Taylor Kempf, Feb. 20th 2019

The two most common transactions in football are blocking and tackling. Therefore, it's no surprise that with increased contact, comes an increased risk for injury. That's precisely why Atavus was founded; our mission is to improve defensive performance and maximize player safety through data-driven tackle training and assessment. To achieve this, we developed a curriculum that empowers coaches at all levels to implement shoulder-led tackling techniques during practice drills to ultimately improve safety and performance on the field. Before we dive any further, let's define some terminology.

The Atavus Tackle

The Atavus Tackle is when you use the same-foot and same-shoulder going into contact. Specifically, we want defenders to use their near-shoulder in order to prevent unnecessary head contact. 

We want the same foot forward going into contact to maximize power in Positive Situations and to help maintain control in Negative Situations. 

Positive and Negative Situations

Not to be confused with "good" or "bad", Positive and Negative Situations indicate what a defender should be focusing on going into contact. In Positive Situations, athletes should be looking to maximize both power and control. Positive Situations are the only situations in which a ball carrier can be driven backward. 

Example of Positive Situations

In Negative Situations, the athlete should be focusing on controlling the ball carrier, not power. This is because the defender does not have the ability to knock the ball carrier backward due to positioning going into contact. 

Example of Negative Situations

Some of our high-performing teams will have more Negative Situations when players either make plays across the formation or in unexpected places. 

Example of Negative Across Formation

Atavus developed a Tackle Wheel to help visualize both Tackle Types and Tackle Situations. 

Tackle Wheel