Basic Six Man Tactics/Strategy Questions

[dfields20]

I'm reaching out from Wyoming to ask for coaches advice from their experience in playing six man football in Texas based on what I have seen as an assistant middle school football coach this year. My first observation I have seen from our high school team is that they teach face guarding/playing in front of the wide receiver with their cornerbacks instead of playing between the receiver and the goal. From everything I've learned from coaching clinics and from my P.E. teaching course work I've always been taught never to show your back to the ball or pass interference will be called most of the time and also you can't react to a ball that you can't see. Same for if the receiver is behind the cornerback how are you suppose to be able to defend what you can't see? It just seems more logical to me to have the corner backs to not let a receiver ever get behind them. The last game we had the high school and middle school both got beat in those scenarios multiple times. Our head coach for the middle school says it's ok to play in front of the receivers because QBs can't throw that far but that wasn't the case yesterday. Our high school coaches also say that's how it's played in six man and I just wanted to get some advice from you coaches down in Texas on this subject.

Another point I wanted to ask is do many of you onside kick the ball on most kick offs or kick it deep? Same for if it's 4th and long inside your own 40 do you like to kick it deep and make the other team drive the length of the field like in 11 man?

Thanks to those who are willing to respond and I look forward to hearing from your experiences in 6 man football.

 

[CoachMen]

kicking in sixman is half deep and half onside. If you have a guy that can put the ball in the In zone every time then you kick deep. If you don’t have a guy you typically kick an onside. Punting is very situational I would say. If you’re pinned down at about your 25 and it’s 4th and long you might see a punt but some will go for it. As for a corner if you’re manned up I would personally rather have him turn his back to the sideline and push inside for safety help while staying on the receivers hip closest to him. QBs can definitely bomb the ball downfield I would say from experience. That’s why most teams typically are always sending three at the spreadback so he can’t have those opportunities.

 

[Blue Bird]

In Texas sixman, face guarding on a pass play is not pass interference. As long as there is no contact. Field position means next to nothing in sixman, so a punt for field position is giving away a possession, the number of times you possess the ball means everything. A successful on side kick takes a possession away from your opponent and gives it to you. It is a turnover. I watched a state game two years ago where the winning team kicked on side after every score. They were successful one time. They won by one TD. Possessions are very important.