Y-Cross: a 7v7 flag football play
The slot receiver runs a deep crossing route, 10 to 12 yards up and all the way across the field. The go route on that side pulls the safety wide, and a curl-flat combination on the far side gives the QB a high-low read if the cross is covered.
Opens the free play maker with Y-Cross added, ready to edit and print on a wristband card.
How Y-Cross works
- Y pushes 6 yards, then crosses the field to about 12 yards deep on the far side.
- Z runs a go route to take the deep defender.
- X curls at 9 yards; H runs to the left flat underneath.
- RB checks to the right flat, C sits.
The quarterback's read
- Read the cross first as it clears the middle.
- If the cross is covered, work the curl-flat on the left.
- RB flat is the last-resort checkdown.
Coaching points
- The cross gets deeper as it crosses: it should finish 12 yards up on the far side.
- The QB throws the cross early, to where Y is going, not where they are.
- X and H keep 5 yards of vertical space between the curl and the flat.
When to call it
Second and long, and against man coverage where the cross outruns its defender.
For youth teams
Advanced. The crossing throw is long and the timing is hard.
Rules check
IFAF (5v5, 7v7 and beach)
Legal as drawn. The cross passes well above the center's sit, so there's no shielding.
NFL FLAG and other rulebooks
Built for IFAF 7v7. Many 7v7 leagues outside IFAF write their own rules on rushers, running backs and motion, so check your league's rulebook before you install it.
Rule numbers refer to the IFAF International Flag Football Rules 2023, the current edition. See the trick plays guide for the six rules that decide most plays.
Put Y-Cross on a wristband
Add it to your playbook in the free play maker, change the routes to fit your team, and print numbered wristband cards and a coach's call sheet on regular paper.