Youth Football Tackling Drills 10 Top Best
Here are a 10 Top Best youth football tackling drills we use with our youth and pee wee football players to learn tackling fundamentals from Rookies to Veteran players with years of experience playing tackle youth football; 6u to 12U.
Youth Football Tackling Drills
- Tackling Fit & Form Drill – Seahawk Tackle Install
- Hug and Hold Drill
- Seahawk Tackles – Shoulder Rolls
- Angle Tackle Drill
- Tackle Wheel Tackling Circuit
- Tackle Pad Drill
- Helmet to Helmet Get Up Tackle Drill
- 4 Bag Shuffle / Call the Hole
- Contain Pod
- Big Oklahoma Drill
Youth Football Tackling Drills Tips
Fit and Form Drill
On the first day of practice we teach proper tackling with the Fit & Form Drill. A key youth football tackling drill. This simple tackle drill is part of our 2-lines dynamic warm-ups. Our two warm-up lines face each other and one line is the a stationary ball carrier and the other line is the tackler. We change actions in place after 3 reps. Just hand the football to the partner across from each other. On this first day we are not looing for perfection but to intro install the fundamental so over time in this daily fundamental drill the start to learn and perfect the drill approaching the first game to the last.
In the past for youth football tackling drills, we used the traditional tackle form which is the tackler performs a proper form tackle on the stationary ball carrier; Bent knees shoulder width apart, bulled neck back (we tell the players their head should be up looking at the player’s numbers not at his feet or his head and never spear with top of helmet), slide helmet to one side of ball carrier with shoulder pads still in numbers while wrapping arms like a bear hug around thighs, legs or buttocks while driving through the player. The tackler picks up the ball carrier but does not take him to ground in this warm-up drill. Each player does this twice; helmet left then right.
Now for youth football tackling drills, we use the Seahawk tackle shoulder format in our fit and form tackle drill that is within our Everyday drills two lines time. We will also discuss the pectoral high shoulder tackle for open field tackles.
Stop Arm Tackles – Hug and Hold Drill
Then we have we do the hug and hold tackling drill in our youth football tackling drills. While the tackler is in a tackling ready position the ball carrier steps toward him slowly and jumps. The tackler then bear hugs the ball carrier in the air and holds the ball carrier up. We learned this helps teach the kids to wrap up because they need both hands to hold the ball carrier in the air.
We do these youth football tackling drills most everyday at practices and emphasize head up no spearing, shoulder tackles. Safety first! While doing these tackling drills, our coaches walk the warm-up lines adjusting the players to insure proper tackling technique. One thing I heard in a coaching clinic about keeping your head up was the tackler should be able to bite the running backs jersey through his face mask. We do not condone biting but this is an easy way kids can remember to keep their heads up. Just tell them they can’t really bite the player’s jersey. If you have a problem using the word bite, try lick their jersey.
Tackle Pad Drill
The Tackle Pad Drill is one of the best youth football tackling drills for rookie players to learn to tackle. I came across this drill many moons ago and still works today to intro contact and tackling to rookie youth football players.
You can use a progression to this drill and start out with just a big tackling dummy at the edge of a fall landing pad or several flat blocking pads used to land on. Then you can move to a player holding a blocking shield and them to a player with no shield. The player will tackle the object and or player with good form onto the pad. You can run this drill at walk, quarter, half and full speed as the players progress.
Helmet to Helmet Get Up Tackle Drill
The Helmet to Helmet Get Up Tackle Drill is one of the oldie but goodie youth football tackling drills. I ran this too in starting in 1971 as a rookie youth football player then through High School. Crazy how long ago but still one of my favorite youth football drills as a coach and a player.
Easy to set up and close quarters so injuries are less than an OK Drill. This is a good intro youth football tackling drills to use for rookie players. Plus they learn to get up off the ground.
More Youth Football Drills
For more youth football drills check out my Drills page 1 and Drills page 2. You can also check out my Drills eBook and O-Line Drills eBook. Or better yet get the Drill Bundle below and Save!
What are your favorite youth football tackling drills? Did my like any of or all my youth tackle fundamental drills? Let me know, I would love to hear from you. Contact me anytime. I love to talk coaching youth football and and new drills you might like to share.
Remember, Play for Fun and Winning is Funner!
Good Luck this Season,
Coach Parker
Keller, Texas, DFW, Dallas, Fort Worth, Texas
for form tackling we have a motto it goes “hit,wrap and suck him up.”it’s a word phrase that the boys understand and grasp the thought of contact then tackling
thanks coach, I will use that too. Hit, Wrap, Suck Him Up and Drive him to his bootocky. Cool!
good coachin from the MIDWEST RAVENS COL OH
I have been reading many different things about teaching tackling. There are so many that teach to tackle higher and lift the player off the ground. Myself, I can’t teach that way as I don’t believe that is most effective or does it happen in game situatoins. I am glad that I have found another coach that teaches to wrap up the legs. I have always told my players that a man can’t run without legs. If you take their legs out they are done for.
The problem with primarily going for the legs is lack of tackling stabilty and reluctance to keep head up. I teach to hit higher, face at the numbers, wrap and if need be slide to the feet.
wrapping legs can still lead to a missed tackle apposed to taking the # and driving through an opponent very dangerous and usually head is down targeting the legs leads to many injuries and a lot to clean up as a coaching standpoint to the players when they progress and get faster stronger and can break tackles with there legs!!
Screws to the ball referring to screws holding face mask is effective head is up and body is at a good height