Written by: Nam (Nathan) Hoang
Football is a changing sport and it shows throughout all levels of the game from Pop Warner to the NFL. Finding success in a sport that is rapidly changing is not an easy task, but it can be done.
Coaching at all levels now include instructing players to play the game differently to adapt to changes the sport is going through due to the trickle-down effect of the NFL. As the NFL makes significant changes to how the game is played at the highest level, all levels of football must follow suit to instruct players differently to make sure what they are being taught will translate to NFL success. Simply, a player cannot be successful in the highest level of the sport if making the jump from college to the NFL means playing almost a completely different game. One of the most significant and controversial changes made is the NFL’s always changing guidelines for tackling. Players at all levels are now instructed to tackle a completely different way, which makes it extremely difficult for players who have been tackling a different way for many. A quick example would be that before recent years, defensive players were able to tackle the quarterback in almost any way they could, but now there is a “strike zone” where the players are allowed to make a legal hit. Rule changes will constantly change the game and they are out of the control of all players, but players can still excel under these circumstances by perfecting and refining what they can control
Bringas Athletics 