Flag pulling, route running, and quarterback basics in a fast, non-contact game.
Flag football is a fast, non-contact game, and our clinics teach the skills it rewards: pulling flags with good body position, running sharp routes, catching with the hands, and quarterback footwork and throwing mechanics. Flag football will be part of the LA 2028 Olympic Games, and it is now a CIF-sanctioned high school sport for girls in California. Athletes of every experience level learn the fundamentals in small groups, and older athletes finish with tryout-style drills and game situations.
Flag football looks simple, but it is a game of small details done at full speed. A defender who watches the hips and breaks down before the ball carrier arrives pulls the flag; one who lunges at the jersey misses, and grabbing a jersey is a penalty. A receiver who plants on the outside foot and snaps their head around at the break gets open; one who curves through the cut lets the defender stay close. Technique is what turns speed and effort into plays.
Because the game is non-contact, good technique is also part of playing safely. Breaking down under control before a flag pull, changing direction with bent knees and a balanced base, and keeping hands, arms, and the ball away from your own flags (flag guarding is a penalty) all help prevent collisions and awkward falls. Any question about pain or injury belongs with a licensed health care provider.
Quarterback and center skills follow the same logic. A consistent snap, a proper grip with the fingers on the laces, and footwork that lets the quarterback step toward the target make every play start cleanly. At tryouts, coaches tend to watch for these exact things: clean flag pulls, sharp routes, reliable hands, accurate throws, and players who know the rules well enough to play without penalties.
Each skill is taught with the cues our coaches use at every station — short phrases athletes can repeat to themselves at home.
The defensive skill that ends every play. Good flag pulling is about body position and timing, not speed alone.
Receivers get open with precise routes, not just speed.
Reliable hands make the offense work. We teach catching with the hands, away from the body.
Quarterbacks need a consistent grip, balanced footwork, and an accurate, repeatable throwing motion.
Every play starts with a clean exchange between the center and the quarterback, so they practice it until it is automatic.
After the catch, the goal is to gain yards without contact and without breaking the flag rules.
Running, changing direction, catching soft passes, pulling flags in tag-style games, and learning the basic rules. The focus is movement, confidence with the ball, and fun.
Flag-pulling technique, basic routes, catching with the hands, and quarterback grip and footwork, with lots of repetition and feedback. Athletes learn the core rules, including why flag guarding is a penalty.
Tryout-ready route running, flag pulling in open space, quarterback and center fundamentals, and position work on offense and defense. We run the drills athletes are likely to see at junior high and freshman tryouts, including for high school girls flag football programs.
Speed and reading the defense: route timing with the quarterback, reading coverage (how the defense is set up to guard receivers), rushing the passer within the rules, and game-situation decisions. We focus on the details varsity-level coaches tend to evaluate.
Most mistakes are habits, not ability. Here’s what we see most often in flag football — and the fix we coach.
Weekend Clinics run Days 1 and 2. The Tryout Intensive adds Day 3: tryout-style drills and game situations.
We schedule flag football tryout intensives in the 2–6 weeks before typical fall tryouts, which usually means June and July.
Full tryout calendar →This reflects the typical CIF Southern Section calendar for a newly sanctioned sport; LA City Section schools and individual programs vary, so confirm dates with your school’s athletic department.
Clinic dates are being set for flag football. Join the list and we’ll email you the moment registration opens near you.
Flag football is a non-contact sport: there is no tackling, and a play ends when a defender pulls the ball carrier’s flag. We teach defenders to break down and pull the flag cleanly, and ball carriers to avoid flag guarding (using a hand, arm, or the ball to protect their flags). Like any running sport, players can still bump into each other or fall, so we teach body control and change of direction from the first day. Any question about an injury belongs with a licensed health care provider.
Yes. Many athletes come to flag football from other sports, and skills like running, catching, and changing direction carry over. Foundations and Builders sessions start with the basics, and coaches adjust each drill to the athlete’s level. Nobody needs to know the rules or the positions before the first day.
Every athlete works on catching, route running, and flag pulling, because every position needs them. Athletes interested in quarterback or center get reps on grip, footwork, and the snap, and coaches rotate players through positions so everyone learns the whole game. If your athlete is aiming for a specific position at tryouts, let the coaches know on the first day.
No. Elevate does not field teams, so a clinic is instruction, not an evaluation for a roster. Because girls flag football is new at many high schools, plenty of athletes want to know what a tryout will look like, and the tryout intensive includes a tryout-style day for that reason. No clinic can promise a spot on a team; our goal is that your athlete arrives prepared and confident.
Join the list with your sport, age band, and city. We’ll email you when a clinic opens near you — no commitment until you register.