Sports Fundamentals: Tackling
Tackling is a fundamental part of a number of sports, from football to rugby to hockey to many others. What is so important about this component of the game and what would happen to the sports if it was not allowed? Tackling in all contact sports leads to a contest between two players who usually crash into each other in an attempt to win the ball. Tackles, when done properly, can dispossess a person very cleanly of the ball, while if done incorrectly can lead to fouls, penalties and serious injuries. The ability to execute a proper tackle is a skill and an art that only the best defensive players can master. This interesting sports fundamental needs to be explored further.
Tackling features in many sports: football, American football, rugby and many others. It is one of the most fundamental parts of defensive play in all these different sports. In rugby and American football, tackling a player is the only way to get the ball from them. As they keep the ball held tightly close to their bodies, the only way to get them to loosen their grip on the ball is to hit them as hard as possible and get them to release the ball. In football, it is possible to jostle the ball away from another player’s feet by either sliding in or blocking the ball by using fancy footwork to steal it from them. In ice hockey, players routinely lunge at other players with their sticks and they slam into them and send them flying by way of a body check. It is only in noncontact sports or sports with minimal amount of contact, such as basketball or baseball, that tackling does not occur to steal the ball away from another player.
Rugby is a game that is built upon the tackle; the ability to bring down an opponent and take the ball away from them is one of the most basic aspects of the sport. The best tackle is the one that is done low down on an opposing player, preferably around the legs with the arms wrapped tightly so as to lock the legs and bring the player to the ground. A tackle can also be made around the torso or waist area, but because this is less effective in bringing a player down to the ground, it is not usually done. The least effective tackle is the one that is done around the chest area, because it is ineffective in bringing a player down and it gives the player the opportunity to pass the ball to a teammate. There are also a few illegal tackling methods which are outlawed for good reason. The first is tackling around the neck; this has led to broken necks and severe injuries and if ever done will result in a penalty. The other illegal move is tripping. Even though it is effective in bringing down a player, it is illegal because once again, it can cause injury and it is not very sportsmanlike.
Tackling in football is essential and one of the most fundamental parts of the game. Even though it is needed and used much more often by defenders than any other player on the team, it is a necessary skill for all players to have. If your team is not in possession of the ball, it is imperative that the ball is retrieved no matter your position. Forwards, although not the best tacklers of the ball, have been known to make some quality steals from opponents. There are two types of tackles in the game, block tackles and slide tackles. Block tackles are those that a player does when they move into the path of a player advancing with the ball and takes the ball from them. The slide tackle is what exactly what the name implies: a player will slide and knock the ball away from the opposing player. Slide tackles are more dangerous than block tackles because if the player does not cleanly get the ball, then there is a risk of injury or committing a foul. Defenders sometimes get anxious and make rash challenges to recover the ball and these can go against them because they can lead to free kicks or even penalties.
Knowing how to properly tackle another player is a skill that players learn early on in their careers. All players in both rugby and football are taught how to tackle someone properly no matter what position they play. Tackling is one of the most important aspects of contact sports and they can mean the difference between winning and losing.
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