Tackling Types – Defense Coaching Youth Football

I am reading Coach George Allen’s Handbook of Winning Football.  Coach George Allen was one of the winningest NFL coaches on the Rams and Redskins in the 60′ and 70’s.  I watched his teams many times give my home team Dallas Cowboys fits on Thanksgiving.

I was surprised this morning reading Coach Allen’s defensive line chapter and section on tackling.  “The type of tackle used by the defender depends on who is carrying the football.  If there is a big strong runner coming at him, the tackler will probably hit him low.  If the carrier has tremendous footwork, he (tackler) might want to go high on him.  If the offensive player is a real scatback, the tackler has to go high on him or he might get faked out.”

All my life Ive been taught to hit low and form tackle, and that’s what I’ve been teaching.  Although a few years ago I wrote a post on the death of form tackling after hearing a few NFL coaches and players talk about tackling.  I do think Coach Allen is right, for scatbacks I see young players look low and lose the running back in the process of making a form tackle.  The young tackler would have been better off hitting the running back high, grabbing cloth and pulling the RB to the ground.

What do you think? Let me know.