Tackling Gauntlet Youth Football Drills

I rewatched a linebacker video with Coach Paterno and his linebacker’s coach Coach Sandusky.  Coach Sandusky goes over several tackling drills but one I really like is the tackling gauntlet.  It teaches the tackler to wrap up and continue to drive his feet through the ball carrier.  So many times, youth players stop driving their feet during the tackle and get run over by the running back.  Just like we tell the running backs to keep moving their feet so should the tacklers.

The youth football drill has a tackler and 6 players lined up as a gauntlet with their hands outstretched and together similar to the old red rover game.  The tackler takes a good form tackling position on the bag and then drives the bag through the gauntlet and then drives the bag on to the landing mat.  If you do not have a landing mat you can line up 5 or 6 square bags or a old mattress works too.  The gauntlet players want to give resistance but let the tackler through, we do not want the tackler to stop his momentum.

I really like this drill and will be implementing this football drill into my pee wee football practices this year.

Play for Fun and Winning is Funner!