Tackling Techniques in Football

Effects of Verbal Instruction and Shaping on Tackling

• This study evaluated whether verbal instruction and shaping with teaching with acoustical guidance (TAG) can improve tackling among high school football players
• Verbal instruction with shaping improved tackling for all participants
• Performance was maintained and participants moved more quickly through the tackling procedure

Background

• Football is an aggressive sport that can result in serious injury such as permanent disability
• From 1984-1999, there were 63 injuries causing permanent disability among high school players
• Over 1 million people in the US visited the emergency room for football-related injuries (2001-2005)
• Poor or unsafe tackling may be a cause of injuries

Prior Research

• Differential reinforcement improved tackling by withholding negative comments and providing reinforcement when all 10 steps of a tackling task analysis were complete.
• Teaching with acoustical guidance (TAG) with descriptive feedback improved offensive line-pass blocking
• TAG provides immediate auditory feedback to shape successive approximations of the terminal behavior

Current Study

• Explored TAG paired with verbal instruction to improve tackling by high school football players
• Verbal instruction and TAG may improve safety and make football players more effective

Method

• Fliers were distributed to a high school team for an informational session on improving tackling skills
• Informed consent was obtained from parents and assent from each participant
• Participants had to have played a minimum of 1 year of high school football to participate
• Three high school football players, ages 16 to 17, participated; all played linebacker
• Ryan was 1.9 m tall and weighed 90.7 kg
• Daniel was 1.8 m tall and weighed 81.6 kg
• Chad was 1.85 m tall and weighed 95.2 kg
• Sessions occurred on the football practice field and were independent of regularly scheduled practice
• Dependent variable was tackling, divided into four components
  • Angle: Taking the correct angle to the offensive carrier based on the first three steps heading toward the contact area
  • Face mask and shoulder: Making initial contact with the ball carrier with face mask and shoulder contacting the ball carrier's midsection
  • Arms and feet: Wrapping arms around the ball carrier while moving feet in a running motion to stop the ball carrier's momentum
  • Bring down: Driving the shoulder into the ball carrier's abdomen to bring them to the ground.
• Components were based on procedures by the American Football Coaches Association and verified by two high school coaches and a textbook
• Skills were taught sequentially
• A second observer recorded responses from video using a trial-by-trial method independent of the primary data collector
• Observers were trained on all components of the tackling task analysis
• Interobserver agreement was calculated during at least 45% of sessions, measuring agreements divided by agreements plus disagreements
• Mean interobserver agreement was 90% for baseline, 93% for shaping, and 94% for the progressive speed phase
• Overall mean agreement was 92%
• Treatment integrity of TAG was evaluated based on accuracy and immediacy of auditory stimulus delivery
• Mean treatment integrity across all conditions was 94%
• Mean interobserver agreement for auditory stimulus delivery across all conditions was 96%
• Each participant used provided equipment for game play
• Five cones and a dummy bag (1.8-m high foam hitting bag) with a football attached via hook-and-loop tape was used to set up the tackling drill
• Two gym mats cushioned falls during walking and jogging phases of the intervention
• Shaping was embedded within a multiple baseline design across participants
• Verbal instruction and shaping (TAG) were used for each component skill and the terminal skill
• During the progressive speed phase, players were trained together to serve as ball carriers for the tackler
• Participants were verbally instructed during sequential phase changes and informed a beep from the megaphone indicated correct skill completion
• Athletes had to complete prior skills with the new skill to receive a beep
• All skills were trained via a drill by placing the tackler and ball carrier 9.1 m apart facing each other
• Players ran at a designated barrier cone 45 degrees forward where the ball carrier attempted to get past the cone and the tackler attempted to stop them
• Each session consisted of 10 trials: 5 left and 5 right
• When the athlete engaged in the target behavior, the researcher recorded a correct or incorrect response prior to conducting another trial
• Mastery criterion of 80% correct tackles for two consecutive sessions was required to advance to the next phase
• Megaphone beep setting was used so auditory stimulus was audible in general noise
• For baseline, the tackler started at the initial spot and tackled the ball carrier at the barrier cone at full speed
• No verbal instruction, feedback, or programmed consequences were provided
• All shaping trials were conducted at walking speed using a dummy bag simulated as a ball carrier
• Four subphases coincided with the tackling task analysis
  • angle
  • face mask and shoulder
  • arms and feet
  • bring down
• Verbal instruction was provided for each component before each subphase and informed about the TAG
• To receive a beep, the participant correctly performed the skills in sequence at walking speed against the dummy bag
• After criterion was met, athletes were given a four-tackle probe against a live ball carrier at full speed.
• Participants received verbal instruction describing correct tackling in all phases of the progressive speed phase with accurate completion of each of the four skill components in the correct sequence resulting in a beep
• Tackling sessions were conducted with a live ball carrier who moved at varying speeds
• Before progressing to the next speed phase, a four-tackle probe was conducted with a live ball carrier who moved at full speed
• The purpose of the probe was to assess potential correct responding to all four component skills
• The speeds (walk, jog, and run) were not operationally defined

Results and Discussion

• All participants’ performance was low during baseline and increased to high levels during shaping and the progressive speed phase
• A four step analysis was used which reduced the number of tasks required for a correct tackle
• One limitation was the beep occuring at the exact moment of completion of the target behavior and training on the timing of beeps for coaches is recommended
• Tackling drills are done individually
• In the task analysis, each skill can be shaped by breaking players into groups and engaging them in each skill one at a time
• Future research should examine the intervention's maintenance during game play and ways to implement the intervention for the whole team during practice