For years, coaches such as myself taught tackling solely though live contact.
The results might be successful, we’ve learned that doing so have increased the chances of getting players injured.
Following the 2014 season, I changed our methods of teaching for two reasons:
That spring we purchased five pop-up dummies and four single man sleds. Then last summer we bought a bundle of three of the youth Shadowman tackling system. I can’t say enough about them. Shadowman Sports designs detachable, moving tackling systems that allow athletes to perform full-speed drills and game-like reps without player-to-player contact.
During the preseason, we developed and utilized the following four methods of teaching tackling:
SEE ALSO: Shadowman sports partners with USA Football to bring tackling system to U.S. National Teams
Here’s a look at each drill.
During all four methods, every coach evaluates the tackling techniques of our players. Following preseason, we only utilized the Pop the Sleds and Shadowman drills during every practice. At no time during the season did we use any player-on-player tackling drills.
The results are in.
This past season, we tackled better than we have for years. The players’ technique seemed to improve daily.
We became, as coaches of our opponents noted, the most physical team in our conference and finished the season 8-1 and champions of our conference.
All of that is nice, but the most important thing is that during no time during the season did we have a player concussed or suffer from any significant injury while making a tackle during a practice or a game.
We all need to be proactive in taking as much player-no-player contact out of practices. Most programs limit live contact, and we must develop ways to teach this important skill without full-speed live action.
Chris Booth is the head football coach at Peterstown Middle School in West Virginia. He has had four books and nine videos published by Coaches Choice – available here– and will have a youth drill book published later in 2015.