USA Football
The following are from the USA Football tackle course.
Breakdown
The Breakdown position is the fundamental athletic posture from which all football movement stems.
Near Foot
Players take a short lead step from the Breakdown position to get into a strong hitting position and establish leverage.
Swoop
Swoop is the term we use to define coming to balance, shortening the stride and positioning the feet to the assigned leverage just before contact.
Shoot
Players attempting to make a tackle need to generate power quickly and efficiently at the point of contact. They uncoil the hips in order to create momentum and drive through the tackle. The greatest power is not created through speed to the ball or muscle strength; it comes from the hips and Shoot technique.
Uppercuts
When making an above-the-waist form tackle, players don’t want to wrap their arms around the body. They need to rip up. Uppercuts teach players how to take the hip explosion created through the Shoot technique and rip through a ball-carrier, grabbing cloth and making the tackle.
Leverage
Leverage is defined as the angle and approach tacklers take to the ball-carrier, taking into account his or her role within the defensive play call, location on the field and the blockers or obstructions encountered on the way to the runner.
Form Tackle
Shoulder tackle through the near pec of the ball-carrier. Use uppercuts & drive for five.
Pop Up Tackle
Shoulder strike through near pec. Wrap up. Drive for Five.
Tight Angle Tackle
Have a slight offset in your drill so players can declare their leverage. Hit with near foot up and the near shoulder.
A tight angle tackle is a technique used when the ball carrier is approaching the defender at a close distance and at a sharp angle. In this tackle, the defender aims to make contact with the ball carrier using their shoulder or chest while wrapping their arms around the opponent to secure the tackle.
Angle Tackle
Have a slight offset in your drill so players can declare their leverage. Hit with near foot up and the near shoulder.
An angle tackle, on the other hand, refers to a tackle made at a wider angle, typically when the ball carrier is running towards the sideline or away from the defender. The defender must take an appropriate angle to intercept the ball carrier’s path and make contact. The key is to maintain proper body position, use the shoulder to initiate contact, and wrap the arms to bring down the opponent.
Sprint Tackle
Kneeling Drive
A shoulder tackle at the thigh of the ball-carrier
- Eyes to the thighs
- Wrap
- Roll to the leverage side
Near Hip Drill
- Set cones in a diamond shape with a ball-carrier and defender standing opposite of each other.
- On the coach’s command, the two players move toward a designated cone.
- As the players near the cone, the defenders Swoops in and establish leverage through the near foot, near shoulder technique, coming to a stop by touching both hands to the ball-carrier’s near hip
Two Player Rabbit
- Start with three cones placed five yards apart in an equilateral triangle. As players master the skill, widen the distance they have to move.
- With two defenders and a ball-carrier on the three cones, all three move forward on the coach’s command.
- As the defenders narrow the gap to the runner, dominating their assigned leverage, the ball-carrier shifts and jukes in order to try to break contain.
- The defenders maintain leverage, swooping in with same foot, same shoulder to make a two-hand touch on the runner.
Tackle Donut
More Tackling Drills
Youth Football Network
Kapwing Open Field/Angle drill
Prizmatic Solutions
Winner Circle Athletics
Pick 6 Athletics
Winner Circle Athletics
CAB Training
Alabama Fit Tackle Drill
Short Yardage Goal Line Tackling Drill – Prizmatic Solutions
Tactical Youth Football Coaching 