AFM RSS Feed Follow Us on Twitter       
AMERICAN FOOTBALL MONTHLY THE #1 RESOURCE FOR FOOTBALL COACHES
ABOUT |  CONTACT |  ADVERTISE |  HELP  



   User Name    Password 
      Password Help





Article Categories


AFM Magazine

AFM Magazine


Tackling Fundamentals Teaching Progression And Circuit

by: Michael Hoyt
Defensive Coordinator • Albright College
© More from this issue

Click for Printer Friendly Version          

Vince Lombardi once said, “When a man is running down the street with everything you own, you won’t let him get away. That is tackling.” At Albright College we believe that the success of our defense rests on fundamentals. The five fundamentals of alignment, tackling, block destruction, pursuit and creating turnovers will determine the success of any defensive football team regardless of scheme. We spend a large amount of time on each of these five areas and have a plan and teaching progression for developing each area. Number one is tackling. We will share our teaching progression and drill circuit for tackling. Knowing the fundamentals of each skill is important but how we teach them is essential to our success.

Tackling is not an exact science. Very rarely is a textbook tackle ever made in a football game. However, we must teach it as an exact science for safety purposes, and if we teach and drill it properly, we will become more effective tacklers on game day.

We teach three types of tackles. The form-fit tackle very rarely happens in a game, but that is where we start our teaching. It provides a starting point and allows us to set the foundation for the angle tackle and the open-field tackle, both of which happen more often in a game situation.

We teach all three tackles in four parts:

    1. Approach
    2. Contact
    3. Explosion
    4. Finish

Each of the three forms of tackles encompasses these four components. However, some coaching points vary within each component depending on the type of tackle.

The form-fit tackle:

1. Approach

  • A. Attack with proper leverage (inside or outside) - This can depend on your alignment within the defense or positioning on the field. Are you an inside-out or outside-in defender? Where is your help? Is it the sideline or another defender? The tackler must know what leverage to approach the ball carrier with.
  • B. Aim point - As you approach the ball carrier, keep the eyes focused on the bottom of the numbers (See Photo 1). The numbers cannot make a fake move. 


  • C. Use Close Quarters Movement (CQM).
    1. Lower the center of gravity as you get closer to the ball carrier.
    2. Bend the ankles, knees and hips to do this. This will make you more compact so you can explode after contact.
    3. Shorten your steps as you get closer to the ball carrier. This will allow you to change direction if you need to.
    4. Continue to close the distance to the ball carrier until contact. This will eliminate the cutback angle.


2. Contact

  1. ‘Step on the toes’ of the ball carrier with the inside foot.
  2. Contact the ball carrier with the top of the chest and front of the shoulder.
  3. Contact the ball carrier with the eyes up and neck bulled. Slide the eyes toward the ball at the last moment (See Photo 2).


   

3. Explosion

  1. Explode into the ball carrier by forceful extension of the ankles,  knees and hips. We want the hips to explode into the ball carrier (belly button to belly button).
  2. Club the arms up each side of the ball carrier and grab cloth at the name plate on the back of the jersey.

4. Finish

  1. Maintain a square position on the ball carrier
  2. Run the feet through the ball carrier until he is on the ground and the whistle blows.


Once we have taught the form-fit tackle and have had a chance to drill the proper technique, we move to the angle tackle. The angle tackle is exactly the same with a few minor differences:

  1. Approach - Eyes will be focused on the hip pocket of the ball carrier. This will position the tackler to eliminate the cutback (See Photo 3).


   

        2. Contact - The eyes will move to the near ‘V’ (point at which the collar bone and neck meet) of the ball carrier (See Photo 4).


    3. Explosion - Square your hips to the goal line as you explode.
   
    4. Finish - Continue to keep the hips square.

Finally, we teach the open-field tackle. There are two things we want our players to understand about the open field tackle. First, the only objective is to get the ball carrier on the ground. It is not the time for a highlight hit. Second, turn the open-field tackle into an angle tackle. We teach it just like an angle tackle:

  1. Approach - Eliminate the two ways to go. Turn the open field tackle into an angle tackle. Use your help. Position your approach based on your help (pursuit or sideline) to force the ball carrier in the direction you want him to go.
  2. Contact - Same as angle tackle.
  3. Explosion - Same as angle tackle
  4. Finish - Same as angle tackle. Grab cloth and never let go.


Once we have taught the safe and effective way to execute each type of tackle, we then use a tackling circuit to drill these fundamentals. Early in the season, our tackling circuit is set up with four drills that address each area of tackling. There will be a station for the approach, one for contact, one for explosion and one for finish. As we progress through training camp, we will have four tacking drills that address the different types of tackling situations we will see in game situations. Each station lasts between two and three minutes depending on the amount of time we have available for that day. The team is split into four equal groups. Each group will rotate through all four stations. The following drills are what we have used in our circuit to become better tacklers.

Tackling Circuit #1 – This circuit focuses on each of the four components of tackling.

Station 1 - Approach: CQM Progression Drill (See Diagram 1)



Drill Objective: Develop the ability to get into a good tackling position at any time on the field.

