3 Drills To Effectively Use Tackle Rings
Tackle Rings have become one of the hot teaching tools in the football coaching profession. While they can be a great tool, it’s important that you know how to use them correctly so that your team can get the most out of them. As a whole we use tackling rings for three main skills: mastering the approach and wrapping up; leg drive in contact; and getting off a block and into the next phase of the play, normally making a tackle.
3 Drills To Effectively Use Tackle Rings
The first drill that we do with our rings, and the one that is one of the most common, is the tackle profile drill. Here we are working with our players on tracking the near hip, making solid contact, and wrapping the player up. We can do this from a variety of different positions, but the general idea is that we will roll the ring and the defender will go to tackle the ring with his head behind the near hip. After the player executes the tackle, we have a rule that they have to stand up while holding the ring. This ensures that they are wrapping the ring up and guaranteeing the tackle.
The next drill that we like to do is designed to force the player to keep their weight and drive their feet through contact. This drill can be very effective for players who are making contact and then losing their feet or not driving through the ball carrier. In this drill the player will approach the tackle ring from the front (you will want to start with the tackle ring stationary here and slowly start to roll it at the defender). When the defender makes contact with the ring, he will wrap it up and drive it across the grass for five steps. One of the most common mistakes you will see is the ring collapsing down. When you see the ring collapse down you know that the player does not have control of their weight and would not be able to drive in a tackle.
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One of our other primary drills with the tackle ring involves the defender transitioning from block destruction to making a tackle. In these drills there will be two different phases that the defender must work through. In the first phase he will need to get off of some block, this is normally done through our Escape Drill progression. After the player has established a strong position on the block the coach will roll the ring and the player will have to disengage and make the tackle. This is a great way to teach players to not only work on their escapes from a block, but also ensure that they are keeping their eyes up while destroying a block.
Really the use of the Tackle Ring is only limited by your imagination. It is one of the most versatile tools and can be a great addition to your practice plans. While these drills are some of our main drills, it’s very easy to find new creative ways to use the tackle ring.
