Flag Football Positions (5v5, 6v6, 7v7) + Depth Chart

Positions by format

Count the players on the field before you name them. A 5v5 team, a 6v6 team, and a 7v7 team are not the same roster with a player standing on the sideline. Each added player is a job.

This guide covers non-blocking flag formats with an eligible center, rather than leagues with blocking linemen. The center snaps the ball and then runs a route. Everyone else on offense is a quarterback or a skill player. Defense is a rusher, corners, underneath defenders, and safeties. A tackle depth chart, with guards and tackles, does not map onto this game.

Coaches write the same formats as 5 on 5, 6 on 6, and 7 on 7. The jobs below fit that non-blocking format. Check center eligibility, blocking, rush distance, and quarterback running rules in your own league before assigning positions.

• NFL FLAG is usually 5v5. The card says quarterback, center, wide receiver, rusher, and defensive back. The center is eligible after the snap, and the rusher often starts 7 yards off the ball. Confirm the rush line and the pass clock in your league rules before you install anything else.
• Other youth and adult leagues can use different eligibility, blocking, and rush rules, even with the same number of players. Labels such as X, slot, nickel, and mike describe assignments within a scheme; they do not determine the rules.

The same player count can support several defensive formations. NFL FLAG's defense guide illustrates man coverage and zones with different numbers of deep defenders. Here we use one rusher and two safeties to make the examples easy to compare.

5v5 flag football positions (5 on 5)

Five players a side. Offense can send four receivers into routes when the center is eligible; a handoff or other backfield action changes their assignments. In the two-safety example below, one player rushes and four cover.

Offense

• Quarterback — shotgun, takes the snap, throws, hands off, or runs if the rules allow.
• Center (snapper) — snaps, then releases. Eligible after the snap in a typical flag league.
• Three skill players — two outside receivers and a slot, or two receivers and a running back.

The back is not a fourth skill player. Using one means one of the three receiver spots steps into the backfield, and you have one fewer player split wide. Many youth 5v5 teams never use a back. Spread, with three receivers, is the formation that teaches the positions cleanly. The 5v5 plays and formations guide is where those alignments become plays.

5 on 5 offense: the center is on the ball and eligible after the snap. The quarterback is in shotgun.

Defense positions

• Rusher — the player allowed to cross the rush line and pull the quarterback's flag.
• Two corners — the underneath defenders outside. In this two-safety zone they are the entire short coverage. There is no linebacker in that look.
• Two safeties — they split the deep field. This example uses two safeties; other schemes use a different number.

When the rules say nobody can rush, or you choose coverage over pressure, the rusher becomes the middle underneath player. A one-safety zone can also use a middle underneath defender while keeping a rusher. The coverage call determines the jobs. The calls themselves, including that no-rush look, are in the 5v5 defense guide.

5 on 5 two-safety example: one rusher, two corners underneath, and two safeties deep. Other schemes use different jobs.

6v6 flag football positions

Six players a side. The extra offensive player is a fourth skill player. In our two-safety example, the extra defensive player is a linebacker. Other coverages can use that sixth defender differently.

Offense

• Quarterback
• Center — still eligible after the snap. Include a route for the center in your passing concepts.
• Four skill players — three receivers and a back, or four receivers with an empty backfield, or two receivers and two backs.

6v6 can keep three receivers split out and still use a back. Empty, with four receivers and nobody in the backfield, is also a real 6v6 formation. Both are drawn in the 6v6 plays and formations guide.

Defense positions

• Rusher
• Two corners
• Linebacker — the new job. About 5 to 7 yards off, in the middle, next to the rusher. Covers the center's release and crossing routes without blocking or holding receivers.
• Two safeties

That front is a rusher, two corners, and a linebacker, with two deep. Playbook calls for it live in the 6v6 defense guide. Do not copy a 5v5 defense and tell the sixth player to "play ball."

6v6 two-safety example: one rusher, two corners, one linebacker, and two safeties. Alignments are illustrative; follow your league's rush distance.

7v7 flag football positions (7 on 7)

Seven players a side. Offense adds a fifth skill player. Our two-safety defensive example adds a second linebacker. A third safety is a coverage choice, Cover 3, which moves one linebacker deep. It is not an eighth player.

Offense

• Quarterback — more receiving options to read; the pass clock and rush rules still determine how much time is available.
• Center — the route should be written into the play. Six routes means a forgotten center release is a wasted player.
• Five skill players — four receivers and a back (the usual pro set), five receivers with an empty backfield, or three receivers and two backs.

The pro set is the position lesson: two receivers to each side, one back, the center on the ball, the quarterback in shotgun. The 7v7 plays and formations guide starts from that look. The same format may be called 7 on 7, 7 vs 7, or 7-man.

