2 minute read
How to Coach Tackling Safely
The Art & Science of Coaching Tackling
Football instruction and coaching is an art form many coaches believe in gut decisions, and instincts are a heavy part of the game.
But there is a data aspect to decision-making, especially at the higher performance levels of our game. Educated gut decisions are much better than emotional gut decisions.
This of course applies to your next play call. It also applies to how you plan your practices. How many times have you walked onto the bus after a game thinking, “We have to spend more time practicing tackling this week?”
There is nothing wrong with that thought, but when you setup next week’s practice plan, are you going to go back to your “tried-and-true” drills like form tackle, angle tackle and pursuit? Or are you going to look at the film and analyze each tackle to understand where your players’ true strengths and weaknesses really lie?
This analytical approach to practice planning your tackling periods can pay huge dividends. Instead of focusing on a base drill, be specific with drills that work on key elements of the tackle, like the moments just prior to the connection, the initial connection phase or accelerating to sustain pressure on an opposing ball-carrier after connection.
You also can get more granular if time allows. Did your
players fall off a tackle because they didn’t grip the opponent with enough strength, or did they start to perform the physical act of the tackle too early or too late?
Whether you stay higher level or get hyper-focused, these are areas you should consider when selecting your drills for practice. Don’t trust those “tried-and-true” drills to always fix the problem. Use your coach’s eye, analyze where each player or position group needs work, and find drills that improve performance in those areas.
One challenge is simply knowing all these coaching points, or Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), on the tackle. It can be daunting as there is a lot to uncover.
Making life easier is USA Football’s Advanced Tackling System. It’s a step-by-step approach to coach tackling, from the practice fields to game day to the film room. The 5 Fights teaching progression isn’t simply a series of steps for players to memorize or to streamline communication – it’s a way to define aspects of the tackle that can be improved and identifies drills to make that happen. The Advanced Tackling System’s progression: 1. Tracking the ball-carrier 2. Preparing for the tackle 3. Connecting with the opponent 4. Accelerating the feet 5. Finishing the tackle
In addition, there are 37 KPIs associated with individual steps in the progression to help you go even deeper, identifying areas where players are successful or need improvement. The system also provides 23 drills that introduce KPIs help your players improve a specific aspect of the tackle.
Want to learn about the 5 Fights teaching progression?
