Draw, print and share football plays

Football Play Call Sheet

Sort your plays by situation and print a one-page call sheet for the sideline.

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The football play call sheet is a free browser tool that sorts your football or flag football plays by game situation and lays them out as a sheet you can print. It helps you decide which play to call on openers, on third and long, in the red zone, and in other spots that come up during a game.

It runs in your browser. There is no sign-up, and nothing you enter is uploaded. Plays come from the same list as the playbook maker, so the sheet matches the plays you have already designed. Each play gets a situation, and the finished sheet shows every situation in one place, so the right call is easy to find when the game is moving quickly.

Football play call sheet example

How to use the Football Play Call Sheet

  1. Open the plays list. Choose a play library by format, or pick plays you saved in the designer.
  2. Check the Situation drop-down on each play. The tool guesses a situation from the play type: runs go to Runs, quick passes to Quick game, deep plays to 3rd / 4th and long, and trick plays to Trick plays.
  3. Change any situation that does not fit. Each play can be moved to any of the eleven situations.
  4. Choose your paper size, US Letter or A4.
  5. Turn on play numbering if you want the numbers to match the playbook order.
  6. Review the sheet. It is landscape, with the situations in three columns. Each column has a dark header and numbered rows. Empty rows are left for plays you want to write in by hand.
  7. Use the buttons to finish: Download PDF, Print, Copy link, or Clear list.

Print the sheet or download the PDF to take it to practice or to the game. Use Copy link to send the same play list to an assistant coach. Clear list empties the current list when you want to start a new sheet.

The situation choices are remembered in this browser.

What is a football play call sheet?

A football play call sheet is a short list of the plays a team plans to call, grouped by the situation in which each play would be used. It is not the full playbook. The playbook holds every play a team knows, while the call sheet gives the caller a single page of the plays to choose from in each situation.

How do you organize a play call sheet?

Organize the sheet by situation, not by formation. Assign each play to one situation, then keep the plays in each column short enough to scan quickly. The tool does this for you in three columns, and each situation has its own numbered rows.

Turn on numbering if your team uses numbers in the huddle or on signals. The numbers match the playbook order, so a caller can say a number and the players can find the same play in their playbook. Leave empty rows for new plays or for changes you make during the week.

What situations go on a call sheet?

The tool uses eleven situations:

  • Openers: the first plays of the game, chosen before the defense has shown much.
  • Quick game: short passes that get the ball out fast.
  • Runs: running plays.
  • 3rd / 4th and short: downs where a few yards are needed for a first down.
  • 3rd / 4th and long: downs where many yards are needed, usually suited to deeper passes.
  • No-run zone: the 5 yards before midfield and before the goal line. Every play in this zone must be a pass.
  • Red zone: the area close to the opponent’s goal line, where scoring chances are highest.
  • Extra point: 1 (5 yd): a 1-point try from the 5-yard line. Under NFL FLAG rules, this must be a pass.
  • Extra point: 2 (10 yd): a 2-point try from the 10-yard line.
  • Trick plays: plays designed to surprise the defense.
  • End of half: plays for the final moments of a half, when the clock matters most.

Only the situations that matter for your team need many plays. Keep a few plays in each one, and check the no-run and extra-point situations against the rules before a game.

Frequently asked questions

Is the football play call sheet free, and do I need an account?

Yes. The tool is free, needs no sign-up, and runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.

Can I print it or save it as a PDF?

Yes. Choose US Letter or A4 first. Then use Download PDF to save the sheet as a file, or Print to send it straight to your printer.

Does it work on a phone or tablet?

Yes. The lists, settings and preview stack on a narrow screen, and the PDF opens in your phone’s PDF viewer for printing.

Does the tool follow flag football extra point rules?

Yes. The extra-point situations follow NFL FLAG rules. A 1-point try starts from the 5-yard line and must be a pass. A 2-point try starts from the 10-yard line.

Can I change a situation after the tool sets it?

Yes. The tool guesses a situation from each play type, but you can change any play’s Situation drop-down to whatever fits your plan.

How is a call sheet different from a wristband?

The call sheet is for the coach on the sideline: plays grouped by situation. A wristband card is for the players: numbered boxes they read when the coach calls a number.

Can I use what I make here commercially?

Yes. Sheets, cards, diagrams and PDFs you make with this tool are yours to print, hand out, sell or put in your own products, such as a coaching book on KDP or a printable on Etsy, with no credit needed. You may not copy the tool or the site itself; see the terms.