Expert: Joshua Barlow - 4/26/2009

Question
How do i tackle bigger guys? I play rugby league for my club in the under 16s club. My position is second row, so not sure what that would be in union...but i know it's somewhere in the 'tight 5'...but I want to get rid of my fear of the the bigger centres in the other team...

how do i get of the fear?
and how do i tackle the legs, should it be under the knees? or above?

and is there a successful way on tackling someone on their chest?

Answer
Hi, john
There is five types of tackling:

The side tackle
The rear Tackle
The passive front tackle
The active front Tackle
The smother tackle

The tackler should do all of the following

The side tackle- Imagine a target on the bottom of the ball carriers shorts.
Keep his head up of his chest
Brace his shoulders
Make initial contact with his shoulders on the ball carriers’ thigh
Wrap his arms around the carriers’ legs
Keep his head up and his eyes open behind the ball carriers backside
Drive with his legs, gripping with his arm and hands to bring the ball carrier to the ground

The rear tackle- Imagine a target on the bottom of the ball carriers shorts.
Keep his head up of his chest
Brace his shoulders
Make initial contact with his shoulders on the ball carriers’ thigh
Wrap his arms around the carriers’ legs
Drive with his legs, gripping with his arm and hands to bring the ball carrier to the ground
Land on top of tackled player

The passive front tackle-Imagine a target on the bottom of the ball carriers shorts.
Keep his head up of his chest
Brace his shoulders
Make initial contact with his shoulders on the ball carriers’ thigh
Wrap his arms around the carriers’ legs
Keep his head up and his eyes open to one side of his leg
Use momentum to take the carrier of your shoulder
Twist and land on the tackled player

The active front tackle-
Get his lead foot as close to the ball carrier as possible
Keep his eyes on the target
Keep his head to the side
Drive your hips to lower his centre of gravity
Drive your shoulder in to the target area
Drive your legs,
Pick one of the runner’s legs up
And land on the tackled player.

The smother tackle-Get his lead foot as close to the ball carrier as possible
Keep his eyes on the target
Wrap his arms around the upper part of the body
Try to trap the ball and players arms so they can’t off load
Land on tackled player


Thanks

Watch this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBxWT2Zf5Nw&feature=PlayList&p=45C6D302984CC68E&i...



Just look where every player gets hit



Thanks again