Oklahoma DB Tracking Tackling Drills - Jay Valai

Coach Jay Valai is the co-defensive coordinator at Oklahoma.

You can watch his the entire video DB Tackling Intelligence & Drills That Translate that these drills came from 

Tracking is 90% of the tackling battle.

The drills coach shows with practice video are:

3 Man Flight, 2 Lines Gallop, Sumo Tackle Condensed, Sideline Tackle Low to High, and Short 3 W.

5 Flights of Tackling

1. Tracking: entry angle, close space (ABC-always be close), COD (Change of Direction), Leverage, Ball Carrier Hip Focus.
   
   
2. Prepare: Balance, Dip Timing, Power Foot, Power Shoulders, Arms.
   
   
3. Connect: Contact Spot, Strike Timing, Contact Balance, Bite Force (Clamp)
   
   
4. Accelerate: Cleats in the ground, leg drive.
   
   
5. Finish: Ball conscious, kill the engine, takedown, dominate.

Tackling Situations:

1. Eyes through the thigh: A shoulder tackle to the leverage side thigh of the ball carrier.
   
   
2. Wrap and Roll: A tackle that finishes with the ball carrier being wrapped up at the thighs and rolled to the ground.  It is used when the leveraged side shoulder is behind the ball carrier.
   
   
3. Track Tackle: Open field, inside out leverage tackle where the defender closes the distance to the ball carrier by tracking the near hip to maintain leverage.  Defender must use "Widen and quicken" technique if ball carrier turns shoulders to him.
   
   
4. Strike Zone Tackle: Shoulder tackle used in open field vs. a potentially defenseless player.  Taught to avoid helmet-to-helmet contact.
   
   
5. Phonebooth Tackle: A tackle with the near shoulder to the near pec in close quarters.
   
   
6. Vice Tackle: Multiple players tackling the ball carrier.