Successful Tackling

Successful Tackling

Peter D'Cruz

Off The Crossbar Coaching Series

Tackling must only be thought of as a skill in the context of a game situation. Successful tackling is about getting the ball away from the other team. There are many ways of getting the ball back from the other team:

They pass the ball over the side-line or over the end-line.  

They pass the ball and it is intercepted by one of your players.   

A player loses control of the ball when receiving or running with the ball.   

A player commits a foul when receiving or running with the ball.   

You take the ball away from an opposing player.

Therefore, a successful tackle is not just about you getting the ball from an opposing player. On most occasions you will pressure and channel an opposing player and force her into one of the five items listed above.

The keys to successful tackling:
  You must immediately move laterally to ensure that you can channel the opposing player to your right side.   Keep the head of the stick on the ground, hold it with the left hand and keep it on the left side of your body.   Pressure the player by stepping up to her as quickly as possible. When you are close to her, reach out the head of the stick and try to pull the ball back towards you by flicking your wrist. This action will cause your whole body to move backwards and you will not lunge forward which means you will not be beaten easily. If you don’t get the ball, you now channel the player as she runs on your right side. Be patient and try to tackle the ball when the other player’s stick is not in contact with the ball, e.g. when she tries to pass, hit or loses control

Applying Pressure
Cutting down the amount of time an opposing player has with the ball is very important to successful tackling. The more time a player has with the ball, the more options she has to pass or run with the ball. The best analogy is in NFL football. In football, whether the defensive team plays man-to-man or zone defense, they always rush the quarterback because they know that if the quarterback has time to throw, his team will usually be successful in completing a pass.Therefore, you must always step up and cut down the space between the player with the ball and yourself. You must hurry them so that they must execute their skill in a short amount of time. This becomes more and more important as they get closer to your circle and inside your circle.

Why the Jab Tackle must be avoided:
When you jab, your whole body moves forward and if you miss the ball, you cannot recover to channel and pressure the player with the ball. You will be beaten completely and now their player will have lots of time to make a great pass or shoot on goal. If you jab and connect with the ball, the ball will go away from you which means it could still end up with the other team which allows them to continue the attack. Therefore, always pull the ball back towards you when tackling. You won’t lunge forward and you will always be in a position to pressure and tackle successfully.

The above article is the copyright of Peter D’Cruz. The author has given permission that the article can be copied and used in whole, or in part, as long the information is presented accurately, reflects its intention and theme, and the author is credited for the information.