In my last monthly blog I shared some tackling drills we do without pads on to help us continue to improve our tackling fundamentals. As we get into our season, we want to be able to carry over the techniques we have been working on to the field. Each week we do a tackle circuit in practice. We try to have 4-5 stations that focus on the fundamentals we are looking for. We may have one high contact station but the others are focusing on technique. It is important to continue to stress good technique even as the season wears on.
As coaches we will take the same drills each week but we may emphasize a different technique within that drill. We will talk as coaches as to what each one of us is going to be looking for and coaching during the circuit to make sure our guys are being coaches on each of the fundamentals we are looking for: 1) chest to chest 2) bring the hips 3) club the arms 4) finish.
The main tackle drills we do during our circuit are:
Hips on Bags
- Tacklers are on their knees sitting on their heels 6 inches across from a square bag
- On the whistle, tacklers will hit the bag, chest to chest, and focus on bringing their hips to the bag and clubbing arms around.
- A variation can be to have tacklers start from one knee and step thru the tackle
5 Yard Angle Tackle
- This is a low contact drill with players starting 5 yards apart. We even send all the ball carriers the same direction so tacklers know where they are going
- Coaches can emphasize any one of our 4 fundamental coaching points.
- We are looking for good, solid contact and we are not bringing runners to the ground but driving them back to where they came from.
Box Tackle
REACTION SIDELINE 2 on 1
- Similar to the non-padded drills I mentioned last month but full contact
- Coaches can emphasize any one of our 4 fundamental coaching points
- Reaction – RB and tackler are on opposite sides of the box and defender closes the distance and reacts to the RB
- Sideline – Tacklers start on same side as RBs but 2 ½ yards downfield facing out and then spin into the box and attack the RBs near hip
- 2 on 1 – Tacklers work together to get RB to commit one way or another. Once RB commits, the tackler on that side makes a good tackle and other defender goes for the strip
Gator Roll
- Tacklers start 5 yards away from an offset square bag.
- Tacklers will attack bag from an angle and aim for an X that is taped to the bag (X should be taped at thigh level on the bag)
- Tacklers will focus on hitting bag thick with chest, projecting through the bag and snapping and “gator” rolling on contact
Eye Opener
- Our most intense tackle drill of the circuit
- RB can pick any hole to run through on left or right side of the center
- Tackler reacts and looks to make a solid, physical tackle in the hole and drive the runner back to where he came from.
- We still do not bring the runner to the ground during this drill.
- Coaches again can emphasize any of our 4 fundamental coaching points