N.J. schools play it safe in scrimmage
Players will go full speed but won’t be tackled
Blair Academy in New Jersey has long had a policy of no tackling in practice.
With a small roster that’s hovered at about 35 players on the varsity and junior varsity combined, the school couldn’t afford to lose players to injury.
That no-tackle philosophy now will be applied to a three-team scrimmage scheduled for Satur- day with Kittatinny and Belvidere that is thought to be the first of its kind nationally.
Blair coach Jim Saylor says the scrimmage will be run at full speed in full pads but the ballcarriers will not be brought to the ground, instead being stopped by being wrapped up or using Thud. Players will stay on their feet with contact above the waist and a quick whistle ending the play. The contact on the lines will be the same as a live scrimmage.
“Football is a great game, but our kids are more important,” Saylor says. “As a coach, I’ve had comments from other coaches and players about not changing the integrity of the game and keeping it the way it is. We don’t see this as changing the integrity.
“It’s not being soft. It’s being safe.”
Saylor says he expects the other coaches he approached to be reluctant to try this type of scrimmage because state rules allow only two scrimmages against another school before the season opener. But it required little convincing, he says.
“I was very, very excited for it,” Belvidere coach Josh Constantino says. “We’re still asking our kids to compete at a high level. …
“We’re very small schools with 28 players from freshmen to seniors. This is a chance to get quality reps without getting any injuries and still competing.”
Kittatinny has 34 players from sophomores to seniors. While the team does the allowable live contact in practice, coach Joe Coltelli says his program often uses Thud during drills.
“At first, when Coach Saylor called me, your first mind-set is that you’re a little skeptical,” Coltelli says. “You only have two scrimmages and want to see how your players will perform. But we’re trying to keep injuries down with a small squad, and then you see the thought process.
“We’re excited to give it a shot. I think this is the direction the sport will go in the future as far as practices go.”
The idea for the no-tackle scrimmage came after a session with Practice Like Pros, an advocacy group founded by former NFL executive Terry O’Neil that calls for reduced contact in practice as a means to limit injuries and make football safer. Practice Like Pros says 80% of football injuries occur in the act of tackling or being tackled.
Dartmouth coach Buddy Tee- vens has been among the biggest advocates of no-tackle practices and sent the Blair coaching staff training videos and material. The Ivy League has banned full-contact hitting in practice in the regular season beginning this year.
The Blair coaches also have been studying the rugby-style tackling techniques that have been implemented by Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and assistant head coach Rocky Seto, who started using that method when they were at Southern California.
“Every drill can be done without equipment, and the videos are available free online for any coach to use as a resource,” Saylor says. “If it’s good enough for the NFL and USC and Dartmouth, it’s something that can be done anywhere.”
Saylor says he expects no difference in being able to evaluate players from the no-tackle scrimmage as he would have from a live scrimmage.
“We’re going to get the same results,” Saylor says. “We are going to get exactly what we need to accomplish and doing it a lot safer.”
“We love the game, but we love the kids more,” Blair Head of School Chris Fortunato says. “We want to take care of the students, maintain a competitive program and keep that legacy alive.”