Zone defense
Guard a spot, not a player.
In zone, each defender owns an area of the field. You guard your spot, not one runner.
Zone is the easiest defense for young teams: a kid learns one spot instead of chasing one fast kid.
- Eyes on the QB. The QB's eyes tell you where the ball is going.
- When the ball is thrown, everyone runs to it and shouts Ball!
- Deep defenders stay deeper than the deepest receiver. Nobody gets behind you.
- Watch the gaps between zones. Curls and outs sit in them.
The picture shows one rusher, two short zones and two deep zones.
Words in this lesson
- Zone defense
- Each defender guards an area of the field instead of one player.
- Defense
- The other team. They stop the play by pulling the ball carrier's flag, or by catching or knocking down the throw.
- QB (quarterback)
- The player who starts every play: she hikes the ball to herself, then throws it or hands it off. In most flag leagues the QB cannot run past the line with the ball.
Put it to work at practiceOpen the playbook