Monroe County Youth Football Association

Football Fundamentals: Tackling

Head-on Tackle:

• Make sure that you are under control so as not to overrun the ballcarrier or dive and miss a tackle.
• Maintain a wide, balanced stance, keep the feet moving with choppy steps.
• Extend your arms and head in front of your body.
• Keep your head up, your back arched and your knees slightly bent.
• Slide your head to the outside just before making contact.
• With your arms, grasp behind the legs of the ballcarrier and pull him toward you.
• Lift and pull the ballcarrier toward you as you take him off his feet.

Angle Tackle:

• Keep under control and be ready to move in any direction.
• It's important to maintain a good balanced stance in a good hitting position.
• Drive your head in front of the ballcarrier's number, across the line of his run.
• Drive your shoulder upward on the runner at about waist level.
• With your arms, grasp the runner behind the legs and lift him off the ground.
• Arch your back to lift and drive through the ballcarrier.
• Keep the feet moving with short choppy steps as you finish the tackle.

Open-field Tackle:

• Keep under control with your legs bent.
• Use the sideline to your advantage, penning in or getting an angle on the runner.
• Your number one priority is to grasp the runner.
• Once you have a hold on the runner, help should be soon to arrive. But, if possible, try to drive him out of bounds or pull him to the turf.
• Don't worry about driving through the man or delivering a hard blow. Your sole responsibility is to get a hold of the player and prevent the score.