2012 Youth Coaching Manual - AFL Community

Contact skills
Introduction
In a wide variety of sports, contact or impact with a surface or person is commonplace. In Australian Football, a player’s
ability to develop impact skills that enable them to perform more productively in a game situation is paramount to their
enjoyment of the game. More importantly, developing impact skills will reduce fear and injury and assist with a player’s
ability to increase their worth to the team. It should be stressed that many of these activities need careful supervision and that
every effort must be made to suit the activities with the age groups identified.
Stage 1
The Starting Out stage has been designed to introduce young children up to the age of eight to basic
fundamentals in:
• Landing on their feet.
• Keeping balance.
• Falling.
• Rolling.
• Recovery.
• Bracing.
We have drawn from jujitsu, gymnastics and fundamental motor skill activities to demonstrate these skills.
Landing
The easiest landing technique to learn is the ‘Motor Bike Landing’.
The coaching tips you will observe are:
1. Ball-heel transfer.
2. Ankles, knees-hips bend.
3. Feet shoulder-width apart.
4. Arms act as if riding a motorbike.
5. Knees over big toe.
After the learner has mastered the two-foot landing, challenge them with the one-foot landing.
The same principles apply, but remember to outstretch arms to the side to assist with balance
and tilt your torso slightly forward.
Keeping your feet
Keeping your feet is an extension of landing, but depending at which angle the player has
landed will impact on how they will be able to keep their feet.
Here are some tips:
1. Tighten muscles of the quadriceps (front thigh), gluteal (bottom) and abdominal area.
2. Lock heels into the ground.
3. Use the upper body to brace while outstretching the arms with tension.
Falling forward
Many players who fall incorrectly risk elbow, wrist or shoulder injuries because they have not been taught
how to fall without injury. Impact with the ground is commonplace in Australian Football and therefore it
is vital that it’s taught correctly to reduce the fear of such an event and the prevention of injury.
Try these coaching tips:
1. Reach forward.
2. Bend at wrist, elbow and shoulders.
3. Remain tight through middle of body.
4. Turn head to the side prior to contact.
186 AFL Youth Coaching Manual