It was then discussed and modified at a dedicated Player Welfare safety meeting in France, and again during the following approval steps: Law Review Group; Rugby Committee, Council and EXCO. UR Medicine is a proud participant in the Stop Sports Injury Campaign. Vincent Meintjes1, Philippa Forshaw1, Steve den Hollander1, Lindsay Starling1, Mike Lambert1, Wayne Viljoen1,2, Clint Readhead1,2, Sharief Hendricks1,3. read all about the frameworks aims, components, implementation, and then watch a video tutorial on it here. In addition, rugby tacklers can get injured just as easily as those being tackled due to the lack of protective body pads. Check and maintain the playing surface to remove hazards. So a group of expert players and coaches including Eddie Jones, Gus Pichot, Paul O Connell, Alain Rolland, Rachel Burford, and John Jeffries was convened, and spent two days in Dublin discussing all these risks. (Pathway 5 vs the rest). So by learning proper form and Attacking in the tackle allows you to dictate where the contact will be on your body and help prevent injury. To help keep kids in the game for life, STOP (Sports Trauma and Overuse Prevention) targets the sports that have the highest rates of overuse and trauma injuries. 33. Or, it may be deemed a legal tackle, no foul play at all, depending on the ball carriers body position and height. 16.

If you let the runner dictate the contact you will be unable to control the areas of contact on your body. If you have some sort of 1 person american football sled available you can practice hitting it at full speed and trying to move it back as far as possible on impact. Instead, it will dissipate in your midsection, potentially resulting in injury. Given the uncertainty over the future prognosis and health of people with multiple concussions, this is a good reason to ask not only whether theyre detected and managed, but how can concussion be prevented? Imagine for instance that there were ten million kilometers of car journeys, and 100,000 kilometers of motor bike journeys that year (people are 100 times more likely to travel by car in my analogy). 6. We work with nearly every high school, college, and professional sports team in the area, Practice a balanced and structured training regimen involving strength, flexibility and endurance, Always use proper technique when tackling, rucking and scrumming, Learn proper positioning during game play to minimize risky moves, Use a quality, properly fitted mouth guard, Participate at a level consistent with ability, Adhering to the rules for the formation of the scrum, Ask your athletic trainer or other sports medicine professional about any training or injury questions. Building rugby-proof shoulders requires more than overhead pressing, although that is a good exercise for developing strong delts. Next highest was rucks, 73 out of 611 (12%). When recovering from a rugby injury there are a few things to consider. 2South African Rugby Union, Cape Town, South Africa. In the midst of inevitable over-reaction to the card decisions using the Framework, the most important thing to know about the Sanction Framework is that it is only in play when there is a dangerous tackle, and that cards will only be given if there is a shoulder charge, or head contact for the ball carrier.

I think that statement goes beyond the physicality aspect of the game and into the mental side and if you go in thinking that youre gonna get hurt you most probably will, if you go in thinking your gonna come out better off then the same applies. 1University of Cape Town, Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa. Use the correct techniques for stretching. More than any other kind (the data support you on this). Theres no way around this. And safer means avoiding the head, which sometimes means staying upright, or not putting the shoulder into the ball carriers head, even if it is clumsy rather than malicious. Taken together, what we have is a picture that says the following: Priority 1 avoid head impacts for both players, especially from higher contact. Perhaps at this point youre thinking that this is a lot to base on one study. Wear a mouthguard at all times during games and training sessions. Using two control groups, we were able to identify techniques which expose the ball-carrier and tackler to injury when misperformed, and techniques which the injured players repeatedly misperformed (Figure 2). I was always out at wing so I never had to commit to too much tackling. Before starting any new diet and/or exercise program, always be sure to check with your qualified medical professional.

12. The speed and acceleration issues were deferred for future discussions (and would result in, among other ideas, the 50/22 law trial, but thats for another time). One yellow card every nine matches on average, so your team would play 18 matches before getting one. The core impact in a tackle comes on in an instant and is very intense. This is key a tackler who is upright is MORE LIKELY to have a head injury than one who is bent, and at a global level, ball carrier position doesnt affect this relative risk. Remember the premise here the application of sanctions through penalties and cards is meant to make players adjust their technique to avoid the head of the opponent, with a side effect of exposing themselves to less risk. Ultimately, safer is the list of actions under the green zone of the spectrum, and may be achieved by a focus on technique improvement, irrespective of tackle type or height. So step 1 in prevention is to develop a good understanding of risk.

