Coming up with new ideas for youth football tackling drills can sometimes be a challenge. Here’s a tip that Derrick, one of my subscribers, sent in. Give this a try with your team and match his results!
From Derrick…
THE GUANTLET-Tackling Drill
I have a great coaching football drill that can be used at any age group.
Youth football coaches come up against many obstacles when coaching kids from ages 7-14.
One of the challenges is the time that is given to teach football techniques, especially fundamental tackling.
In this football tackling drill, 2 cones are set up about 5 yards apart, simulating the area that a runner would come through. Another 2 cones with the same distance apart will be set up exactly 4-6 yards from the first set. Continue these sets of cones until you have 6 or 7 sets of 2 cone groups.
Within each 2 cone group is a tackler standing in the middle of the 2 cone group, facing (1) ball carrier. 4-6 yards behind that tackler is another tackler, in a tackling ready position, and the next tackler is positioned the same way, and so on and so on.
Once the tackler makes a tackle on the ball carrier, the carrier gets up and has to run through the next tackler, and so on and so on. Hence the name- The Gauntlet. There will be a line of ball carriers lined up ready to go after the first tackle is made.
The tackler has to get up quickly after making the tackle because there will be another ball carrier coming at least 5-10 seconds later.
The advantages of this football drill is that each tackler should get 80-100 tackle opportunities in a 2-3 session period. Remember, this drill offers you an opportunity to evaluate and correct poor tackling technique and poor running as well.
I always let them run through at 50% speed and I allow many breaks for resting because this drill takes a lot of energy.
This drill alone helped every youth team that I have coached in Youngstown, and Columbus Ohio win league championships. This drill tends to make the kids more secure in tackling and a lot tougher when hitting.
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