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  3. Flag Pulling

Rally to the Ball Carrier

Work with a teammate so one of you cuts off the run and the other pulls the flag.

By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026

Set up

Two defenders face one ball carrier in a 15-yard square.

Core: Jogs. Beat your own count of clean pulls.

Ages
14 and up
Time
15 min
Players
You and 3 partners
Space
Yard or field
Bring
Flag belts, cones, 3 partners
Level · skill
Advanced · Flag Pulling

The steps

How it works

  1. Two defenders face one ball carrier in a 15-yard square.
  2. One defender forces the carrier to one side.
  3. The other comes from that side to pull the flag.
  4. Play 12 rounds and talk about who did which job.

Coaching point

One forces, one pulls.

Safety: Non-contact: reach for the flag, not the player. No holding, pushing or blocking, and slow down before you get close. Wear a mouthguard in any partner or game drill (and soft headgear if your league requires it). Keep your head up, call for the ball, and give way in traffic.

Make it fun

Play it, don't drill it

Game version

Flag-reach game: a partner jogs with flags and you reach and pull one flag, with no body contact. Put the flag back and swap.

Challenge

Pick a level: Less (partner walks), Core (jogs), More (changes direction). Beat your own count of clean pulls.

Story

You are a picker plucking one ripe fruit from the tree.

My best

Beat your own count

Beat your own count of clean pulls. Only your own number counts: today against last time.

Practice makes progress

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