7 on 7 offense, pro set: four receivers, one back, the center on the ball. Empty drops the back out wide and becomes five receivers.

Defense positions

• Rusher — one rusher leaves two corners, two linebackers, and two safeties.
• Two corners
• Two linebackers — the second one is the player 6v6 did not have. With nobody rushing, a middle linebacker joins them and five players play underneath.
• Two safeties — still two in the base call. Move a linebacker deep if you want a third player over the top.

Some 7-on-7 passing tournaments are a different game: the center may be ineligible, and there may be no running and no rush. Read the rule card before you assign a defender to a route that cannot be run. The flag version, with an eligible center, is the 7v7 defense guide.

What each position does

The format sections say who is on the field. This section is the job, who usually plays it, and the mistake that shows up on Saturday.

Quarterback

The quarterback takes the shotgun snap, works the read, and throws, hands off, or runs when the rules allow. The quarterback does not snap the ball.

Put the player who can make the first decision on time here. At roughly ages 7 to 10 that is often the most reliable pair of hands, not the fastest runner. Keep a second quarterback who has taken snaps in practice. Teens and adults can split a thrower and a runner by quarter. One person is still the quarterback on each snap.

The common miss is staring at one receiver, or holding the ball for a route the pass clock will not allow. Footwork and the read are in the quarterback development guide.

Center

The center, or snapper, gets the ball to the quarterback and then becomes a receiver. Use the snap technique your league permits; do not assume a side snap is legal. The route after it is a flat, a short drag, or a sit at about 3 to 5 yards.

Choose a calm player who snaps the same way every repetition. Younger teams should not hide a struggling player at center. The snap is the play. Older teams can time the center's route as part of the call.

A bounce snap ends the play before it starts. A center who stands still after a clean snap erases a route. In 5v5 that is one of four.

Receiver and slot

The outside receiver stretches the corner and runs the vertical, the hitch, or the out. The slot lines up closer to the ball and runs the slant, the drag, or the flat. Same position family. The difference is the landmark.

Youth teams should rotate almost everyone through receiver. A player who can catch and get back to the huddle can play outside. Give newer players a simple route and a clear landmark before adding more reads. Teens can specialize. Adults often call the outside player X or Z and the inside player slot or Y.

Two receivers arriving at the same spot is a spacing error, not a talent error. A slot who lines up on the numbers is a second outside receiver.

Running back

The back lines up in the backfield, beside or behind the quarterback, takes a handoff, or releases into a route. In flag this is a skill player. The back does not stay in and block.

5v5 spends a receiver to put a back on the field. 6v6 and 7v7 can keep a back and still split three or four receivers. Choose a back or an empty backfield to fit the play and your league rules.

The player needs reliable hands on a handoff and a flat route for the snaps that are passes. A back who only runs tells the defense the backfield has one job.

Rusher

The rusher is the defender allowed to cross the rush line and pull the quarterback's flag. Many youth leagues start that player 7 yards off the ball. These examples use one rusher. If a second rusher is legal, sending one reduces the number of coverage players; plan the coverage behind that pressure.

Pick a player who can break down and pull a flag at the belt with two hands. Speed that cannot stop runs past the quarterback and opens the lane the corners are trying to close. Name one rusher and one backup at youth ages. Older teams can rotate two rushers by quarter. The finish is in the art of the rush.

Corner

The corner is the outside underneath defender. "Defensive back" is the family name for corners and safeties. In zone, the corner owns the flat and the curl and lets a vertical go with a "deep" call. In man, the corner stays on a receiver's hip.

In our 5v5 two-safety zone, the two corners handle the short coverage. Younger players do this job better in zone, with their eyes on the quarterback. The miss is backing up with every vertical and leaving the hitch, the out, and a quarterback run with nobody in front of them.

Linebacker

The linebacker is the underneath defender in the middle. The job is the center's release and any crosser, then a flag pull. In zone, pass routes to the next defender according to the call; in man, stay with the assigned receiver.

Our two-safety examples use no linebacker in 5v5, one in 6v6, and two in 7v7. Other schemes can trade a deep defender or a rusher for another underneath player.

Put a player here who will stay home. The best athlete on a youth team is often a better rusher or safety. The miss is chasing the first jersey that crosses your face until the middle is empty.

Safety

The safety is the deep defender. Two safeties split the field in the examples here; one-safety and three-deep calls divide it differently. Nobody lines up behind them. They come downhill after the ball is thrown short and their half is clear.

A third deep player is Cover 3. Reassign an existing defender to that deep zone and account for the space they leave underneath.

Choose eyes and a willingness to stay deep, then a cone for younger safeties so "home" is a place they can point to. The miss is both safeties running to the first short throw. The corner owns that throw. The safety owns anything over the top of it.

