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Categories > Tackling & Defence

Tackle Technique - Progressions for Juniors

This clip illustrates tackle technique using progressions suitable to all players and possibly requiring regular revisit to embed safe and effective tackling

Video Subtitles

An important development in modern coaching has been the increased emphasis on defense and tackling as players develop physically the contact and collisions that occur in the game will increase in intensity. It's vital that all players develop a safe and effective tackling technique from an early age. Players need to understand and adapt to different defensive systems as required by the coach or in a game the following practices develop safe and effective tackling technique by highlighting the key coaching points of different types of tackle and defensive situations and systems that occur in the modern game. All we're going to do for this stage is just practice getting our feet in close Okay. What I want is the arms behind the back. Okay, and all we're looking at is this the Tacker so to speak just coming up and just giving me a slight split with the legs. So what we're trying to do imagine, we've got a nice big hoop there and we're going to just try and step into that little split that is given to us. Okay the closer you get your head to the side. Okay, the more likely you can get your shoulder in as well just for First exercise or we're looking for is step in ensuring appear on the back here and I just want chest on pan. Yay forward good. Okay, just sitting with the chest at the moment good the attacking player stands with leg split. The defender should step into the split getting his feet in close to the attacker to provide a strong base. The contact should be with the same shoulder as they're leading leg. With their head up and eyes open at all times tacklers must Place their head close to the side of the target attacker should offer the split on different sides to vary The Tackle. Just give me a couple of points. How can we improve that? Excellent, buddy, how are we going to get the body out lower? Hips lower and bend the knees great. We're staying big until what until you're into the hoop good. If I'm in this position coming in. I don't want to get myself smaller be stepped away. I want to get it nice and quick and then start syncing it. Okay. Good sink face. Look at the footage of the hope good. Defenders should initially stay big then sink at the hips and knees once they step into the split. It's important to step into the tackle avoid jumping and planting both feet on the ground. A key safety point is to keep your spine in line ensuring your back is straight and your head is up with the chin off the chest as you make contact instead of just stopping and that's good enough and let this player to run right through we're going to try and use our feet to purchase or chasing our feet. There's another Expressions being used to get it through the contact area as well. Okay, good. Excellent feet to purchase and drive it through good. Good. Good. Good. Well done. Just give him a little split to two to give him the courage of good. Well done head as close as possible. Keep the eyes open. Remember safety all the time fellas good. Okay, rest up that just stay where you are. How can we make it easier for ourselves if we cannot drive through? What do we need to do? Hip Square. So imagine you've got a belt buckle on there. You want it facing straight through the middle of the target soon as we start turn it sideways and push it. You will tell me a find it hard. Yes, so we want to keep that belt buckle as Square as possible and we want to drive straight through okay off we go. Good, excellent. Well done slashing. Let him drive you through good. Well Dad the key points for this exercise should be introduced progressively ensuring that players concentrate on correct technique at each stage players should step into the split with feet clothes and a strong base staying big. They should sink at the knees and hips with their head up eyes open and spine in line. They should hit close to the side of the target. Keeping the hips Square. They should drive through the tackle with three small steps. The Defenders hands should be up and ready in front of their body like boxers hands. They should not go immediately for the ball primarily. They must concentrate on a strong grip squeezing their arms. The exercise is now progressed to make more use of the hands making the heads just underneath the ball. Okay is the are actually comes through and we're looking to grip grip that's get the ants and fingers working not just being open ended and Slappy and week. We're being really strong grab something and get them really work. Okay, let's go. Good. Can I cut well done? Good. Nice big Alex. This progression is all about grip Defenders should make contact beneath the ball shooting their arms forward and gripping tightly as they drive through the tackle. throw Go Tom, don't forget this boxer hands working for us the basic tackle technique from earlier practices still applies. But here the emphasis is on using the attackers momentum to turn him on his back. Once the tackle is complete Defenders should quickly reload onto their feet to compete for the ball. So