the same play.
Try one action — three minutes. Work in pairs on a snap, a short route or a stationary flag pull. Demonstrate first and give each child several attempts without a long queue.
Connect two jobs — three minutes. Pair the center and quarterback, or the quarterback and one receiver. Walk the sequence before adding a ball. Finish, reset, and try again.

Rotate roles after a child has had a chance to understand one. Offer a rehearsal beside a coach before a new job. Do not permanently make the fastest child the receiver or the most confident child the quarterback. Notice a concrete success: “You waited for the snap,” or “You found your spot again.”

Questions children and new coaches ask

Does everyone get the ball?

Only one player holds it at a time, but everyone has a job. Build practice turns so every child gets opportunities to handle the ball. During a play, explain how running a separate route helps a teammate find space.

Does 5v5 have a running back?

It can, depending on the formation and rules. Our 5v5 examples use three receivers and no dedicated running back; a receiver takes the sweep handoff. Our 6v6 version adds RB. Teach the roles in the play you are using rather than treating one lineup as universal.

What are cornerback, linebacker and rusher?

Coaches may use cornerback for an outside coverage defender and linebacker for a defender working nearer the middle. A rusher is assigned to pressure the quarterback when the rules allow it. Names and assignments vary. For a beginner, first show the starting place and the actual coverage job; our base examples do not assign a rusher.

Are positions different for girls?

Teach the jobs from the team’s format, rules and formation. Do not assign a position based on gender. Give each child a supported chance to try different responsibilities and choose the next teaching step from what they can demonstrate.