USA Football and Shadowman Sports have partnered to bring the Shadowman tackling system to U.S. National Team events including Regional Development Camps, National Development Games and the International Bowl.

Based in San Francisco, Shadowman Sports designs detachable, moving tackling systems that allow athletes to perform full-speed drills without player-to-player contact. USA Football’s National Practice Guidelines for Youth Tackle Football recommends no more than 30 minutes per day of full contact. By performing drills against bags, coaches can create practice plans that optimize full-speed drills without full contact.

Shadowman tackling systems are designed for ages 14 and older, while Shadowman Jr. tackling systems are designed for ages 6-14.

Shadowman Pro and Jr. provide more game-like reps than tackling bags, designed with durable and specially selected polyvinyl chloride in order to withstand the rigors of any level of football practice. PVC provides high tear and tensile strength for Shadowman products with elastic properties that absorb energy on impact for better feedback during a tackle and also offers a longer product life.

 “USA Football is responsible for creating the biggest national platform for youth education in sports and aligns with exactly what Shadowman is trying to do, which is create a safer sports environment through preventive design,” JP Hartigan, CEO of Shadowman Sports said. “Together we will train players and educate coaches to play smarter, longer and better.”

“Shadowman enables coaches to dedicate more time to teaching proper tackling technique without player-to-player contact,” USA Football Senior Director of Football Development Nick Inzerello said. “Doing so can develop athletes to become fundamentally sound tacklers while advancing player safety.”