In order to solve the problem of potted–seedling damage and uniform in row spacing for 2ZP–10 rice potted–seedling throwing machine, a flexible clamping and pulling device was designed to replace the original clamping seedling device. The device is mainly composed of seedling conveyor belt, flexible timing belt holder, seedling tray recovery device and bowl seedlings to undertake conveyor belt four parts. The seedlings was pulled out from the bowl under the action of the force produced by slightly deformation of flexible material on the synchronous belt. In the self–made rice potted–seedling flexible clamping and pulling device, the single factor and orthogonal experiments are carried out by using Shenliangyou5814 rice as the test materials. The factors that influence the injury rate of seedling included the leakage rate of seedling, and the qualified rate of seedling spacing including the clamping gap, clamping flexible material, and lifting angle. The results show that clamping gap had the biggest influence on the injury rate of seedling, the leakage rate of seedling, and the qualified rate of seedling spacing, followed by clamping flexible material and lifting angle. When the clamping gap is 0 mm, the clamping flexible material is sponge and the lifting angle is 30°, the injury rate of seedling, the leakage rate of seedling, and the qualified rate of seedling spacing are 2.00%, 5.00% and 91.00%, respectively. It is the combination to achieve the best performance for the operation of flexible clamping and pulling rice seedlings.