Bobby Hosea

The 2011 Journal of Coaching Education statement about Coach Bobby Hosea's "Helmet-Free-Tackle Safety and Performance Curriculum" (HFT).

A scientific study commissioned to assess the impact magnitude (linear acceleration) and comparative impact (in gravitational force, or g's) experienced by the head in young athletes performing the HFT􀂌 football tackling technique compared to the traditional tackling technique, when tackling straight on and from an angle (Schreoder & Vallejo, 2011).

The analysis detected a significant reduction (as much as 43% percent) in helmet impact when compared to the traditional tackling technique, while delivering a higher impact (20.5 g's) when compared to traditional technique (16.9 g's). As a result, the reduction in impact might reduce the probability of concussion (Broglio, Sosnoff, Shin & He, 2009).

The HFT progression naturally increases the tackler's conditioning and strength to accelerate coming out of the dip phase, ripping-yjr-arms-up-through-the-opponent phase, and shooting the hips phase; taking the head up and out of the tackle. The contact at the point of attack is the tackler's breastplate, shoulder tip to shoulder tip. The traditional "wrap 'em up technique puts the tackler's body in a leaning (horizontal) position at the hips, exposing his or her head at the first point of contact (Heck, Clarke, Peterson, Torg & Weis, 2004).

In conclusion, evidence suggests the Helmet-Free-Tackle reduces the incidence of self-directed helmet-first impact, reducing the likelihood of concussion and other related head, neck and spinal cord injury in the game of football (Freudenrich, 2012; Meaney & Smith, 2011).