Practice shuffling sideways, forward and back in this basic position, keeping your feet moving and bouncing at all times. You need to be able to spring in any direction at any moment, especially when you’re defending the run. The first fundamental of tackling is getting mobile in this position.
You need to maintain what is called the “laconic position,” in which your neck is flexed back slightly, not perfectly straight so your eyes are pointed down. Doing this will keep your eyes up, giving you a good sight of the field, and will keep your neck safe during play. Dropping your head during a tackle or leading with your helmet can result in injury, paralysis, or death. This is a crucial part of proper tackling form.
Dropping into breakdown will decelerate you, making you more accurate in your tackle, setting you up for a well-timed and on-point hit.
As you prepare to tackle, take one plant step and ensure that your head and eyes are up before spring into the next step in the tackle. Have a coach or other player check your hit prep step to make sure your back is straight, your butt is out, and your eyes are up. Tackling has much less to do with arm strength or speed and much more to do with proper form. A very strong player with poor fundamentals won’t be as good a tackler as a player who maintains good form and strikes correctly.
When executing a proper rip, your hands should end up somewhat higher than your eyes. Both of your arms should move up and pull back after you’ve ripped. Hugging the player back into you. Always keep your head up and eyes on the ball carrier. As you make impact with your shoulder your arms keep your face-mask up and your eyes to the sky.
Do your best to stay clear of the face mask by keeping your hands in fists as you tackle. Your fingers won’t do much for you during a well-executed tackle, so you might as well keep them safe by tucking them in and avoiding a risky penalty or injury.
Watching games on Sunday, you might see players in the backfield flying around, parallel to the ground, making highlight reel helmet shots that are both spectacular and inaccurate, as well as extremely dangerous and illegal. These players are taking lazy shortcuts and getting lucky.
