Ear marking

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It is vital you make sure your players’ head positions are correct in the tackle. “Ear marking” will get them to focus on pushing their ear against the ball carrier at contact – enhancing their technique and making the tackle more effective.

Warm up time: 5-7
Session time: 8-10
Development time: 10-12
Game time: 15-20
Warm down time: 5-7

What to think about

This session develops the principles of a good offensive tackle:

Good footwork so the tackler’s feet are close to the ball carrier.
Driving up from the ground in the tackle.
Keeping the eyes open and the head in a neutral position throughout the tackle.
Punching the arms through and beyond the ball carrier.
Staying on the feet for as long as possible and driving to the side, not in the direction from where the ball carrier has travelled.

Focusing on the ear helps the tackler have a specific target. The sensation of pushing the ear into the body should encourage the arms to fold around the ball carrier and the legs to follow.

set-up

Get your feet close to the ball carrier.
Aim your ear into the ribcage of the ball carrier.
Drive up and through.

What you get your players to do

Set up two gates of cones, about 2m apart, slightly offset. Starting at walking pace, have a ruck pad holder come through one gate and the tackler through the other. The tackler concentrates on pushing his head hard into the side of the ruck pad. Once he has completed two tackles on one side of the ruck pad holder, he works on the other side. After all the players have had a go, the tackler now concentrates on tackling and driving the ruck pad holder to the side.

The tackler aims for the attacker’s ribs and pushes his ear into the contact area.

Development

Put two tackle tubes 3m apart to form a corridor, and then another two about 2m behind to form another. Place one tackler in the middle of one of the set of tubes. Have a ball passed to an attacker who attempts to get to the end of the corridor, whilst the tackler aims to put him into the tubes. On completion, the tackler turns and repeats in the other corridor. He performs six tackles before swapping.

Related Files

Advanced-245-ear-marking.pdfPDF, 183 KB

A ruck pad holder walks through one gate of cones. The tackler comes from a slight angle through the other gate to make the tackle.

Game situation

Split into groups of three. Three attackers attempt to get from one end of a 10m square to the other against three defenders. If they are driven out of the square, the ball is given to the opposition. This is an extremely competitive game and can be built into a tournament between groups.

The ball carrier takes the ball through a corridor of tubes. The tackler drives him out and over the tubes before turning to repeat the tackle.

What to call out

“Feel the warmth in your ear!”
“Grab hard and drive up”
“Keep your eyes open”

Dan Cottrell

Dan is a practising RFU Level 3 coach and coach educator. He coaches with the Bristol Bears DPP programme, is head coach of Bristol Schools U18s and the Rugby Performance coach for Bristol Grammar School.

He was head coach of Swansea Schools U15, Young Ospreys Academy, assistant coach with the Wales Women's Team for the 2010 World Cup, director of rugby for Cranleigh School, Surrey. He played for Bath, Bristol, Esher and Clifton, South West division, Gloucestershire and Surrey.

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