Drill Type: Tackling Drill
Set Up
- The cones should be set up two yards by two yards.
- The inside cones are two yards apart, which makes the cones that the players are at, facing each other, four yards apart.
- You have an offensive player and a defensive player.
Execution
- The players are going to step toward a cone, in the same direction.
- The defensive player takes a step and freezes. That’s a very important coaching point-that both of them take the big step and freeze. That’s why the cones are so close. The purpose is to get into tackling position and then tackle.
- Get to the cone. Freeze. Get in hit position.
- The offensive player holds up the bags, and waits to be tackled.
- Coach up the stance: holster the hands, get your elbows close to you, then shoot up, grab some cloth, and shoot through. The eyes are at the numbers, actually a little bit lower.
- A variation of this drill is having the players take a couple of steps.
Coaching Tips
Most running backs aren’t going to run to the defender. They’re going to run away from. This is part of the pursuit aspect of it. If you’re head up on a running back, he’s got two directions he can go. If you take away the inside, he only has one way to go, which is the outside. Push him to the boundary while everyone is pursuing.