Question 1

Who is eligible to participate?

Accepted Answer

Coed athletes in elementary grades 3–5, middle school, high school, and college are eligible. True Method is a clinic — not a camp or a league — and partners with schools, colleges, and league programs to develop competitors. Athletes are grouped by school level and experience so instruction lands. All experience levels are welcome, from first-time players to advanced competitors.

Question 2

What if my athlete doesn't have any flag football experience?

Accepted Answer

No experience is necessary! We welcome beginners and provide foundational instruction to build confidence and skills. Our coaches differentiate instruction to meet each athlete where they are.

Question 3

Can my athlete attend multiple weeks?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! Athletes can register for as many weeks as they'd like. Contact us for multi-week pricing.

Question 4

Are scholarships available?

Accepted Answer

Yes, limited scholarships are available for athletes with demonstrated need. Check the scholarship request box during registration and submit a brief statement explaining your need.

Question 5

What are the session times for Saturday and Sunday clinics?

Accepted Answer

Weekend clinics offer two daily sessions: Morning Session (9:00 AM – 11:00 AM) and Afternoon Session (12:00 PM – 2:00 PM). Both sessions are available for registration and deliver the same instructional quality.

Question 6

What are the School Night Training Session times?

Accepted Answer

School Night Training Sessions run Monday through Friday, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM. Pricing is $40 per session or $160 for a 5-day bundle (save $40). School Night is not bookable this fall — start with Weekend Clinics at /book.

Question 7

What about Summer 2027?

Accepted Answer

Summer 2027 is coed for grades 3–college and runs 7 full-week cohorts from June 14 through July 30. Week 1 trains 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM; Weeks 2–7 train 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM. Each week is Monday through Friday, 4 hours per day, 20 hours per week. The rate is a firm $440/week with no additional fees, registration opens May 2027, and the high school session ends after Week 4 (July 9); Weeks 5–7 focus on elementary, middle school, and college athletes.

Question 8

How many athletes are in each session?

Accepted Answer

Summer 2027 is limited to 30 athletes max per week. Weekend clinics and school-night sessions are limited to 30 athletes max per session to ensure quality coaching, personalized attention, and effective instruction.

Question 9

Do both weekend sessions need to fill before I can register?

Accepted Answer

No. Both morning and afternoon sessions are planned and available for registration. You can register for whichever session works best for your schedule.

Question 10

What is the coach-to-player ratio?

Accepted Answer

We maintain a 1:8 coach-to-player ratio to ensure personalized attention and effective instruction for every athlete.

Question 11

Who coaches the sessions?

Accepted Answer

Sessions are led by Coach Darren, a former professional and collegiate athlete with over a decade of coaching experience. True Method is a USA Football–enrolled organization, and all coaching staff are USA Football–trained, Live Scan/AB 506 compliant, CPR/AED certified, and trained in concussion recognition.

Question 12

What does a typical training session cover?

Accepted Answer

Sessions are structured around fundamentals first: catching and passing mechanics, route running, defensive positioning, flag pulling technique, and game strategy. Coaches incorporate speed and agility drills, positional work, and live scrimmages. Leadership, teamwork, and recovery basics are woven into every session.

Question 13

How are athletes grouped during training?

Accepted Answer

Athletes are grouped by skill level and age when possible. Coaches assess abilities during training to ensure appropriate challenge levels. Both beginners and competitive athletes train together with differentiated instruction.

Question 14

What is the Player Progress Tracker?

Accepted Answer

The Player Progress Tracker is our proprietary system for monitoring every athlete's development across the program. It tracks attendance, performance metrics (passing, catching, flag pulls, and more), athleticism tests (sprint times, agility, vertical jump), and coach evaluations — giving parents and athletes a clear, data-driven picture of growth over time.

Question 15

How does the Flag Belt progression system work?

Accepted Answer

Athletes progress through five belt levels: White (beginner), Yellow (developing), Green (intermediate), Blue (advanced), and Black (elite). Belt advancement is earned based on consistent attendance, demonstrated skill improvement across performance categories, and coach evaluation of intangibles like effort, attitude, and leadership. It's designed to reward commitment and growth, not just raw talent.

