Q&A for How to Tackle in Football

Practice improving your running speed and agility. Train with weights to increase strength in every muscle. Do wind sprints. Carry a football around with you as much as possible to practice holding it securely. Practice using your blockers. Improve arm strength so you can protect the ball when you're hit. Memorize your team's plays. Show up for every practice, and work hard. Learn to throw blocks for other runners or the quarterback.

Your hits don't have to be "huge." While you're thinking about "huge," your target may escape. Just concentrate on bringing the man down.

This can lead to a missed tackle and allow the offensive player to gain more yards.

It involves keeping your head up and your eyes up. Put your arms back, then throw them up while pushing your hips out to achieve good force on the hit. Rip your arms upward. Putting your head down could cause injury.

Your head goes to the side of the hip, "cheek to cheek". Keep your eyes up.

Try to hit the opponent mostly with one of your shoulders and both of your arms.

It's possible an official thought a tackler was trying to injure an opponent. That could get someone ejected from a game.

You just need to perfect your form. The better it is, the more efficient your hit will be. Keep in mind, however, that if the officials believe you are trying to hurt an opponent, you will at least receive a warning and possibly even be thrown out of the game.

Well, sometimes you are going to have to have your head in some gross places in order to secure a tackle, but you can practice by putting your head to the side of someone's body. That might help with your problem.

Two reasons: (1) they are dangerous for all parties concerned; (2) they're often less effective than tackling near the hips.

It usually isn't much different from tackling someone without control of the ball. Make sure you tackle with your shoulder at the other guy's belt buckle and wrap him up and drive him to the ground.

Being short helps in tackling low. You simply want to hit people below the hips, preferably below the knees.

If you've truly wrapped him up, it doesn't matter what you do. He's not going anywhere, and the closest official should blow his whistle to stop the play.

Grab the hand without the ball or push it away; with your other hand, strip it.

You have to stay low, keep your shoulders squared and tackle through them.

No. This may or may not put your back to the ground, with you being at the bottom.

Make sure you're low enough to grab the ball while aiming to throw their legs off balance. Focus on keeping your legs driving forward as well -- this will help prevent you from being thrown off balance or to the side.

Because this is American football. It would be very ineffective, because it would be easy to get around.

By not playing football. Unfortunately if you want to play football, tackling is inevitable.

Work on your speed, agility and vertical leap. Forget about spinning. When you go to tackle someone, you want to make and maintain firm contact with your opponent.

Practice blocking. A guard has to be good at stationary blocking as well as blocking while running.

Speed when you know you have to tackle. Speed up as you get near to your target, as this will help you gain momentum on your opponent.

There are many different ways to tackle in the game of football. Although it is less common these days to tackle at the waist or ankles, many people think that is the best way to do it.

Build up to it gradually by practicing with a friend or family member. Tackle them "gently" at first. As you get more comfortable, become more aggressive and use more strength and speed.

There are various ways to cause a fumble: a hard tackle will sometimes do it; strip the ball by hitting it with your hand; or hit the ball with your helmet as you tackle the ball carrier.