Objective
Build a safe, repeatable tackle with the head up and out of contact, leading with the shoulder, wrapping at the thigh or hip and finishing on the ground under control.
Setup
Area
A 10 x 10 yard grid per group, flat and soft ground or turf
Players
Groups of 4–6 working in pairs
Equipment
Tackling rings or tube dummies, Stand-up dummies or hand shields, Soft mats if available, Cones for the grid
Duration
12–15 minutes, about 3 minutes per stage
How it works
- 1
Stage 1: breakdown
Players sprint 5 yards toward a cone and chop their feet into a breakdown: feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent, hips low, chest over the knees, eyes up and hands ready. Hold it for two seconds on the coach's call. Every tackle starts from this athletic position.
- 2
Stage 2: near foot, near shoulder
From a breakdown 2 yards from a partner holding a hand shield at his hip, the tackler steps with his near foot to the ball carrier's side and fits his near shoulder into the pad. The head slides across and to the side, never into the pad. Walk it, then jog it.
- 3
Stage 3: shoulder tackle on the dummy
Against a stand-up dummy 3 yards away, the tackler closes, breaks down, drives the near shoulder into the thigh-to-hip area, wraps both arms around the back of the dummy and squeezes. The feet keep running through contact for three steps. No one leaves his feet.
- 4
Stage 4: wrap and roll
On a tackling ring or tube dummy, the tackler fits at the thigh, wraps, and rolls to the ball carrier's side, turning so both players land on their sides with the dummy going down with him. On mats this teaches a controlled finish in which no player lands on his head or neck.
- 5
Controlled live finish
Older groups only: the ball carrier jogs straight at half speed between two cones 5 yards apart and the tackler finishes with a thud (full fit and wrap, no one taken to the ground). Add speed and angle only after the group shows the technique consistently.
| Stage | Focus | Distance and speed | Move on when |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Breakdown | Athletic position, eyes up | 5-yard sprint into a 2-second hold | Every player holds a flat back with eyes up |
| 2. Near foot, near shoulder | Footwork and head placement | 2 yards, walk then jog | No helmet touches the shield |
| 3. Shoulder tackle | Thigh-to-hip contact, wrap and drive | 3 yards on a stand-up dummy | Feet keep running for three steps through contact |
| 4. Wrap and roll | Controlled finish to the ground | Fit from a knee or a walk on mats | Both players land on their sides every rep |
| Live thud | Full fit on a moving ball carrier | 5-yard lane at half speed, older groups only | Technique holds when the runner changes pace |
Coaching points
Eyes up through contact: a player who can see the ball carrier's numbers cannot have his head down.
Aim the shoulder at the thigh or hip, not the chest; lower contact means less upper-body collision and a better grip.
Keep the feet moving until the whistle; most failed wraps happen when the tackler stops and reaches.
Shorten the distance before adding speed: closing 2–3 yards with control beats sprinting 10 yards into a collision.
Praise the fit, not the hit; young players repeat whatever gets the loudest reaction from the coach.
Variations
Angle tackle
Put the ball carrier on a 45-degree path toward a cone. The tackler takes a pursuit angle, keeps his head behind the runner's hip, and makes a near-shoulder tackle with the far arm wrapping.
Tackle wheel roll
If you own a tackling wheel, a coach rolls it slowly across the grid and the tackler fits at the thigh, wraps and rolls with it. It gives a moving target with no live ball carrier, which makes it a safe bridge between stage 4 and live reps.
Tackle circuit
Set the four stages as four stations and rotate groups every 3 minutes. Every player keeps moving, each coach teaches one technique, and it drops straight into a youth practice plan.
Build it in Coach Board
Parents and assistants should see the same safe progression the players do, before pads go on. Lay out the four stations on a Coach Board field with cones, dummies and player positions, then animate the rotation arrows so each group knows where to go next. Duplicate the station board for the angle tackle, slow the animation to show the head going behind the runner's hip, and share the link before the first padded practice.