USA Football’s Rookie Tackle pilot program has debuted this year in several markets across the country. In Frisco, Texas, the initial response appears positive.

Lettie McClain, a Plano resident and the mother of Rookie Tackle player Myles, might have offered the most ringing endorsement.

“I was not going to let him play second-grade tackle (football), so this change actually helped solidify that he could actually play,” she told a town hall-style meeting group Saturday, which USA Football organized after a pair of Rookie Tackle games in Frisco. “He loves it. He looks forward to it – practices, games – he loves it and he loves being out there.”

A bridge game between flag football and 11-player tackle, Rookie Tackle is designed to introduce young athletes to tackle football. USA Football is piloting Rookie Tackle this fall as part of a long-term athlete development pathway. This program is in alignment with the U.S. Olympic Committee’s American Development Model. Rookie Tackle delivers a progression practiced in a variety of sports, including tee-ball to “coach pitch” to “player pitch” in baseball.

USA Football CEO Scott Hallenbeck hosted the league-wide gathering of parents and coaches, along with Frisco Football League leadership, including President Kelly Carney, Vice President of Football Matt Wargel and Director of Coaching Jason Barker.

Wargel related an emotional experience he witnessed during a recent Rookie Tackle game.

He got so excited that he got to catch a pass and he was playing center. ... He got to hear his name get called on the loudspeaker and that was pretty cool.

“We had a kid in a game last week – and I almost came to tears over this – he came off the field wearing number 52,” Wargel said. “He got so excited that he got to catch a pass and he was playing center. As the dad of a kid who played offensive line his entire time in the sport, who never touched the ball, that was a real big thing for me. You saw that kid wanted to keep playing. He wasn’t just sitting there saying, ‘I’m going to block somebody all day.’ He got to hear his name get called on the loudspeaker and that was pretty cool.”

Key aspects of Rookie Tackle game play include:

• Six, seven or eight players on the field per team
• 40-yard-by-35-yard playing field size, scaled for a youth athlete’s age and skill level
• Maximized field space by playing two games simultaneously on a regulation-sized field
• Players learn multiple positions and skills; position-specialization is not introduced
• Smaller teams foster more playing time and opportunities for improvement, success
• Players on offensive and defensive lines begin every play in a two-point stance
• Removal of special teams encourages more plays from scrimmage and skill development
• More focused, individualized coaching attention by virtue of a smaller roster

 

“Football always moves forward,” Hallenbeck said. “The Frisco Football League embraces progressive thinking, and the positive observations we learned Saturday further confirmed its exceptional fit for our pilot program. As we evaluate Rookie Tackle in Frisco and nationwide, we are listening to how it can advance the way young athletes enjoy and learn the sport.”

A key outcome of USA Football’s 2017 Rookie Tackle pilot program is to learn how players, parents, coaches and youth league commissioners embrace its concept and how it may be improved in future seasons.

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Watch a video that summarizes the weekend's games and listening tour below: