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AFM Magazine


Tackling - Still the Key to Successful Defensive Play

by: Orv Otten
Defensive Coordinator, Upper Iowa University
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At every level of football and in every historical era of the game, tackling has always been, and will always be, the most important skill for defensive players to execute. Like all defensive coaches, we have several tackling drills in our arsenal.

Before these three drills are described, it will help to describe the basic components of the tackling technique that we teach.

Basic components of tackling technique:

Leverage – the tackler takes away one direction for the ball carrier to cut by having his body in a “leverage” position. If the tackler gets head-up, he has lost the “leverage” position and gives the ball carrier two ways to go.

Eye Focus – the tackling target is the near hip of the ball carrier.

Feet – get the tackler to the ball carrier with a firm base before making contact. The tackler should be close enough to the ball carrier to step on or between his feet. The tackler should establish a power base by stepping with the foot that is on the same side of his body as the contact shoulder (left shoulder, left foot).

Explode the hips – generate power from the most powerful part of the body. There are several creative phrases that are used to help illustrate this movement. We simply say that we want the tackler’s hips to be in contact with the ball carrier’s body and we want that contact to be a result of an explosive movement.

Arm club/wrap – this is one of the biggest deficiencies seen in tackling today. As contact is made with the upper body and the hips are exploded, the arms should club up through the ball and around to the opposite side of the ball carrier. Some coaches teach their tacklers to grab cloth in the back.
   
Finish - body on body with the tackler’s hips covering the ball carrier’s hips. Tackler’s hips get square and take the ball carrier back towards his goal line. Run the feet through the target and keep them going through the whistle.
Box Tackle

This can be used as a team drill. With the increased number of spread offenses and the propensity of the screen game, all defenders need to be able to tackle in space. This drill is designed to teach proper tackling technique in open space.



Set-up

- a 10 yard x10 yard box is set up with cones

(Diagram 1)

•  The group doing the drill is divided into two equal groups, one line for ball carriers and one line for tacklers.

•  If doing the drill with large groups, additional boxes should be set up.

•  Coaches position themselves based on the specific feedback they plan to give.

•  Players rotate from the ball carrier line to the tackling line.
Commands

“Feet” - tackler chatters his feet while waiting for the next command.

“Hit” - ball carrier explodes to the middle of the box and makes one cut to one of the far cones. No double moves by the ball carriers are allowed. Tackler explodes to the middle of the box and executes a tackle using the following coaching points -

Coaching points

•  Run - close ground on the ball carrier as quickly as possible.

•  Target a 3-yard separation with the ball carrier before coming to balance.

•  Eyes are locked on the hips of the ball carrier.

•  Balance - feet are squared up, chattering, and under the hands.

•  Center of gravity is lowered and hands are holstered.

•  Match step - one lateral step in the direction of the ball carrier’s first directional step.

•  Gather back to balance with leverage and eye focus on the near hip.

•  Hit - on the crossover step by the ball carrier, the tackler can crossover and run to the near hip.

•  Step on toes, shoot arms to wrap and shoot the hips.

•  Finish - run the feet through the ball carrier and “close the hips” to the goal line – tackler covers the hips of the ball carrier with his hips.

• Run the ball carrier back toward his starting line.

Drill Variations

Inside-out - the box is set up the same
(Diagram 2).



•  The ball carrier and tackler align on a cone on the same side of the box.

•  The commands and coaching points are the same as the regular Box Tackle Drill with the additional emphasis on a proper inside-out angle.

•  The ball carrier still runs to the middle of the box, but is encouraged to cut back if he sees the tackler over-pursue.

•  The tackler must maintain inside leverage on the ball carrier throughout.

•  The tackler must also maintain square shoulders rather than trying to “box”.

•  The most common error by tacklers in this drill is attempting to beat the ball carrier laterally to the middle of the box and allowing a cut-back by the ball carrier.


Outside-in - the box is set up the same
(Diagram 3)


•  The ball carrier and tackler align on a cone on opposite sides of the box.

•  The commands and coaching points are the same as the regular Box Tackle Drill with the additional emphasis on a proper outside-in angle.
•  The tackler must maintain an outside leverage on the ball carrier.

•  The tackler must also maintain square shoulders rather than trying to “box”.

•  With this drill we use the additional coaching point – “keep the outside foot back”.

•  The most common error by tacklers in this drill is attempting to beat the ball carrier laterally to the middle of the box and allowing a cut-back.

Reaction Tackle

This is a linebacker drill that is designed to teach:

•  Aggressive downhill tackling “in the box” with explosiveness and power.

•  Maintaining “near hip” leverage in close quarters.

•  Reacting quickly to downhill declaration by a running back.

Set-up - a line of five cones spaced evenly designating approximate spots for run fit gaps on an offensive line (Diagram 4)


•  One cone is set five yards in front of the middle cone, and another cone is set five yards behind the middle cone.

•  The group doing the drill is divided into two equal groups, one line for ball carriers and one line for tacklers.

•  If doing the drill with large groups, additional boxes should be set up.

•  Coaches position themselves based on the specific feedback they plan to give.

•  Players rotate from the ball carrier line to the tackling line.

Commands

•  “Feet” - tackler chatters his feet while waiting for the next command.

•  “Hit” - ball carrier explodes to one of the four gaps. No double moves or cutbacks by the ball carriers are allowed.

•  Tackler reacts to the angle of the ball carrier and executes an aggressive inside-out tackle using the following coaching points:

Coaching points

•  Attack - the goal is for the LB to make contact at or behind the line of cones.

•  The attack angle should be through the inside half of the gap – maintaining “near-hip” leverage.

•  Power step - step foot to foot with the ball carrier.

•  Step with the foot that is on the same side of his body as the contact shoulder (right shoulder, right foot).

•  Have weight slightly in front of the feet to maximize force.

•  Hit - slightly drop the hips to achieve “low man” status.

•  Do NOT come to balance; rather, strike with explosive force.

•  Shoot arms to wrap and shoot the hips.

•  Finish - run the feet through the ball carrier.

•  “Close the hips” to the goal line – tackler covers the hips of the ball carrier with his hips.

•  Run the ball carrier back toward his starting line.

Sideline Tackle

This is a linebacker and defensive back drill that is designed to teach tacklers near the sidelines to maintain leverage to eliminate a cutback and use the sideline to assist in the tackle.

Set-up - a line of tacklers at the top
of the numbers (Diagram 5)


•  A line of running backs five yards away and four yards from the sideline.

•  Players rotate from the ball carrier line to the tackling line.

Commands

•  “Feet” - tackler takes two shuffle steps toward the middle of the field.

•  “Hit” - give the “Hit” command as soon as the two shuffle steps are completed.

•  Ball carrier sprints upfield and inside the sideline ticks; he should cut back on the tackler if the tackler pursues too far upfield.

•  Tackler attacks the near hip of the ball carrier and takes him off the field.

Coaching points

•  Run - close ground to the ball carrier as quickly as possible.

•  The angle of approach to the ball carrier must eliminate the cut-back.

•  Eyes are locked on the hips of the ball carrier.

•  Hit - shoot arms to wrap.

•  We emphasize keeping the feet moving through the tackle more than shooting the hips.

•  This is NOT a big hit tackle. It is a tackle designed to escort the runner off the field.

•  Finish - run the feet through the ball carrier.

•  “Close the hips” to the sideline.

•  Run the ball carrier 2-3 yards off the field.

I have made it a practice to avoid giving grades for tackling technique in practice scrimmages or in games. In other words, I do not grade a player lower for making a tackle with less than perfect technique. Since the goal in tackling is to get the runner down on the ground, I grade only on whether a tackle is made, or a tackle is missed. What we do in evaluating tackling is to look for errors in technique that can be corrected in order to help our players become more efficient tacklers. 

About the Author: Orv Otten is the Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator at Upper Iowa University. He previously was a volunteer assistant for two seasons at Iowa State. From 1990-2008, he was the Defensive Coordinator (1990-1994) and then head coach at Northwestern College (IA). His overall head coaching record is 105-45. Otten is a 1979 graduate of Northwestern and earned All-Conference honors as a linebacker.






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