According to folklore, physicist Sir Isaac Newton first realized the forces of gravity and motion while observing a falling apple. Subsequently, Newton published his laws of motion that explain the physical forces at work when objects collide. In football, tacklers and runners apply physics associated with the forces of motion and mass generated during a collision.
Basics
Watching a tackle football game, you might see one or more plays where a running back or receiver is flattened by a bone-jarring tackle. At other times, you might see a ball carrier lower his head and charge through a tackler. Newton's second law explains that an object in motion will remain in motion unless acted upon by an external force. In tackle football, runners attempt to remain in motion and tacklers attempt to stop that motion by applying an external force with their bodies.
Tackling
Defensive players learn to tackle by coiling and unloading into a ball carrier. You coil by bending your knees and leaning forward at the waist. Leaning forward is critical because when you stand erect you generate less force into an oncoming runner. As the runner approaches, you unload from the coiled position using the muscles in your legs and rear end to push off with both feet. Newton's first law explains that every action is followed by an equal and opposite reaction. The result of a hit is proportionate to the forces generated by a tackler and a runner at the moment of impact.
Running
Generally, ball carriers tend to be fast and elusive or slower and stronger. Elusive runners and receivers use their speed to avoid head-on collisions, forcing defenders to take an angle toward the point of contact. As a result, the combined forces at the moment of impact are less than a straight-on collision. Slower and stronger runners are often called upon in situations where the power in their legs and upper body generates forces needed to match those of large defensive linemen and tenacious linebackers.
Observations
Tackle football players experience dozens of collisions during the course of a season. Smarter players understand their ability to deliver and receive hits. Whether consciously or by instinct, you avoid injury and realize success by applying the physics of an action followed by an equal and opposite reaction. When confronting an opposing runner who is bigger or moving faster, level the playing field by tackling him below his knees where your upper body mass generates the greater force.
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