How to Tackle Someone in football

The tools of tackling comes with practice. TheFanNJ will teach you how to tackle without getting injured. These tips come from a book called Coaches! 101: A Tribute to Hoboken Redwing's Football Program. That book is in the stages of reprint and updates.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Sweat pants, football cleats, and a lot of time; with some engery.

1. This is almost a lost art for defensive backs in high school because with all the working out and reading different formations some kids forget how to tackle. So Coaches!101 has learned the basic ways of tackling on the field which goes like this; Tackling From, Sideline Tackling, Open Field Tackling, and Goal line Tackling.
2. The best way to tackle a person, is to get shoulders lower than the ball carrier. As the player gets his shoulders under the ball carrier:
   - A player would then want to get his head up and get his eyes on the ball carrier’s hips.
   - Coaches! 101 teaches this, only because the player with his head down may result in an injury.
   - This will only happen if the ball carrier is stronger than the tackler. That will leave your body open for a neck injury because your neck is bent, and the impact of the two players can snap it. So Keep you head up and eyes on the ball carrier. You must see who you are tackling.
3. Once the player makes contact with the ball career, he would try and get his shoulder pads on the stomach of the ball carrier. This is what coaches say to their players:
   - "You must get your head on the players numbers."
   - Getting your head on the players number allows you to control where and how the runner goes.
   - Depending on your strenght, the runner will either go down backwards, go down forward or you go down; while he keeps moving.
4. After the player gets his body on the carrier’s body, he would want to get his arms around the ball carrier and lock the arms at the wrist.
   - The player would then squeeze the ball carrier into his body frame and lift up the ball carrier.
   - This attempt will bring the player down to the ground.
   - Doing this motion all at once will allow you to make a clean tackle with out injuring you or the player you are tackling.
5. The basics to this style of tackling is what makes a player better on the field.
   - The biggest reason why tackles are missed is because a player does not have his body and feet in the right stance.
   - While attempting to make a tackle the coaches of the teams should follow these rules.
6. A coach must teach a player in practice to work on pitter-patter steps.
   - The player should use his feet as he set up to make the tackle.
   - When a player pitter-patter his feet, it should get his body back in to the tackling position.
   - We call this the two point stance.
   - When the player is in the two-point stance; he can adjust his movement to any way a ball carrier will move.
   - This type of action will not only prevent injuries, but it will help you gain control on the process of making a tackle.

Tips & Warnings

• The more you practice the better you may become. Keep you feet and body square and low. Use all the muscles in your legs and upper body to make the tackle.
• Don't put your head down! Don't take your eyes off the ball carrier, and always keep you body and feet square.