Teach your Defenders how to Maintain Leverage with the Vice Tackle Drill
The ability to keep leverage and make a tackle on a ball carrier can be one of the most difficult aspects of tackling. By using the Vice Drill players will be able to develop the necessary skills to keep their leverage on the ball carrier while working with a teammate.
Teach your Defenders how to Maintain Leverage with the Vice Tackle Drill
The setup of the drill is pretty simple. There is a ball carrier and two defenders space about 15 yards apart. On the whistle the ball carrier has the freedom the run and try to break contain of the defenders. The defenders must work together to keep their leverage and make the tackle.
The tackle can be defined differently depending on the amount of pads that players are wearing. If players are not wearing any pads or just helmets, this can be defined as the ball carrier being forced between the two defenders. If the players are wearing pads then this can consist of a wrap up. The main part of the drill is not the tackling segment, it is the players working up to be in a position to tackle.
One of the key elements for this drill is to teach the defenders the importance of their hips. Ball carriers are always looking to get defenders hips over committed so they can break clean. To this end, the defender’s must keep their hips turned out so they can protect against the defender trying to break to the outside. The best way to do this is by keeping their inside foot in front. This allows them to adjust to any break the ball carrier makes to try to get outside of them. The result is that the ball carrier is forced back to the team mates and the defender has maintained outside leverage.
Related Content: Burst and Buzz Tackling Drill
In this drill the ball carrier plays a critical role. He must provide a good look for the defenders by juking and making moves to throw off the defenders. We have always like to use the fastest young players for this. It’s a fun role for them and allows them to highlight their ability to make plays.
The Vice Drill is a great drill to teach players about leverage and working with their teammates to make a tackle. These are skills that have become even more important in the modern game with all of the perimeter screen passes that are thrown.