far we've concentrated on tackle technique solely from the front when an opponent is coming towards us the next set of practices. Look at what to do when we have to chase an opponent down and tackle from the side or rear. This can often be a try saving technique in defense. Fall into hands of cake just walk through it slowly the foot close front foot closer there in their Drive head in tight. Okay, and then drive straight through the tackle Landing or top and where's the head on top? Okay, and then you can get back up on his feet. That is what we're looking at ready off we go through through through clothes driving up up up up up up. Yeah, good. What are we looking to do with our legs Fellas dry through ready? Let's go through head. Try through and up. Khatam gym with his legs a bit more. Yeah, that's go again. Okay, let's go drive. Good. Excellent. Great work good work. Again. Defenders must stay tall and get their feet in close before making the hit the head position is very important and must go behind the attacker. Tacklers should grip strongly with their arms landing on top of the tackle player. Using leg drive through the tackle. The aim is to put the attacker on the ground and reload quickly to compete. Just go girl Coco a little high. But okay little high. Let's go. Go Charlie could let drive well done tighter grip get the fingers working tighter grips. Oh good boy. Well done much better Park. See great work. Tacklers should aim for the attackers fi and make contact with a shoulder using their hands and arms to grip tightly. Good leg Drive is the key players should avoid diving into the tackle. Fellows that going to ground tackles will win matches. Come on. Let's go drive drive technique technique leg lifts good this get up and go go go side side tackle side hits. Don't turn off the patch up the pad away. Come on. Let's go chase him down high down. Great tackle last tackle Well Done big hit Fifi drive down. Good good tackle. Well, then fill exit wait slow down Coke. Don't side tackle side tackle. Hey, it's good backup. Okay, check the pan away could like go chasing down high to low high to low. Now slide down take it big hit drive drive core. Big hit go on go drive through it. Let's go hit good here. Alex. Lovely leg Drive. Come on fellas. This is the best yet. Let's go drive drive drive leg hide down good tackle at the end. Alex. Well done. Pleasure concentrate on all of their tackle techniques in this exercise get close with your head to the side grip and drive through the front tackle with boxer hands up and ready aim for the thigh with your head behind for the side tackle. Chase down the attacker slide from high to low gripping the legs with your head on top for the rear tackle use leg drive to put the attacker to ground with each tackle and reload quickly. The next progression in are tackling and defense skills training is to develop tackle techniques in static situations learning the correct technique for the guard tackle is crucial to stop opponents making ground from The Rock practice 13, aims to develop the technique for a passive guard tackle. This would take place outside the 22-metre area of the pitch where we're prepared to concede a metering contact in order to isolate the ball carrier and contest for the ball. This is a one-on-one exercise with both players wearing tackle suits a tackle bag is used to represent a rock situation the defender adopts a three-point defensive position. The attacker starts behind the rock picks up the ball and drives forward so we can see it in the meter because we've got space on the feel if we're on our own line, we wouldn't use this. Okay. So three point starts staying low explosive movement and conceding the meter to win the ball back. In open space. Okay. Let's have a go have a look. Excellent good starting in the three-point stance. The defender should move upwards to a higher position leaning forward with a wide base his feet offset and split for stability. He should attack the back of the attackers shoulders and pull down with a strong grip. Good good Conceited the meatza, but we're in a good position to get the ball good. Concede two hands, excellent. The defender should disguise his intentions from the attacker keeping his spine in line. The upward movement should be explosive conceding a meter but then attacking the ball quickly with two hands. The aim is gaining possession of the ball. Okay, what are the points we're looking for? What points do we want to cover here? This is the rock. These are bodies that are out of the game at the moment. We want to hit them back in. What's the movement of this Defender? Stay low and he wants to get he wants to get underneath the ball and drive it back or can't stay big this time because he's got support and we can't afford to concede the Archer hit back into the Rock area. Good good. It the are good hit well done. You've got to work those legs there their legs legs legs legs. Good work. Okay, the tackler must keep low in the three-point stance before exploding into space staying strong on his is feet Keeping his spine in line and head to the side the tackler must use short fast steps to drive his opponent backwards into the rug. Okay. Yeah, good good. Hit if spilled the ball exit go go go go go good. Yeah good strength. Well done.