LB 101 (Part 5): Tackling

Apr 14, 2025

Elite Linebackers are tackling machines.

Here are a few starting points.

The Approach

A good tackle happens way before contact.

A Linebacker’s approach is based on one simple question:

Is the ball carrier moving TOWARDS you, or moving AWAY from you?

If the ball carrier is moving towards you, you’ll want to come to balance before making the tackle.

If the ball carrier is moving away from you, take a great angle — DON’T come to balance — and run right through the tackle.

Often, two defenders are working together to make the tackle.

One defender has the ball moving TOWARDS them, and one has the ball moving AWAY from them.

We call this a VICE TACKLE.

Click here to read a full article about the VICE.

There are a couple key coaching points when it comes to the point of contact.

One is in regards to the position of the tackler’s head.

I spent years coaching “head across the body” tackling.

About a decade ago, I switched to “head off the near hip” tackling.

At this point, I do believe the “near hip” approach is the better option.

As for the other body parts:

Low hips, eyes up, step with the near foot, contact with the shoulder, “double uppercut” with the arms, wrap and squeeze.

There’s a lot happening at once.

This is why great DRILL WORK creates confident tacklers.

There’s one key coaching point when it comes to the finish:

RUN THE FEET.

Even if you’ve come to balance on the approach, you’ll want to run the feet through contact.

Great tacklers work on this until it becomes second nature.

Master this, and it will pay off on game day.

Click here for Part 6 of the LB 101 Series, which is all about Pass Coverage.

Take care,

Jon Svec
Defensive Coordinator
St. Francis Xavier University
X-Men Football
Email: jsvec@stfx.ca
Twitter: @jonsvecx