There is a new style of youth flag football tournaments popping up primarily along the west coast but now venturing into other parts of the country that has people talking. It’s a format they call “Coach is QB” where the coach is, you guessed it, the QB! They run from 6U all the way up to 14U, with 5 youth players on defense, and 4 on offense along with the coach who quarterbacks the team.
It’s straight passing only, with a 5 second timer to throw the football so he still has to rely on his arm only, but the ability to physically play and participate in the events with their kids and players has a lot of people really loving this unique style. We sat down with the guys at Coach is QB to ask some questions about what they’re doing and how to get involved!
FlagSpin: The “Coach is QB” format that you guys have been using seems like it’s really catching on and is unique to what else is being played out there. Can you give us a quick rundown on what’s different from traditional 5on5 youth flag football tournaments?
Coach is QB: The big difference is that there is an extra player on offense, THE COACH. The Coach ( or neighborhood Dad ) is the Quarterback for his team. It’s all passing so there are no run plays, and to make it tough on the Coach/Quarterback if they throw an interception the other team gets 3 points and 6 if they return it all way. Other than that the format is similar to traditional 5on5 flag football.
FlagSpin: How did y’all come up with the idea to try out a format like this?
Coach is QB: We have many years’ experience coaching youth flag and tackle teams. At the end the of our seasons we always divide the kids into teams to play a game of football… Coach is the QB. The coaches, players, and parents look forward to it, and love it.
FlagSpin: What do you hear the most from players and coaches that they like about this style of play?
Coach is QB: We get a lot of positive feedback from players and coaches. One of the best comments from a coach was that “this was the most fun that they ever had playing football their kids.” Coaches are always excited to get back on the football field and play with their kids and friends in a fun and competitive environment.
FlagSpin: How does this impact the development of youth at the quarterback position?
Coach is QB: It’s great for the youth quarterbacks in that they get to practice and play receiver. They get to see how coach gets it done on the field … sometimes that could be good or bad. It’s really fun to watch coaches throw a pic six and have a 6 year old take it to the house!
FlagSpin: Is this format just for the younger kids or what age groups can play?
Coach is QB: We get a lot of established flag and tackle teams that play. So we try to keep standard age divisions 6U, 8U, 10U, 12U, 14U ( open to boys and girls ). Coach can be any age above 18 years!
FlagSpin: Where are you currently running events and how many teams usually participate?
Coach is QB: We are in Arizona, Denver, San Diego, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Dallas in 2015 with tournaments ranging in size from 48 to 80 teams.
FlagSpin: What are your plans for expanding in the future as far as different locations or more events go?
Coach is QB: We plan to be in 20 major markets in the Spring and Summer of 2016.
FlagSpin: Where can we go for more information, to follow you on social media or to register for one of your events?
Coach is QB: Go to our website to register your team: www.coachisqb.com, visit us on Facebook: Coach is QB Football Tournament, and @CoachisQB on Twitter.
Check out this recent highlight video to see the sport in action!
What do you think? Would you play if they ran a youth flag football tournament like this in your area? Let us know in the comments bellow!
Travis Burnett
A pioneer in the flag football community, Travis helped co-found the Flag Football World Championship Tour, FlagSpin and USA Flag. Featuring 15+ years of content creation for the sport of flag football, creating and managing the largest flag football tournaments on the planet, coaching experience at the youth and adult level as well as an active player with National and World Championship level experience.
Keep your fantasies of glory on the sidelines dads.