Arizona Premier Flag Football Coaches Information

Welcome

Coaches, welcome to the fastest growing league in the East Valley, where new and experienced coaches come to build and improve their tactics and strategies in an effort to make the game of football the beautiful game that it is. Coaching youth football is an exciting and fulfilling endeavor that gives you an opportunity to teach the new generation the skills needed to be successful on and off the field.

Duties Of A Head Coach

To be a head coach, you should have an affinity for teaching/coaching the fundamentals of football and be able to work with children between the ages of 5-17 years old. A reliable coach is a good coach. One who can dedicate at least an hour a week for practice is ideal to ensure adequate time to teach flag football concepts and sport fundamentals. You must be available Friday nights for games with times ranging from 6-9 PM, with the earlier times being reserved for our youngest athletes. It is important for our coaches to know and understand our rules (see links to the right) to ensure all games are run smooth and safe. And last, but not least, provide efficient and positive communication with parents, players, league officials and coaches. Remember, we are the role models to a lot of these kids, let's give them someone good to look up to!

Resources For Coaches

We value our coaches tremendously as they are the ones that decide what kind of experience our athletes will have with flag football. That is why we provide as much assistance as necessary to ensure a smooth operation when it comes to practices and games.

Starter Playbook

Regardless of experience, you will have the opportunity to receive a playbook, equipped with a step-by-step version that explains the purpose of each play to provide an easier breakdown when explaining to your players. In addition, these are condensed to a game day version to allow for easy play calling on the sideline, if you choose to accept it. This was created using the Playmaker X app, available on the Apple/Android App Stores.

Playmaker X Academy

Playmaker X is a great resource for new coaches. Playmaker Academy (not affiliated with AZ Premier Flag) provides education on different concepts of coaching which will make structuring a practice, developing plays, and understanding of different tactics to help you be most successful on the field regardless of age division.

Other Coaches

This is a community of coaches willing to help each other to ensure these kids get the best possible experience our league has to offer. Use other coaches as a resource for tips about drills they like or communication styles they find beneficial with their teams. Set up scrimmages that allow you to slow down the game, practice situational football, and get a chance to play against different defenses. Our board members: Bob Ferron, Robert Tomas, and Vince Gonzales are more than happy to assist in any way they can.

Final Thoughts

As Coaches, you are an integral part of why this league is successful and without you, nothing is possible. With that being said, we believe in positive coaching that show our athletes that a positive outlook and attitude can overcome anything, on and off the field. We ask that you teach our kids to win with humility and lose with integrity through healthy competition. At the end of the day, it's all about the kids and maintaining the core values of our league:

Family. Fun. Football.

Gallery

Coaches Gallery

HOW TO:

Develop Your Players

Practice

Practices should be 1-2 times per week for at least an hour.

If possible, assign a helper to assist with drills. This will help break into small groups for more reps and easier retention.

Develop a schedule to stay on task. For example:
10 Minute Warm Up: Stretches, speed/agility and fundamentals like catching, throwing, and routes.
15 Minute Flag Pulling Drills: Refer to links above for examples.
15 Minute Offensive Planning: Play walkthrough at 50% speed to understand formation and an individual's job. Switch to full speed once everyone understands.
15 Minute Defensive Planning: Teaching different positions: Corner, Safety, Linebacker, and Blitzer. Go over man coverage and zones.
5 Minute Game: This allows for additional skill building and fun!

Drills

NFL Flag provides a great, comprehensive list of drills that you can do with your team. Click one of the links labeled "NFL Flag Drills" above.

Games

Rotate players to play all positions. This will help you if someone is absent or gets hurt, so you won't be hindered for the rest of the game.

Allow groups to get playing time on both sides of the ball. It is recommended to allow a group of 5 to play both an offensive and defensive drive before subbing.

Develop A Strategy

Adapt The Provided Playbook To The Skill Level Of Your Players

Newly assembled teams should start with 4-6 base plays and formations to make it easier for the rookies to learn. As they improve, implement wrinkles and adjustments to be more dynamic.

Go For First Downs, Not Touchdowns

At first your main goal will be to score. However, when you're dealing with new players, your focus should be keeping the playbook simple and easy to understand. This is usually in the form of short yardage passes and runs. As your players start to improve, you can increase the yardage of your play designs and incorporate more difficult concepts like reverses and RPOs.

Playmaker X

This app is a great tool to create your plays and animate them to see it in action. There is a digital option for $7 ($10 to be able to print) that works perfectly if you want to use your phone or tablet on the field. It also provides great video content/instruction for new coaches (click the Playmaker Academy link above).