Football Tackling Drills - Taking Angles Correctly

Many football coaches overlook the importance of teaching the proper angles to their defense. Tackling becomes much easier when one understands the way the angle affects their approach. One of the best tackling drills to help with correct angles is called the angle sprint. It is also highly effective at getting your defense into game playing shape and condition.

Angle sprints are when you have an offensive player line up on the sideline at about the fifty yard line with the ball. The defensive player will line up around the forty five near the middle of the football field. The offensive player will then be told to sprint down the sideline and not move outside of the hashmarks. In other words, take a direct route to the end zone. The defensive player and offensive player will leave at the same time, and the defensive player will have to pick the correct angle to cut off the offensive player before they score.

This pursuit will help the defensive player learn to take the right angle. If they try to go directly to the offensive player, they will likely get left behind. If they shoot for a spot too far then they will give up extra yardage and be at the mercy of a cutback move by the offensive player. Doing this over and over can teach the proper angle clearly and get your team in football shape quickly.

The same extreme angle situation described above has to be applied during the game each play. For example, a middle linebacker has to choose the right angle to pursue the sweep play. The nose tackle has to decide what angle to take to rush the quarterback and meet him at the set up point. All of these angles are important on defense, but rarely pointed out and coached. Cornerbacks and safeties are particularly at risk when it comes to angles. Taking the wrong angle will cause them to lose their man or miss a game saving tackle.

Try lining your guys up in different situations and coaching the angles. On each play, analyze and point out where correct and incorrect angles contributed to the tackle (or missed tackle) as applicable. These coaching sessions should be high speed and high impact.

Learning to take the right angle with a tackle will make your football team a million times better and save some points on the scoreboard every week. Taking the proper angle is the first step to getting to the football quickly.