What is Flag Guarding in Flag Football?
Aside from the obvious differences between flag football and tackle football, there’s one that players sometimes can be forgetful about when they take on flag. In tackle football, you can do plenty of different maneuvers to try and get passed a defender, such as stiff arm, lower your shoulders for contact, and more. In flag football, however, it’s a bit more tactical when it comes to taking a player’s flags—and trying to stop a defender from taking yours.
Flag guarding in flag football is a big no-no. Flag guarding happens when the ball-carrier blocks a defender from grabbing their flag. This can include actions like using a stiff arm, placing a hand over the flag, or lowering the arm or elbow to shield it. It's an illegal move and typically results in a penalty against the offense.
It’s easy to forget this when you first start playing flag football because since one of the main aspects of the game is to prevent your flag from being pulled, you’ll naturally try to do just that. You’ll probably do it mindlessly and, until you get called for it as a penalty, won’t understand the ramifications of flag guarding. Fear not though, potential flag football athlete, we’ve got ways to help you avoid it, how to defend against players that do it, and more.
Why is Flag Guarding Illegal?
Think of other sports you might watch. Basketball, for example, with blocking fouls. This would include impeding on an offensive player’s movement towards the basket. In hockey, something like a hooking penalty impedes the motion of another player. With flag guarding, the offensive player isn’t allowing the defender fair and legal access to pulling their flags. Instead, the offensive player will stiff arm, swat, pin a flag, or other ways in which they’ll lessen the accessibility of their flags.
According to USA Flag, the ball carrier’s flags have to be accessible to the defense at all times throughout the play. Not having them visible or accessible would be like running with a force field around you—totally unfair and uncool. In NFL Flag rules, flag guarding constitutes a 10-yard penalty and a loss of downs.
Common situations that players might tend to flag guard would be:
Natural movement of their off-ball arm hanging down around the flag. Try to prevent this by running with your hand held high on your body.
Stiff arming or swatting a defender’s hands away. Remember that flag football is conceptually like traditional American football, but in terms of what you’re allowed to do physically, things are a bit different.
Low shoulder movements like spin moves that block the offensive player’s flag belt or a movement that positions the shoulders over the ball.
Having flags tucked in your shorts or pants, under your jersey, looped around the waist belt, or knotted.
How to Avoid Flag Guarding
Try not to forget that when you start with flag football—especially after coming from playing a traditional football game—flag guarding might just be natural. It makes sense, wanting to avoid a defender to take your flag and get you down. Here are some drills you can do to help yourself avoid flag guarding.
Run with your arms high: It might take a little bit to get this down since the unnatural feeling of it in the beginning, but running with your arms (yes, even the one with the ball) about chest high will cause you to avoid having them hang by your hips and potentially cover your flags.
Spin moves: Work on your footing and do some spin moves! Though it’s allowed, leaving your feet isn’t, as it can be called for flag guarding, as well as spinning out of control.
Sideline drill: Make a narrow sideline with defenders on one side and running backs on the other. Have the running backs run straight and have the defenders run straight as well, trying to pull at the running back’s flags. This will help you evaluate how your ball carriers run with the ball in their hands while defenders close in on them.
Snake drill: Set up four cones into a rectangle with the long sides about 7 yards apart and the short sides about 4 yards apart. Put your offensive players in one corner and the defenders in the other. On the whistle, have them run along the outside of the cones until they meet in the middle, where the defender will dry and stop the offensive player before they get to the end.
Flag guarding goes against what flag football is all about—keeping the game fair, fun, and low-contact. It gives the ball-carrier an unfair edge and takes away from the skill of clean flag pulling. The good news? It can be avoided with a little practice. Focus on solid footwork, quick cuts, and keeping your hands away from your flags. Not only will you stay penalty-free, but you’ll also be a better all-around player.