Tacklers' shoulder abduction and flexion at contact alter when engaging in different front-on, one-on-one tackle instructions from an expert coach

• Published in: Journal of science and medicine in sport 2024-07, Vol.27 (7), p.472-479
• Main Authors: Edwards, Suzi, Tucker, Ross, Quarrie, Kenneth, Tahu, Timana, Gardner, Andrew J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Australia; Biomechanical Phenomena; Biomechanics; Coaching; Data collection; Football - physiology; Humans; Injuries; Injury; Kinematics; Male; Mentoring; Motion capture; Range of Motion, Articular - physiology; Rotation; Rugby; Shoulder; Shoulder - physiology; Shoulder Joint - physiology; Software; Torso - physiology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1440-2440; 1878-1861; 1878-1861
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jsams.2024.04.013

To ascertain how the three-dimensional shoulder kinematics of tacklers alter when performing four legal types of front-on, one-on-one, rugby-style torso tackles. Controlled laboratory study. Three-dimensional motion capture measured 15 male amateur-level rugby code players (24.3 ± 6.1 years) who were instructed by an expert coach to perform four sets of 10 front-on, one-on-one tackles. Four sets comprised two smother and two dominant tackles: two based on the Australian National Rugby League coaching manual (Dominant NRL, Smother NRL); and two modifications via increasing the contact height from the lower- to mid-torso (Dominant, Torso Stick) or from the upper- to mid-upper torso with a vertical ‘pop action’ that changes the way the tackler contacted the ball carrier’s upper torso (Smother, Pop, Lock). Mixed general linear models were applied. Greater shoulder abduction, flexion and internal rotation were displayed by the DNRL tackle technique than in any other technique (p