That is, what is your A (high risk tackle/driving after drinking) and what is your B (lower risk tackle/taking the bus)? Once you know that, you can ask how you might shift players from A to B? This has a clear definition for the tackler it is a tackler who presents the front of their chest to the ball carrier prior to contact, as opposed to the top of their shoulder. So bear with me, and I will try to describe the method behind what you may see as madness. A big part of this is risk vs reward, and making players accountable for taking those risks. If any of this links are weak, the tackle will be less effective. I think this has more to do with committing and bracing for contact. Everyone hopes so. 8.

25. The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website. They didnt suggest only that the issues of speed, acceleration, tackle direction and tackle type were all discussed, but those experts felt that the low hanging fruit, the approach that would be most readily accepted with the smallest possible harm was to focus on the height and position of tacklers, as you can see in the summary below. 7. Alternatively, the player/coach could say Im still aiming higher, but I have to make sure I dont strike the head of the ball carrier. From the latest research on sports injuries, to experiences and insights of those working at the coalface of the Sport and Exercise world, we aim to provide cutting-edge content to the Sport and Exercise Medicine community around the world. For details of our affiliate program please see our Terms & Conditions. We design & manufacture premium nutritional supplements specifically for the rugby community. A high proportion of injuries associated with rugby occur during the tackle. Try to keep your eyes open when going into a tackle. Warm up, stretch and cool down. 34. 28. This makes a lot of sense because the lower body is the main player in generating force in a tackle. So far, the same trial has been a bit more successful in Stellenbosch, but its early days yet. The materials and information provided in this presentation, document and/or any other communication (Communication) from Ruck Science, LLC or any related entity or person (collectively Ruck Science) are strictly for informational purposes only and are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention or treatment of a health problem or as a substitute for consulting a qualified medical professional. Browse through our posts by month or year. Because your approach here is not to eliminate risk, but rather to swap A for B, and thats a risk problem, not a numbers one. 9. Commit 100% to all contact - anything less and your risk of injury will increase. it may take you weeks, but you will improve in skill and confidence. But the premise is that sanctions penalties and cards are the message to trigger those necessary adjustments. Its natural to want to shut your eyes but doing so could mean you end up missing your victim entirely or hitting them somewhere other than the intended part of their body. 36.

And so upright tacklers and higher tackles (see point 11) are related, to some degree. You also need lateral (side), posterior (rear), and rotational core strength. 24. More common, however are traumatic injuries sustained during collisions with other players and/or the ground during scrumming, rucking, and tackling. Therefore, in a team setting, building a database of technical proficiency scores for the team, both in training and matches, and comparing each players scores with the teams score, will help to identify whether the player has an existing technical deficiency. Alternatively, you can think of it as how many such tackles happen before a head injury to the tackler?, which I have also shown in this figure (the 1 in 89, for example). The recommendation made by that expert group was to more harshly punish illegal high tackles. Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site! Thats why its interesting to trial it may be the first step, it may be the last one, but youll never know until the step is taken. Youll hear coaches and pundits say this, maybe even some in the media. The hope for the framework is that it will provide clear, logical decisions that can be understood by all. Get a tackle bag and practice hitting it hard with good body position (cheek-to-cheek); perhaps lean it against a wall and run hard into it to replicate contact. The stick just wasnt large enough, or used often enough. Delivering a good tackle is generally more enjoyable than being tackled, but both ends of the impact can take their toll on your body.

We have now identified the desired destination. This is highly recommended for children, new players and those older than 35. The tackle shown to the right saw New Zealands Scott Barrett sent off this past weekend against Australia, and it has triggered substantial discussion. The picture strip below shows three such examples, all from within a few seconds of the weekends match. Rugby union is a contact sport that requires strength, speed and ball-handling and kicking skills. Always call triple zero for an ambulance in an emergency Tel.

