Skip to main content

Missed tackles and their impact.


Missed tackles and their impact.

Good tackle technique varies based on the physical attributes of the tackler, position on the field, carrying style of the attacker or even the time in a match. Team policy should include guidelines for these areas. However basic tackle technique comes down to a few key points, for example:
  • Feet close
  • Head up
  • Wrap
  • Squeeze
  • Leg Drive

Let’s look at ‘feet close.’  There are many buzz words and phrases that have been used in the past and when properly explained they help players to visualise the correct technique. A personal preference is not to refer to the feet at all and shift focus to ‘chasing hands’ into the tackle. Understanding what this looks like is crucial. The term I use is ’T-Rex.’ It describes the positioning of the hands like the T-Rex dinosaur. It works well with younger players where we can say “be a T-Rex not a Pterodactyl” to illustrate keeping their arms in and up. ‘Chasing’ their hands means don’t extend them but keep them close and follow them into the tackle i.e. not reaching. This brings the tackler close to the attacker (feet close) and prevents them taking a long stride into the tackle, which would reduce leg drive.



In these images above the tacklers have left their feet behind and are reaching into the tackle.
 https://youtu.be/jUmRk_zOwMQ




‘Sitting’ in the tackle is common, resulting in a non-dominant tackle – a problem for the defence.  A bigger issue arises if the tackler drops his head as seen in these images above. When a tackler loses sight of the tackle target they can be stepped or worse, find themselves in a very vulnerable and unsafe position.
https://youtu.be/vziyH54pz7M 


When done well a tackler should be able to chase his hands into the tackle, getting close to the target area. The target area will vary depending on the type of tackle selected i.e. a chop tackle, stack tackle, high, low etc. In all of these it is key to get in close and stay focused on the target area. The tackler gets his power from the ground and his feet need to be under him. Same foot, same shoulder. In the image above we can see the tackler’s head is dropped and his feet are behind him. Watch the associated video clip – you’ll see he hits opposite shoulder to foot, missing his target and de-powering his hit. 
https://youtu.be/I9Sud0WPqhc


Many teams send two players into the tackle. This is a successful method when both tacklers are aware of their roles: one player high and the other low. The recommended order they do this will differ from coach to coach. In the image above we can see both tacklers are at the same height and end up canceling each other out. 
https://youtu.be/DFg4aJxD3hc




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Options - Are they in your attack plan?

Options - Are they in your attack plan? Teams who want to develop their attacking game need to have multiple options in their attack plan.   The complexity of your plan depends on your personnel and the level of the competition you are playing in. Many years ago the Wallabies ran a simple shape referred to as the ‘Aussie Box’ and it completely changed the way backlines attacked.   ‘Aussie Box’ variations Since then many sides have gone on to develop similar shapes around their forwards.   Today we see whole team attack shapes as a big part of the modern game. At the highest level these shapes are not only an orchestrated manoeuvre, they are specifically tailored to unlock the defence structures of the opposition. This is possible thanks to the advanced level of analysis used in professional rugby. Knowledge is power when it comes to designing attacking shapes. But the unpredictability of the game can also lead to unexpected chances. Opportunities are limited so
Post a Comment
Read more

Vision and Decision- what’s missing?

Reaction! Good decision makers are often associated with having an abundance of time. This equates to more vision. Basically greater time to see more! As coaches we really push our players to work hard off the ball. What we want are our players to be set early so they have time to see more and thus make better decisions. But then what?   Hesitation can be a real killer when under pressure. ‘Fight, flight or freeze’ are our natural reactions to these moments of pressure.   Let’s look at ‘act or react’. If we work hard we have a better chance that we can dictate what happens next, we ‘act’. This is the perfect world and one we tend to train the most. But following on from a previous blog about the race, we have an opposition who are also trying to set early. Should they beat us then we are often forced to ‘react’. What this looks like can have a massive impact on the game. At some stage in a training session we need to throw in the unknown. Doing this can help check th
Post a Comment
Read more

Halfbacks can be big fellas too.

Halfbacks can be big fellas too. With rugby players world wide at all levels confined to their homes thanks to Covid-19 lockdowns we need to take a look at things we can do to enhance our skills on our return to the game. For the big fellas out there a large part of your training is probably around set piece. For scrummaging the master, Mike Cron has provided a wealth of drills that can be done in isolation with things like Swiss balls, bands, sleds etc. But what about some of the lesser trained skills that can be part of the armoury of a successful forward. Catch-pass can be difficult to practice alone and a ball can transfer all sorts of nasties when training with others.   So what do we do? The halfback pass can be trained by an individual, particularly in its most basic form.   Getting the ball off the ground and to a target as quickly and accurately as possible is something all players should be able to do. There are many tips and tricks to doing this and there is a p
Post a Comment
Read more