Earlier this year, the Ivy League decided to eliminate all full-contact hitting from practices during the regular season, while the NFL has also substantially limited padded practices. 

Dozens of states are beginning to mandate limits on body-on-body contact for high school athletes with the goal of cutting down on player injuries and improving safety. The game’s stakeholders—from youth to the NFL—are recognizing the value of reducing practice-time injuries.

At the youth level, teaching proper tackling technique and building confidence are two of the biggest challenges facing coaches. 

Football is a physical game. One way to reduce the odds of sustaining injuries is teaching young athletes the proper technique when tackling a ball carrier.

"Critical to developing confidence in young players is reducing the amount and extent of injuries experienced during practice,” says Ron White, executive director of Golden Empire Youth Tackle Football, which is based in the San Francisco Bay Area. “Players spend far more time practicing than they do actually playing in games.”

It’s a simple formula. Reduced contact at practice should lead to fewer injuries. More time on the field—as opposed to the sidelines—should help players learn more and gain confidence.

"If they’re hurt less, they’ll play—and learn—more.  Key to that is cutting down on player-to-player contact during practice without sacrificing ‘game-like’ conditions,” White said.

One way to reduce contact at practice is to utilize the Shadowman Jr. product, a movable tackling dummy that has a water-filled base and air-filled body, which players can use to simulate game speed and movement. It provides a game-like feel, without the player-to-player contact.

Shadowman Jr. provides players a chance to practice tracking a ball-carrier, taking proper angles, getting in proper position for a tackle and finishing the tackle to the ground—all at game speed.

Younger players especially enjoy the chance to tackle the inflatable dummy.

"If it’s fun and reasonably safe, kids will better engage," White said.  

Using a life-like tackling dummy can help build a player’s confidence by practicing proper tackling technique before attempting to execute body-on-body tackles during practice or games. This allows players to progress naturally while mastering the skill before attempting it at live speed.

This approach of teaching football in a progressive, age-appropriate manner is picking up steam across the sport.

In August, USA Football along with the Cleveland Browns debuted a modified version of football which featured seven players to a side, a smaller playing field, each player in a 2-point stance and no special teams.

This “right age, right stage” approach mimics what is already taking place in other sports, such as coach-pitch in baseball and lower hoops in basketball.

Products like Shadowman Jr. help players learn at their own pace by getting repetitions before attempting the skill live. Similar to skiing or bike riding—the more you practice it, the easier it becomes.