Drill category
Football tackling drills
Tackling drills build safe, confident challenges in 1v1 and 2v2 pictures where players must time the contact.
What to coach
- Front foot low and firm
- Tackle through the ball
- Win it, then play out
All 46 football tackling drills
Every drill below has its own page with the full setup, coaching points, progressions and a pitch diagram.
- 1v1 Defending — defending drill, 15 min, Under 5 to Adults
- Tackling Technique — tackling drill, 12 min, Under 8 to Adults
- 1-to-1 Defending Technique — defending drill, 14 min, Under 5 to Adults
- Block & Slide Tackle Technique — tackling drill, 12 min, Under 10 to Adults
- 1v1 Defending Duels — defending drill, 15 min, Under 7 to Adults
- Cover And Balance Triangle — defending drill, 16 min, Under 10 to Adults
- Front Block Tackling — tackling drill, 12 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Side-On Tackling Channel — tackling drill, 14 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Poke Tackle Pressing — tackling drill, 12 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Defend The Gate — tackling drill, 15 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Overload Delay and Show — defending drill, 16 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Underload Delay and Show — defending drill, 14 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Two-Touch Delay and Show — defending drill, 14 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Tempo Delay and Show — defending drill, 14 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Transition Delay and Show — defending drill, 16 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Pressure Delay and Show — defending drill, 14 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Continuous Delay and Show — defending drill, 16 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Rotation Delay and Show — defending drill, 16 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Combination Delay and Show — defending drill, 14 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Wide Channel Delay and Show — defending drill, 14 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Counter Delay and Show — defending drill, 16 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Finishing Delay and Show — defending drill, 16 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Overload Front Block Tackle — tackling drill, 14 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Underload Front Block Tackle — tackling drill, 12 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Two-Touch Front Block Tackle — tackling drill, 12 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Tempo Front Block Tackle — tackling drill, 12 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Transition Front Block Tackle — tackling drill, 14 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Pressure Front Block Tackle — tackling drill, 12 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Continuous Front Block Tackle — tackling drill, 14 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Rotation Front Block Tackle — tackling drill, 14 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Combination Front Block Tackle — tackling drill, 12 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Wide Channel Front Block Tackle — tackling drill, 12 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Counter Front Block Tackle — tackling drill, 14 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Finishing Front Block Tackle — tackling drill, 14 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Overload Side-On Duel — tackling drill, 16 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Underload Side-On Duel — tackling drill, 14 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Two-Touch Side-On Duel — tackling drill, 14 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Tempo Side-On Duel — tackling drill, 14 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Transition Side-On Duel — tackling drill, 16 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Pressure Side-On Duel — tackling drill, 14 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Continuous Side-On Duel — tackling drill, 16 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Rotation Side-On Duel — tackling drill, 16 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Combination Side-On Duel — tackling drill, 14 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Wide Channel Side-On Duel — tackling drill, 14 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Counter Side-On Duel — tackling drill, 16 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Finishing Side-On Duel — tackling drill, 16 min, Under 9 to Adults
Drills by age group
Tackling drill questions coaches ask
How many football tackling drills are there on Football Coach Hub?
There are 46 football tackling drills in the library, each with a setup, coaching points, common mistakes, a progression and a regression so you can run it with mixed abilities.
What equipment do I need for tackling drills?
Most drills need only a ball per player, cones and bibs. You can filter the drill library by the kit you actually have, including mini goals, full goals, poles, ladders and rebound boards.
How long should a tackling practice last?
Ten to fifteen minutes on one technical practice is usually enough before players need a change of picture. Follow it with the same theme inside a small-sided game.