Flag Pulling

A missed flag pull can be the difference between a win and a loss. With that in mind, let’s break down flag pulling technique.

Flag Pulling Technique:

1. Position yourself in an athletic stance in front of the ball carrier. You want to use your body positioning (not contact) to slow the ball carrier’s forward motion and force them to move laterally.

2. Make your hands big (spread those fingers) and locate the ball carrier’s hips. Position your hands on their hips with your palms flat against their flag belt.

3. On their hips, you’ll feel the socket where the flag enters the belt. Focus on that socket, grasp, and pull down to remove the flags.

Common Mistake #1:

Pulling at the middle or end of the flag rather than the socket.

Flags flap erratically with wind and body movement. The part of the flag farthest away from the belt has the largest range of motion.

Pulling at the middle or end of the flag increases the likelihood of a miss due to flag movement. Pulling at the sockets removes flag movement from the equation increasing your likelihood of a successful pull.

Common Mistake #2:

Approaching the pull fingers first (hands perpendicular to the ball carrier) rather than palms first (hands flat against the ball carrier).

Imagine you need to hit a tennis ball with either a baseball bat or a tennis racket. The tennis racket makes your task easier giving you a larger surface area to contact the ball for a successful hit. 

It’s a similar idea with flag pulling. The fingers-first approach is like using a baseball bat. It’ll work sometimes, but you need to be highly accurate for success. 

Alternatively, the palms-first approach gives you more surface area to locate the flag socket. You have more wiggle room for a successful pull.

Leading fingers first also increases the likelihood of finger jams. A small misjudgment of distance or a minor body shift from the ball carrier puts your fingers at risk. Go palms-first to keep those fingers safe.