Tackling FundamentalsFun / Competitive

Two-Hand Touch Tag Drill

A safe, no-contact introduction to the idea of "tackling" — defenders touch the ball carrier with two hands instead of tackling, building angles and pursuit habits early.

Age RangeAges 7+
Duration8 minutes
Group Size6+ players
SportFootball

Equipment Needed

  • Cones for boundary

Set the boundary

Cones make it easy to mark a clear playing boundary so the tag drill stays fair and fast-moving.

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Setup

  • Mark a small grid; one or two players are taggers, the rest are runners.
  • No ball needed for the basic version.
Two-Hand Touch Tag DrillRRRTtaggerRunners avoid a two-hand touch; taggers cut off angles, not chase straight

Instructions

  1. Runners try to cross the grid without being touched by two hands from a tagger.
  2. Taggers move to cut off runners' paths rather than just chasing straight behind them.
  3. A clean two-hand touch means that runner is "down" and steps out for the round.
  4. Rotate taggers every round so everyone gets both roles.
Coaching Points
  • Teach taggers to angle toward where the runner is going, not just where they currently are.
  • Runners should practice changing speed and direction, not just running in a straight line.
  • Keep touches gentle and controlled — this is about angles and positioning, not physicality.
  • This is a fun way to introduce pursuit concepts well before real tackling is taught.

Variation

Add a ball for the runner to carry using proper technique, or require taggers to use only one hand for an added challenge.