19. That framework is going to be a magnet for discussion and criticism in coming months, particularly under the bright spotlight of the Rugby World Cup. The Victorian Government acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of the land and acknowledges and pays respect to their Elders, past and present. One a game, basically. 17. Bravery, after all, is not the absence of fear, but doing what you need to do while carrying that fear. From red to green. Not to mention that taking speed out of contact makes the tackle inherently safer. And thats the suggestion that was made by an expert working group consisting of coaches, referees, players and officials in late 2016. To excel at tacking, and recover from these and other impacts, ruggers need to train accordingly. Id also get close to a break down, may sound slightly counter intuitive but I find closer to a break down opposition will be running slower and personally I found it easier. A good tackle requires strong, powerful legs, core strength, and shoulder stability. For the next 12 months, compared to the 24 before, there were 64% more penalties for high tackles, and 41% more cards. The idea here is that just as pilots use these kinds of processes to fly planes, and doctors use decision trees to diagnose disease (the concussion diagnosis process informed aspects of this framework, for instance), so too could a referee benefit from a logical, step-by-step process that identifies important aspects, links them to clear definitions, provides signs or indications of risk/danger, and then comes up with a final decision. Tackle bags allow you to attempt tackles that wont work or could even be dangerous if attempted against another player. Practice the skills of tackling regularly and train your body to not only hit hard but recover quickly from the impact. Get low if possible and try to attack the tackler with either a low shoulder or a stiff arm etc. We see some obvious things in the red zone higher speed increases risk, accelerating is more dangerous than not accelerating, front on tackles have more risk than side on or tackles from behind. The numbers in the current game will be higher, across the board, because the HIA number in 2018 is about 30% than it was from 2013 to 2015). What did we do in this study to look into this? Using the right techniques and equipment for the sport can help prevent injury. Or are you more likely to try to swap it for a tackle that is lower in risk? I went through a phase when I was younger of losing my confidence in tackling after it being my favourite thing. And the theory is that harsher sanctions for high tackles are meant to act as a stick that achieves one of two things (or both): Both of those are means to an end. It's my third game of the season today, and i'm really anxious.

These same subjective aspects were there before the Framework, but few people verbalized them logically. From both a player welfare and team performance perspective, it is of utmost importance that time-loss injuries be prevented. The path taken to reach that end is up to the coaches and players, and whether they choose to adjust to different tackle types and heights (option 1), or to focus on technique in the higher risk tackles (option 2). This is something I struggled with a lot. 3Leeds Beckett University, Carnegie Applied Rugby Research (CARR) centre, Institute for Sport, Physical Activity and Leisure, Leeds, United Kingdom. First, Matt Cross took a similar data set, and using a completely different analysis method, found that the high risk factors for head injury were speed, acceleration, and head contact. A lower tackle is one where the tackler is making contact on the lower trunk or torso, or the legs of the ball carrier. Generally, thats less likely to happen for a bent tackler, but not always. I've never really been a great tackler and I will take any advice on how to become better. In contrast, hitting with the shoulder produces a more aggressive impact and also reduces stress on the shoulder joints. Even more interestingly, Tierney also studied the mechanics of the head during tackling, and found that the ball carriers head linear acceleration, angular acceleration and change in angular velocity values were between 50% and 150% higher greater for upper trunk tackles than for mid/lower trunk tackles, which support[s] the proposition of lowering the current tackle height laws to below the chest. And granted, this study looked at the ball carriers head, not the tacklers, but this emphasizes that you can greatly reduce the risk to one half of a tackle situation with a lower height, and as Ive explained above, the tackler also has less risk when lower. With an average 4.4/5 stars on Amazon.com, it has been receiving positive reviews from runners and non-runners alike. Early signs are positive, globally, its just a matter of monitoring, refining and confirming. I got better towards the end of my playing days by aiming for below the knee when tackling.

