Mirror Pull.

What it teaches.

The single most-skipped drill in flag football, and the foundation for every flag pull that follows. Mirror Pull teaches the defensive stance and the two-handed pull motion in a controlled space — no chase component, no decision-making, just clean reps until the technique becomes muscle memory. If your team is missing flags in games, this is the drill you go back to on Tuesday.

Step by step.

1. Set up a 5x5 yard box with four cones. Two players inside the box — one carrier, one defender.
2. The defender starts with shoulders square to the carrier and feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent, hands ready at hip level.
3. On the coach's go, the carrier shuffles side to side and forward/back inside the box. Not running — shuffling, like a basketball defender.
4. The defender mirrors the carrier's movement, keeping shoulders square and never crossing their feet.
5. On the whistle, the defender pulls — both hands, palms facing each other, grabbing the flag belt.
6. Reset and switch roles after 30 seconds.

What to watch for.

• Shoulders square to the carrier at all times. The moment the defender turns sideways, they've lost.
• Two hands every pull, even in this slow-motion drill. If you let them swipe with one hand here, they'll do it in games.
• Knees bent, butt down. A defender standing tall can't change direction.
• No diving. Tell them upfront — if you dive, you reset and start over.

Progress the drill.

Where it goes wrong.

• Reaching across the body with one hand — the most common mistake at every age.
• Standing tall — the defender can't shuffle if their knees are locked.
• Lunging at the carrier instead of staying balanced.
• Watching the carrier's eyes instead of their hips — eyes lie, hips don't.