A - 50 Qualitative Analysis of Rating System for Evaluating Tackling Developmental Sequences in Youth Football

Abstract Purpose To promote head safety in youth football by establishing reliable observational criteria for the developmental progression of tackling components. Method Six developmentally oriented components of tackling were defined by four subject matter experts (SME) as follows: Closing Distance and Player Path into the tackle, Head/Neck Position at the Point of Contact (POC), Center of Mass/Spinal Posture (at POC), Arm Clamp and Leg Drive through the tackle. Rating criteria for each component were: (1) immature, (2) partially proficient, or (3) proficient. Three football-naïve observers received training by the SMEs on 42 tackles (21 per age group) and applied the criteria to the game films of American youth football players (5th/6th, 7th/8th grade). Results A qualitative observational analysis was conducted on the applied ratings of the six tackling components. Raters found the observational criteria clear but visibility of certain components on the game film were difficult to distinguish, interfering with reliable component identification and causing fluctuations in the agreement of ratings when comparing football-naïve and SME ratings. Conclusions A system of SME-defined rating criteria for six developmentally-oriented tackling components was generated for observational purposes. While initial training found the rating criteria to be clear, their precise application to game film was challenging due to poor consistency in visibility, suggesting the application of the rating system in a more controlled environment may increase accuracy. Establishing a reliable and valid system for rating the developmental progression of tackling components would equip coaches with an empirical method to evaluate player developmental readiness to learn safer/more successful contact skills.