Subsequently, make sure you train your core the way you need it to perform on the field with heavy loads, relatively few reps (5-10) and progressive overload to ensure they continue to get stronger. In particular, avoid a tacklers head striking a ball carriers head, or being above the blue line for higher contact. I remember breaking that barrier playing as a kid, the moment that happens is quite empowering. Sets of 50 crunches will not help prepare your muscles for this kind of onslaught. Regular training of correct team play for the breakdown is important, as this is how you prevent foul play. There is always a bit of pain playing rugby, so it's best just to accept it. When properly trained, a small player will be able to deliver hits that are just as devastating as a bigger, less skilled player. As in other sports that involve speed and contact, concussions can and do happen in rugby. One found that for front-on tackles, the highest risk direction, the propensity was lowest when tacklers targeted below the upper trunk for upper body tackles, and suggested tackling the lower trunk for lower body tackles and avoiding the upper legs. Because players do not wear any type of protective mask, cuts on the face are fairly common in rugby players. Because it is more likely that the upright tackler will have a head to head or head to shoulder contact, which is a higher tackle contact and more dangerous. Look at head to hip contact that injures the tackler 1.7 times per 1000 such tackles, or 1 in 581. So, as expected, right? The reason this matters is because when youre trying to reduce risk, you have to know whether youre going to eliminate the risky stuff (the red), or are you going to substitute high risk for low risk? Neck, shoulder, hip and core strength, as well as flexibility of the hamstrings and hip flexors are important for overall conditioning and can minimize the chances of an athlete sustaining a secondary injury. If you were told that the tackler is almost three times more likely to be injured than the ball carrier, what would you do? And again, whether they are applied or not is up to the referee, who retains autonomy and authority in the process. To get me back on track I used a tackle sausage a lot to make sure I got myself back into the rhythm and technique. When we found moderate to large differences in technique between the two control groups, and the team control and injured group, but trivial technique differences between the players own control and injured group, we interpretated this as an existing technical deficiency of the player which placed them at risk of injury. When ball carrying, I aim 5 yards past the defender, as I am thinking about running through him, not at him. I hope that you can see the paradox here, the challenge that this creates for a law-maker, because typically, the law protects the recipient of an action (Dont shoot someone, theyll get hurt) rather than the initiator of the action! Practice this in training at ever-increasing speeds to master this important skill. Thank you. This may mean lowering the height by 10cm (see images above), or it may mean footwork, it may mean decision-making. The State of Victoria and the Department of Healthshall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website. Most people will have anticipated these differences. This applies to both the tackler and the ball carrier, take note, so both the tackler and ball carrier have lower risk if theyre bent or upright. 2. So those are on the horizon, but what Ive explained above is the attempts by everyone to nudge behaviour in a direction that makes the sport safer without being radical about it. Note also that Upright tackles are 1.5 times more likely to cause a head injury than bent at the waist tackles. Or, if unclear, the tacklers feet are directly beneath their shoulders and their spine is vertical at impact. Youll also find more info on joint-by-joint rugby prehab in this free e-book. A high proportion of injuries associated with rugby occur during the tackle. The lists for the model form of the movement are derived from manuals and guidelines used by coaches to train safe and effective tackling and ball-carrying technique. Also notice that Technique sits atop everything all the risk can be reduced with improved technique. This education is driven by research similar to that of the present study. Register now for 14 days free access to the Pro membership. You will also find the harder you run the less it will hurt. But theres enough rationale to ask this question, so the ida of a trial is intriguing. Available for the Kindle and also in paperback. References to any non-Ruck Science entity, product, service, person or source of information in this or any other Communication should not be considered an endorsement, either direct or implied, by the host, presenter or distributor of the Communication. Introduce tackling progressively if you are a new player and make sure you receive regular skills training. 27. To bring this analogy to rugby, if theres a certain type of tackle that has high risk, can you ban it completely? Our range of supplements can help professional and amateur rugby players alike to perform, recover and live better. Would you then conclude that cars are 25 times more dangerous than bikes, and thus suggest that everyone should rather ride motor bikes as part of your overall road safety initative? Their first conclusion and suggested action step was that risk could be reduced if behaviour was changed away from the red zone of high risk towards the green zone of lower risk. Its like a Goldilocks zone not too high, not too low, just in the middle (with credit to rugby expert Ken Quarrie of New Zealand!). Practice as you intend to play: fully committed, hard and fair. It will definitely increase transparency (youll now know exactly why you disagree with the referee, instead of basing it on feels and which anthem you happen to sing before a match), and ultimately, it should result in more consistent sanctions for the behaviour that the experts consulted throughout the process have identified as being undesirable. 13. Weve got lots of free plans designed specifically for ruggers like you! Unless one knows how many COULD have happened, one cant properly assess risk. Read our post on what the book contains here. The study obtained tackle injury and video data from South Africas annual premier domestic senior male professional level rugby union competition, The Currie Cup, over four years (2014-2018). Tackling can be arguably eased in to like I did but its all about going for it. Over time, the fear will reduce if have the right mindset (as already discussed on the thread) and consistently get in a good body position to make a tackle. Ready, steadyGO!

Aim right for his gut and try to wrap your arms around the back of his knees. But this common approach to the issue overlooks the key principle of reducing risk, namely that its not about the number, but the likelihood of injury. They knew that, and spoke about that, but the question is How do you compel people to address technique more? Their suggestion was to more harshly sanction high risk tackles, using existing law to push behaviour from right to left on the spectrum. It used to be that youd see a high tackle penalty every 125 minutes, it became one high tackle penalty every 76 minutes. So if you can get the tackler away from the ball carriers head, then it is obvious that head injury risk to the ball carrier is going to drop dramatically. As you might expect, this saw an increase in the number of penalties and cards in the global game. This will remind you not to tackle with extended arms, producing a better tackle, and reduce your risk of injury. Same goes offensively. That works out to about 2 concussions every 3 matches. As such, the findings of this study can also be used to inform and improve injury prevention educational resources and content. In other words, a head to head impact is more dangerous (6.5 times, to be precise) than a head to hip impact. Also, choice matters to the tackler, and taking it away is not ideal, because it may force the tackler to go low when its actually better to stay high. Whether the tackle is a shoulder charge, rather than one using the arms (Pathway 1 and 2 vs Pathways 3 to 5, see decision tree above)2.