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Tackling Drills Without Full Contact – Tackling progressions for both the head-up and profile tackle can be taught to emphasize safety.

by: Johnny Metcalf
Defensive Coordinator, John Carroll Catholic High School (AL)
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Concussions continue to dominate our discussions about football injuries. Coaches have to find ways to teach the solid fundamentals of tackling, yet protect their players from preventable injuries.

We have to contend with a small squad (usually less than 50 players) and often we have undersized players. Traditional tackling techniques are not just enough for us. We have to give our smaller players a chance to tackle without “ramming their head” into a ball carrier. Over the years, I have collected drills from various sources and have developed my own tackling progression. None of these drills are original with me. But we have tweaked them to fit our equipment and facilities.

Our progression divides tackles into two main categories: Head-Up and Profile. The head-up tackle is the conventional tackle – face to face. In this tackle we want to emphasize having the head-up as we make contact. During the off-season, we will introduce this concept at our regular workouts. Players are paired up by size and kneel facing each other on one knee (slightly offset). We teach an upper cut with the arms and placement of our chest during the drill. We want to make contact chest to chest with our heads off to one side. Make sure players do not turn their heads – keep head locked back. The uppercut action is used to grasp the ball carrier.

Next, we get the players to uppercut and explode their hips upward and lift their partner and drive. This is to reinforce the follow through part of the tackle. Not driving the feet after contact is one of my pet peeves. Too many players stop on contact.

The profile tackle can also be introduced without pads. A profile tackle is from the side. Form tackle drills can be done in close quarters as was done with the head-up tackle. Take care to control the contact during the teaching phase. We teach to get the head in front of the ball carrier and keep the head up and see your target.

Once these basic concepts have been taught, you can progress to drills using dummies. We use dummies in our teaching phase during early fall and spring practice. When we feel confident of our skills, we can go “live”. We also use these drills in-season when we want to practice our tackling fundamentals without full contact or to minimize wear and tear on the body during the season. We often use these dummy drills on Wednesday during our tackling circuit.

Machine Drills

 When we use various apparatus in addition to dummies, we call them “machine drills.”  Machine drills would be the use of tackling sleds, a “blaster,” or our “monster” pad. The focus of these drills is to simulate a head-up tackle while emphasizing the leg drive and follow through.

 The monster is a large bag that travels down a rail. The player hits the pad, chest up and drives the pad back up the rail. The “blaster” is often used by running backs to run through tackles. We use it to run through after the tackle. The player tackles a round dummy and drives the dummy through the blaster. Again the emphasis is on leg drive and acceleration after contact. It is easy to allow fundamental contact position and technique to slide during this drill – keep players focused on uppercut and follow through. We do not want the players to hug the dummy but rip an upper cut and squeeze with the elbows as they run through.

The one-man tackling sled can be used in various ways. We will hit it chest to chest and drive or we can “take it to the ground”. Leg drive after contact is still the focus.

Diagram 1.

Two other drills that require dummies are the “thigh board” and “roll-up“ tackles. These are great drills for our undersized defensive backs. They are “profile” tackles. In the “thigh board” tackle (Diagram 1) the ball carrier carries a round dummy in front of him at arms length. The tackler approaches from the side and attempts to “blow out the thigh pad” of the ball carrier. Players should shoot their head across the front of the ball carrier and drive their shoulder through the leg. Obviously, this not a drill we ever do live. We always attack the thigh – not the knee or ankle. It turns into more of an old fashioned cross-body block tackle. But it is a tackle where smaller players have a chance to be successful.


Diagram 2.

The roll-up tackle (Diagram 2) is similar except the ball carrier holds the dummy behind him. The tackler again approaches from the side but this time the tackler grabs the legs and rolls up the legs.
The next set of drills can be done live or with a shield dummy.

Sideline: BC starts when the tackler gets to middle cone. This gives the tackler a change of direction cut to make as he approaches the BC. Emphasis is on head in front. Drive the BC out of bounds and stop as much forward momentum as possible (Diagram 3).

Diagram 3.

Cutback:  BC starts at middle cone while the tackler approaches from an angle. When the BC gets to the cone, he may cut either way to the next cone. Tackler must approach “inside-out,“ focusing on the inside hip of the BC. If BC cuts to the outside, tackler must get head in front and perform a profile tackle. If the BC cuts back, the tackler must perform a heads-up tackle and not allow the cutback (Diagram 4).

Diagram 4.

The next three drills are primarily for linebackers but can be used for any position.

3 Cone Tackle (Diagram 5)

Diagram 5.

Shed Drill Tackle (Diagram 6) - Tackler attacks the blocker (live or shield dummy), then sheds blocker and makes tackle.  Tackler must maintain leverage on BC, preventing cutback first. If RB gets outside the blocker, the tackle becomes a profile tackle.

Diagram 6.

Barrel Drill (Diagram 7) - BC runs at off-tackle cone or at sweep cone. Tackler attacks downhill and maintains leverage  on BC  for either an off-tackle or sweep tackle. Later the BC may be allowed to cutback to prevent tackler from overrunning the ball.

Diagram 7.

Screen Tackle DL (Diagram 8) - Tackler reads coach (drop back, draw, screen). When coach makes throwing motion, tackler breaks and pursues WR screen. We usually split DT to both sides to get more reps.

Diagram 8.


DB or LB Screen Break (Diagram 9) - LBs drop on coach’s drop and react to screen direction. On hand separation, LBs break to screen. First LB tackles pop-up dummy, while the second LB scoops and scores on fumble recovery. Idea is to get LBs to attack the screen and tackle.

Diagram 9.

As we try to keep the game of football physical, but put the health and safety of our players foremost, we must continue to emphasize proper tackling techniques and work to strengthen the neck muscles as well as the other muscles used in tackling.

About the Author: John Metcalf has been coaching for 37 years. He came out of retirement in 2008 to coach at John Carroll Catholic High School in Birmingham as defensive coordinator. Metcalf was head coach at E. B. Erwin High School (AL) from 1999-2002.








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