I got this drill from our Defensive Coordinator, Jeff Moore, a 2012 finalist for the Division III football.com’s Coordinator of the Year. His defense has led us to a .759 winning percentage since his arrival in 2011. While he is always on the forefront with regard to defensive scheme and philosophy, he is also a big believer in drill mastery and repetition. Safe and effective ways to teach tackling are among the most important tools a defensive coach can possess.
Our staff has not shied away from contact drills or physical competition in practice, but it makes a lot of sense, especially when considering how our sport has changed in recent years, to embrace drills that reduce impact on players. This drill breaks down tackling, more specifically open field angle tackling, into a few specific skills that can be repeated in very little space. These are all the reasons why we love it and use it throughout the season and during spring practice.
The Drill (See Diagram)
Players should work in groups of 3 or 4 along the sideline or another line. The tackler faces the rest of the group (the “ball carriers”) and begins offset to the left. The tackler creeps back in a weave pedal (angled backpedal) away from the first ball carrier while closing the horizontal gap between himself and the ball carrier (picture a free safety pedaling for depth and width to get over a fade route). The tackler should “stick his feet in the ground” and break at an angle toward the ball carrier. The stick should be quick and with both feet. Don’t let the players lazily “rock” into forward running or standing up too straight. Their hips should be low, and they should chop their feet quickly on their toes.
When working from left to right, the tackler should close on the ball carrier and take a strong power step with his right leg between the ball carrier’s feet. The tackler should “strike” the ball carrier with his shoulders squared to the line of scrimmage. “Strike” lightly because this should not be a heavy contact drill, but rather a technique refinement drill. As the tackler makes contact, he should “club up” with his arms and “grab cloth” with his hands. The tackler’s head should slide across the ball carrier, and he should concentrate on putting his left cheek onto the ball carrier’s chest to emphasize that motion.
This will naturally cause the tackler to finish with his left shoulder in heavier contact with the ball carrier. The tackler should also try to get his left hip into contact with the ball carrier. I coach the players to strive for “maximum body contact” and try to eliminate lunging. By focusing on their eye control (when the tackler’s cheek is on the ball carrier’s chest, his eyes should be looking up at his right hand, which should be full of jersey on top of the ball carrier’s shoulder pads), they should keep their heads in a safe, effective, and legal position on the ball carrier. After coming to balance, the tackler should release the ball carrier and start into a weave pedal in the direction of the next ball carrier.
The drill mirrors easily, and should be run in both directions. While our players can never tackle well enough to satisfy our staff (something every coach experiences), this drill helps them refine their technique to keep them safe, helps us play better defense, and reduces penalties for illegal hits. It is most effective for players who need to backpedal, but the drill can be adapted easily to suit linebackers and defensive linemen.
About the Author:
Gavin Fitts is the special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach at Framingham State University. He was previously the head coach at the Dexter School in Brookline (MA). Fitts is a graduate of Hamilton College where he played both baseball and football and has a Master’s Degree from Boston University.