The tackler targets the opposition player’s waist. He needs to get low in order to get under any potential hand off.
Keep moving
The tackler keeps moving forward and has to get in front of the ball carrier. Just before contact he should set himself in a strong crouched position with one foot slightly in front of the other.
Head up
The head stays up, with the eyes looking at the target until contact is made.
Shoulder, head, arms
Contact is made with the shoulder. The head tucks in tight to the hip and the arms form a tight band round the thighs.
Roll back
From the strong crouch position just before contact, the tackler rolls back using the ball carrier’s momentum to bring them to ground.
Use a game of "King of the tackle court" to encourage better tackles which dominate the ball carrier. Reward strong, successful front-on tackles where the tackle is completed and the ball carrier is driven back over their line. It encourages getting off the defensive starting line to make the tackle. This reduces the space as quickly as possible. The attacker still has an incentive as they want to make the tackle impossible or as difficult as possible. MORE
Here is a 15-minute mini contact session based on reintroducing players to the contact area. What’s important in this early stage is to revisit the basics of contact. Not only as players’ techniques may have slipped during lockdown, but also in an effort to make everyone’s contact area safer and better. The session focuses on technique in a safe but competitive environment, enabling the players to have fun with first getting the contact positions right and then working on their tackling. MORE
This session reintroduces players to the tackle, checking that players remember the basics of tackling safely and working on getting clear of the tackle area quickly once the tackle is completed. MORE
Here are some activities to support your stage D tackling training. Using small groups, they look at rebuilding tackling skills in a low impact environment and developing a game-related understanding at the same time. MORE
Match-time tackling can be 1 v 1, but often it’s a team effort, especially for younger players. Use this simple activity to build confidence, communication and tackle technique. MORE
