Developing a good offense is only half the journey to winning a flag football game. Defense is just as critical. Having a solid defensive strategy is key to shutting down the opposing team and securing possession of the ball. 

There are two ways to set up a flag football defense — man defense and zone defense. Most coaches tend to use both throughout a game, depending on what’s going down. Like everything, there are pros and cons to both. Here’s the scoop on man defense.   

What it is

In man-to-man coverage, each defensive player is assigned an offensive player to guard for the entire play. Before the snap, four of the defensive players set up at the line of scrimmage, directly across from the player they’re covering. Once the ball is snapped, their job is to stay as close to their player as possible, preventing them from getting the ball. Their eyes — and focus — is on the receiver. If that player does get the ball, the defender must pull the flag. 

A typical man defense formation makes the fifth defender a rusher. That player stands 7 yards back from the line of scrimmage. After the snap, the rusher runs toward the quarterback to either pull their flag or disrupt their throw. For younger kids, the 5th player could play as a safety adding assistance wherever the ball is thrown. These are typically fast players with long limbs able to cover large areas of the defensive backfield!

The good 

Many coaches like to use man-to-man coverage with their younger players because it’s easy to understand. Each player knows exactly who they’re covering. They have one job — to stick with that one player. No need to learn — or remember — the different formations that make up zone defense. 

Man defense is a great choice if you have a particularly athletic group of players with speed to spare. If they can easily stay close to their opponents, the offense isn’t going to have much luck marching down the field. 

The challenging 

Kids sometimes find it hard to stick with one player for an entire play. They can lose their player among the chaos on the field. Watch out for plays with crossing routes. They can confuse defenders and leave the crossing offensive players wide open to catch deep passes. There’s also a risk of being beaten by a bigger, faster kid. (It happens to the best of us). It’s hard to stop a big play if the receiver has 4 inches on you. 

The mix

Seasoned coaches like to switch up their defensive strategy depending on their team’s strengths, the opposite team’s offensive moves and what’s at stake during the game. If this sounds fun, make sure to practice both man and zone defense so your players are comfortable with both. Game time is not the time to introduce a new defense.