The side-on tackle

Set-up

A 10m long by 5m wide coned channel.

What you get your playersto do

Get two players on their knees with one a yard ahead of the other as in picture 1. The player with the ball shuffles in a straight line towards - and inside - the line of the cone ahead of him. On your command, the tackler moves across on his knees, aiming not to flop down on contact but to shuffle one to four more times and drive the ball carrier off balance and outside the cone line.

Look for

Vice-like grip with arms, hands clasped together, in tight contact against the ball carrier at all times. Tackler’s cheek (face) in constant contact with the ball carrier’s cheek (backside) at all times. The head must be behind the ball carrier’s body. Crouch as tackler approaches the target. They should not bow into the tackle as it makes power and changing direction difficult to achieve. They should drive through the tackle but not dive into it. Aim to get knees/feet as close to the ball carrier as possible and then an extra one to four shuffles to knock ball carrier off balance and complete a dominant tackle.

Development

A 20m long by 10m wide channel but walking-jogging-running-sprinting as technique, success and confidence improves. Make area wider as the activity progresses; this means the tackler has to cover more ground and get his timing and technique correct.

Notes

Ensure safety is understood and encouraged at all times. The ball carrier may not dodge, change speed or run off line. Let players work their way through the easy and simple options first (on their knees) and insist they go through all stages in order before full-pace tackling can occur.