Question 16

What metrics are tracked for my daughter?

Accepted Answer

We track a comprehensive set of development metrics: Offensive stats (pass attempts, completions, catches, touchdowns), Defensive stats (flag pulls, interceptions, pass deflections), Athleticism tests (20-yard sprint, 40-yard sprint, 5-10-5 shuttle, cone drill, vertical jump, broad jump, plank hold), and Intangible ratings (effort, attitude, coachability, leadership, football IQ, teamwork). These are recorded by coaches during and after each session.

Question 17

How can I view my daughter's progress?

Accepted Answer

Parents receive access to the Parent Portal after registration. Through the portal, you can view your daughter's attendance history, performance averages across all skill categories, athleticism test improvements compared to her baseline, coach feedback and session notes (when shared), belt level and progression status, and visual progress charts showing growth over time.

Question 18

How often is progress data updated?

Accepted Answer

Coaches record performance data during or immediately after each training session. Quick tallies (stat counts) are captured in real time or same-day, and detailed session evaluations are completed within 24 hours. Your Parent Portal reflects the most current data available.

Question 19

What are the coach evaluations based on?

Accepted Answer

Coaches use standardized rubrics to rate athletes on a 1–5 scale across categories like conditioning, strength, agility, flag skills, and team drills. They also evaluate intangible qualities — effort, attitude, coachability, leadership, football IQ, and teamwork — using shared calibration standards so ratings are fair and consistent across the coaching staff.

Question 20

Will I receive notifications about my daughter's progress?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The system sends automated session reminders before upcoming training and attendance alerts if your daughter is marked absent. You can also view coach notes and session summaries directly in the Parent Portal.

Question 21

Where does training take place?

Accepted Answer

Training takes place at our indoor turf facility as well as outdoor turf fields. Indoor sessions focus on fundamentals, repetition, and controlled instruction. Outdoor sessions are used intentionally for scrimmages, spacing, and game-style scenarios. The training environment may vary by date and is communicated in advance.

Question 22

What safety protocols are in place?

Accepted Answer

True Method is a USA Football–enrolled organization. All coaches are USA Football–trained, Live Scan/AB 506 compliant, CPR/AED certified, and trained in concussion recognition. We maintain emergency contacts, follow strict concussion protocols, and sessions are always supervised by trained staff.

Question 23

What happens in severe weather?

Accepted Answer

Training is primarily indoors on climate-controlled turf, so weather is rarely a concern. If outdoor sessions are planned and weather is unsafe, they are moved indoors or rescheduled. Parents are notified of any changes.

Question 24

What should my daughter bring?

Accepted Answer

Turf shoes (NO cleats allowed — black or any color flat-rubber turf trainers), a mouthguard (mandatory for every session per CIF §1.11), water bottle, light snack, sunscreen for occasional outside activity, and a change of clothes. Pocketless shorts or leggings are required (no open pockets, belt loops, drawstrings, snaps, or zippers). All training equipment including flag belts are provided.

Question 25

Where do I drop off and pick up?

Accepted Answer

Detailed drop-off and pick-up instructions, including parking information and facility maps, will be emailed after registration.

Question 26

What rule set do you train on?

Accepted Answer

We train on the official CIF Flag Football Rule Book (rev. March 18, 2024) — the same rule set used by Marin County high schools. Format is 7-on-7, non-contact, on an 80 × 40 yard playing area (100 yards total including two 10-yard end zones) with hash marks 23' apart. The full rule book is published on our /rules page.

Question 27

How long is a game and how is it timed?

Accepted Answer

Four 12-minute quarters with a stop-clock procedure in the final 2:00 of each half. The clock stops for all penalties, scores, and changes of possession the entire game. Halftime is 5 minutes. Each team gets 2 timeouts per half (no carry-over); overtime gives 1 timeout per extra period. Mercy rule: in the final 2:00, if the point differential is 28+ points, the clock runs continuously (2025 CIF interpretation).

Question 28

How does scoring work?