Equipment Needed: None

Coaching Points:

  1. Drill begins with players aligned where the sideline and yard stripe meet.
  2. Player begins to sprint down the yard stripe toward the middle of the field.
  3. On command (whistle, ball movement, etc.) the player will ‘CQM’.
    A. CQM – Lower center of gravity (bend the ankles, knees and hips).
    B. The feet must continue to move forward.
    C. Continue to move down the stripe with shorter steps.
    D. Keep the shoulders square with the eyes up and palms out.
  4. Player will accelerate down the yard stripe again and CQM two more times before reaching the middle of the field.
  5. To finish the drill, the coach will give the player a direction to break during his last CQM segment.


Station 2 - Contact: Fit Tackle (See Diagram 2)



Drill Objective: Teach proper tackling technique (contact).

Equipment Needed: None.

Coaching Points:

  1. Partner players up across a yard stripe facing each other arms length apart.
  2. One player simulates the ball carrier standing square to the line while holding arm to simulate holding the football.
  3. The tackler gets into a good CQM position, ready to make a tackle with eyes focused on the bottom of the numbers of the ball carrier.
  4. On command, the tackler will ‘step on the toes’ of the ball carrier and initiate contact. Slide the eyes to the ball and contact ball carrier with top of pec, front of shoulder.
  5. Progress to contact for an angle tackle by having the ball carrier turn at 45 degrees to right and to left.

Station 3 - Explosion: Mat Tackle (See Diagrams 3A and 3B)


Drill Objective:  Teach explosion phase of tackling.

Equipment Needed: Mat, Agile bag.

Coaching Points:

  1. Align a ball carrier in front of a big crash mat.
  2. Align a tackler in fit position of the tackle (Contact Phase).
  3. On command, the ball carrier leans forward and the tackler must explode up through the ball carrier and land on the mat behind them.
  4. Emphasize explosion of ankles, knees and hips.
  5. Emphasize raking arms up each side of ball carrier and grabbing cloth on name plate of jersey.   

Station 4 - Finish: Finish Drill
(See Diagram 4)



Drill Objective:  Teach proper finish
(RUN THE FEET).

Equipment Needed: Three square dummies.

Coaching Points:

  1. Align two players holding square bags tight next to each other.
  2. The coach will hold the third bag in front of the two bags that are held tightly. 
  3. On command, the tackler will execute a form tackle on the bag and drive it through the gauntlet created by the two bags held tightly together.
  4. After tackling, the player will replace one of the bag holders.



Tackling Circuit #2 – This station focuses on different types of tackles a player will encounter in a football game.

Station 1 – Form Tackle: Sled Tackle (See Diagram 5)



Drill Objective:  Teach players to execute a form fit tackle.

Equipment needed: Single man tackling sled.

Coaching Points:

  1. Align tackler at arms length from the sled.
  2. On command, the player will step into the sled and make contact.
  3. On contact, the player must explode through the ankles, knees and hips into the sled and drive it back (keep feet running) until the whistle blows.
  4. As the drill progresses, move the tackler back further away from the sled so he must approach the sled with good CQM skills.




Station 2 – Angle Tackle (Diagram 6)


Drill Objective:  Teach mechanics of angle tackling.

Equipment Needed: 4 cones.

Coaching Points:

  1. Set up 4 cones in a diamond shape one yard apart.
  2. Align ball carriers at top of the diamond.
  3. Align tacklers at the cone opposite the ball carrier.
  4. On command, the ball carrier runs at an angle keeping tight to the cone.
  5. The tackler will perform an angle tackle and finish by squaring the hips and driving the ball carrier back one yard.
  6. Progress the drill by increasing the distance between the cones to five yards. Finish the drill by driving the ball carrier back five yards.


Station 3 – Open Field Tackle: POD Drill (See Diagram 7)


Drill Objective:  Improve open frield tackling.

Equipment Needed: Three cones and footballs.

Coaching Points:

  1. Align two lines of players facing each other 10–12 yards apart. One group acts as ball carriers and the other group are defenders.
  2. Place three cones halfway between the two lines and 5-7 yards apart.
  3. Drill begins on ball carriers movement. The ball carrier will begin to run at the middle cone and then break to the cone on the right or left.
  4. The defender must use good CQM skills and form fit the ball carrier.
  5. Emphasize the finish with the feet running and hips square.

Station 4 – Open-Field Tackle: Sideline Tackle (See Diagram 8)


Drill Objective:  Teach defenders how to use the sideline when tackling.

Equipment Needed: Footballs.

Coaching Points:

  1. Align a ball carrier at the top of numbers.
  2. Align a defender facing the ball carrier 6-8 yards in front of BC.
  3. On command, the ball carrier will start running into the sideline.
  4. The BC has the option of continuing down the sideline or cutting back.
  5. The defender must use a good aim point to take away the BC’s cut back and then trap the BC into the sideline and finish with a good CQM and form tackle. u


About the Author:  Michael Hoyt enters his ninth season as both defensive coordinator and associate head coach at Albright College this fall. He graduated from Canisius College in 1992 where he was a three-year letterman. Hoyt then began coaching on the high school level but returned to his alma mater as defensive line coach in 1994. He then coached at both Millersville University and Franklin and Marshall College. Hoyt also serves as Albright’s Director of Strength and Fitness.






NEW BOOK!

AFM Videos Streaming Memberships Now Available Digital Download - 304 Pages of Football Forms for the Winning Coach



















HOME
MAGAZINE
SUBSCRIBE ONLINE COLUMNISTS COACHING VIDEOS


Copyright 2024, AmericanFootballMonthly.com
All Rights Reserved