Depth chart and roster template

A roster lists your players and jersey numbers. A depth chart ranks starters and backups at each position. A game-day lineup assigns one available player to each spot for a period. Keep these connected, but use each for its own job.

Start with the roster, then build the depth chart and period assignments.

1. Pick the format and write the jobs from the sections above. Offense first, then defense. A 5v5 card has ten lines if you list both sides. A 6v6 card adds a skill player and a linebacker. A 7v7 card adds another skill player and a second linebacker.
2. Write two or three names at each job, best fit first. That ordered list is the depth chart. Leave quarterback, center, and rusher with a real backup. Practice those specialist jobs before game day.
3. For the game, copy one name into each spot for the quarter. That single column is the lineup card. Use each player only once on each side for that period; the bench is whoever is not assigned on that side.
4. Print it. Position label first, player name second, offense and defense on separate halves of the card.

A blank 5v5 depth chart for the illustrated two-safety defense looks like this. Add a skill-player row and a linebacker row for 6v6. Add one more of each for 7v7.

For a separate roster template, use one row per player with these columns: jersey number, player name, offensive positions, defensive positions, and availability. Then transfer names into the depth chart above. A player may back up several jobs, but cannot fill two spots on the same side at once.

Use the lineup builder to turn your position plan into game-day assignments. You keep the roster, assign these positions by quarter on offense and defense, check who has sat too long, and print the sideline card.

Who rotates through those jobs, and how equal playing time actually gets counted, is the substitution and rotation guide. Use it to plan who plays each period after choosing your positions.

Playing both ways

Most youth and adult rec teams play the same athletes on offense and defense. A receiver is often a corner or a safety after the change of possession. That is normal. It is also why the depth chart is two lists.

Build offense and defense separately. A player can be first at receiver and second at safety. A player should not be the quarterback and the rusher on every snap unless the roster gives you no other choice. Equal playing time is easier to see when the two sides are written apart. The lineup card for the quarter then pulls one name from each list.

Age and level

About ages 7 to 10. Teach three offensive words and three defensive words: quarterback, center, receiver, rusher, corner, safety. The slot is still a receiver. Teach only the positions your defensive call uses. Put two names at receiver and at corner so equal playing time has a place to go. One call on defense is enough.

About ages 11 to 14. The slot, the back, and the linebacker can be real jobs with their own landmark. A player can have a home position and one backup. Man coverage is still a change-up, and only after a player can stay on a hip in practice.

High school and adult. 7v7, or a wide 5v5, can use specific names: X, slot, nickel, mike. Players can specialize. The count is the same as the format sections above. A specialist is still a receiver, a rusher, a linebacker, or a safety. Adult leagues that send more than one rusher still need the coverage behind that rush written down, or the depth chart has two rushers and a hole.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the positions in 5v5 flag football?

In 5v5 flag football, the offense is a quarterback, a center who snaps and then becomes an eligible receiver, and three skill players: wide receivers, a slot, or one running back. One defensive option is a rusher, two corners, and two safeties. Other coverages can use a linebacker or a different number of deep defenders. Check your league rules for eligibility and blocking.

What are the positions in 6v6 flag football?

6v6 flag football adds one player to each side of 5v5. The offense is a quarterback, an eligible center, and four skill players, so the extra player is a fourth receiver or a running back. One two-safety defensive option is a rusher, two corners, one linebacker, and two safeties. The coverage call can change those jobs.

What are the positions in 7v7 flag football?

7v7 flag football, also called 7 on 7, uses a quarterback, an eligible center, and five skill players on offense, often four receivers and a back, or five receivers. One defensive option is a rusher, two corners, two linebackers, and two safeties. Other schemes divide the seven players differently between rushing and coverage.

What is the difference between flag football and tackle positions?

In the non-blocking formats covered here, there is no blocking offensive line. An eligible center snaps the ball and then runs a route. Some leagues use different blocking and eligibility rules. Everyone else on offense is a quarterback, a receiver, a slot, or a back. The defense is a rusher, corners, linebackers or other underneath defenders, and safeties. A name borrowed from tackle football, such as X or nickel, still means one of those flag jobs.

How do you make a flag football depth chart?

List every offensive job and every defensive job for your format, then write two or three player names at each job, in the order you would play them. That ordered list is the depth chart. A roster lists players and jersey numbers; a game-day lineup assigns one available player to each spot for a period, without assigning anyone twice on the same side. The lineup builder prints that card from your roster.

Do flag football players play both offense and defense?

In most youth and adult rec flag leagues, the same players play offense and defense. A receiver often lines up as a corner or a safety on the other side of the ball. Assign quarterback, center, and rusher on purpose, because the snap, the read, and the rush decide the play. Build the two depth charts separately so one player is not the quarterback and the rusher on every snap.