Accepted Answer

Touchdown = 6 points. PAT from the 3-yard line = 1 point; PAT from the 10-yard line = 2 points. Turnovers on a PAT result in a dead ball — defense cannot score on a try. Safety = 2 points (opponent puts the ball in play from their 30). Touchback and start of half = ball at the 14-yard line.

Question 29

What are the rushing and QB rules?

Accepted Answer

Any defender can rush — no limit on the number of rushers — but they must line up 1 yard beyond the line of scrimmage at the snap (1-yard neutral zone). QBs may run anytime on downs with no per-series limit. The No-Run Zone has been removed; the ball can be run from anywhere on the field.

Question 30

Are punts allowed?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Scrimmage kicks must be declared (Rule 6). All players freeze until after the ball is kicked, the receiving team may recover a kick that has touched the ground (but not a muff), the kicking team may never recover, and a kick that crosses the endzone line is a touchback.

Question 31

What about flag guarding and intentional grounding?

Accepted Answer

Flag guarding is reclassified under Illegal Use of Hands and requires contact to be a foul — penalty is 10 yards with no loss of down (10.1.6). Intentional grounding is now a foul that includes a loss of down — the QB can no longer freely throw the ball away to avoid a sack.

Question 32

What is the Summer 2027 weekly price?

Accepted Answer

The Summer 2027 weekly rate is a firm $440/week for a full Monday–Friday cohort — 20 hours of instruction, no add-on fees. Saturday clinics are priced separately: $45 per athlete when preregistration fills to 20 athletes, or $65 per athlete if the session does not reach 20.

Question 33

Why does the program cost what it does?

Accepted Answer

Every week includes 20 hours of coach-led instruction (5 days × 4 hours), access to FLYTE Racquet Club, recovery team access (PT, massage, wellness staff), Player Progress Tracker enrollment with parent portal, USA Football membership with supplemental accident insurance and liability coverage, all training equipment, hydration support, and a credentialed coaching staff (USA Football–trained, Live Scan / AB 506 compliant, CPR/AED certified).

Question 34

When does Summer 2027 registration open?

Accepted Answer

Summer 2027 registration opens May 2027. The schedule is posted now so families can plan around the June 14 through July 30 weekly cohort dates.

Question 35

Are recovery and player tracking included?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Summer 2027 weekly cohorts include recovery education, access to the Player Progress Tracker, and parent-facing development visibility as part of the standard program experience.

Question 36

What does the USA Football membership actually cover?

Accepted Answer

Every registered athlete is enrolled in USA Football membership at no extra cost. That includes supplemental accident insurance that helps cover medical expenses from injuries sustained during sanctioned training activities, secondary liability coverage for the program, and ongoing access to USA Football's player and parent education resources. It's a meaningful safety net you won't find at most independent clinics.

Question 37

What is the day-rate option?

Accepted Answer

A Summer 2027 single-day rate is not currently listed. If your athlete cannot commit to a full week, Saturday Power Sessions are the current week-by-week option.

Question 38

Are multi-week or sibling discounts available?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Families registering multiple weeks or multiple athletes from the same household may qualify for multi-week pricing. Contact us before completing registration and we'll send a personalized link. Scholarships are also available — see the Programs & Eligibility section.

Question 39

How do I register?

Accepted Answer

Book a class on our website at /book. Payments are processed securely through Vagaro with Coach Darren at True Method Flag Football. You can optionally complete athlete details and the waiver on /registration first, then return to /book to pay.

Question 40

What is your refund policy?

Accepted Answer

Submit refund requests in writing at least 7 days before the first scheduled session. Approved refunds are minus a $50 administrative fee and return to the original payment method. Requests inside 7 days, no-shows, and missed sessions are not refunded. A documented medical emergency may be considered for credit toward a future session, not a cash refund. See the Refund Policy page for the full terms.

Question 41

What policies should I review before registering?

Accepted Answer

We recommend reviewing our Waiver & Release of Liability, Refund Policy, Terms of Service, and Privacy Policy — all available on our website. These cover safety protocols, liability, cancellation terms, and how we handle your family's data.

Frequently Asked Questions