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Decision Making and Skill Execution by Pass Distance in Flag Football Played in Physical Education Classes:A Comparison of 4th and 6th Grade Students [Received January 14, 2026; Accepted March 31, 2026] Understanding how pass distance influences performance is essential for designing developmentally appropriate physical education classes. This study examined decision making and skill execution in a same modified flag football game taught in elementary school classes. Participants were fourth graders (n = 60) and sixth graders (n = 81) from one public school. All passes during seven games (lessons 3–8) were coded from video recordings and categorized as short (0–4 m), medium (4–9 m), or long (9–15 m). Decision making was successful when the intended receiver was unmarked at release, and skill execution when the pass reached the receiver’s hands. A distance-specific performance index was calculated and compared between grades. Both grades achieved similar success with short passes. However, fourth graders attempted fewer long passes and showed sharp declines in decision making for 9–15 m passes and in execution beyond 4 m. Sixth graders maintained moderate success across all distances. These findings suggest that instruction for 3-4th grade students should emphasize short passes, run plays, and run-after-catch strategies, while 5-6th grade students can incorporate medium and long passes to develop advanced tactical understanding. The results highlight the importance of tailoring game modifications to students’ developmental levels in physical education. Keywords: game modification, game performance, developmental progression, curriculum design |