The Art of Tackling in Football

A question I often get asked by parents is can you teach my child to tackle?

This is usually answered with a “yes leave it with me”.  Truth is this is a very difficult thing to “coach”.

I spend a lot of my coaching time teaching players to delay the attacker. Not to dive in, stand them up, all old-school phrases.
But I do believe a great defender doesn’t necessarily just tackle.

They are great readers of the game, if they delay a player and he passes backwards the defender has done a good job.

It is getting the player to make the right decision whether to commit to a tackle or not that is the hard part of coaching. What are the implications if you lose the tackle? And so on.

As for the tackle, this comes down to obviously some technique, but mainly:

• To the player’s bravery, hunger and will to win. If he is half-hearted he risks losing the ball and injury.
• Timing, if a players timing is off he risks conceding free kicks, penalties and also yellow and red cards.

So, to be a good tackler you need Decision making, what is the best decision, tackle? Jockey?

Knowledge, what may happen should I lose this tackle.

Bravery, tackling is a dual, you can get hurt, you must be prepared to “put your body on the line”.

Will to win: if you have a desire to win, you will put your body on the line and have the commitment needed to win a tackle.

I find through game experience, giving praise often and constructive positive feedback along with everything else involved in the decision-making processes of football, you will hopefully create a player who gives his all for himself and his teammates and thus becomes great in the art of tackling.

Now go and get stuck in. ☺