Going for "Big Hits" has led to horrible form on tackles. Everybody want to just throw a shoulder and try to decleat somebody rather than wrap up and make good tackles. Most GOOD teams don't put up with that and stress good wrap up tackles but some don't seem to care and it has led to poor tackling at all levels of football.

 

I agree. Most "good" teams are taught proper fundamentals, which are quickly disappearing. A lot of kids hurt themselves because of improper tackling technique. Too much relying on equipment rather than your strength and wits.

Thanks just wondering how most were handed out. I think it would be naive to think that there are not coaches out there at HS and NCAA level that do offer incentives for cart offs and injuries.

 

I know that a kid that was told to put a helmet on the chin of the opposing teams star player on the first play of the game if he had the ball or not. He did, blindsided the kid 20 yards away from the play, trying to knock him out of the game.

 

Hope he was flagged and thrown out of the game.

Hope he was flagged and thrown out of the game.

Nope, but I think he did get a high 5 from his coach when he came off of the field.

Played for a high school team that used the sticker reward system, and they were awarded for number of tackles, INT's, forced or recovered fumbles, defensive scores, and yes big hits. Also played college ball for a school that used the sticker award system and every sunday the "hammer" award was given out for the biggest hit from the day before. The trophy was an actual sledge hammer that the player would have the honor to keep in their locker for the week. We also had a "nail" award for the person on the team who got blown up (it was usually an offensive player, and we always had fun with that one during film session) I played defense, and had the mentality of a Butkus, Tatum or Lambert, I wanted to run through the ball carrier, not just tackle him. If he was taken out of the game, so be it. With that being said, I never intentionally tried to injure someone, and I do not agree with that what so ever. All of the years I played ball, never once did I have a coach tell me or any of my team mates to "take someone out" I was always taught to play hard and clean; and whatever happens is a natural consequence of playing a VIOLENT game.. I'll always remember the first thing my dad told me when I started playing at a young age and that was "whoever is going the fastest, won't get hurt"

 

We need to keep in mind that we are playing a violent game.. and just because a few people decided to tarnish it with this "bounty" noise does not mean that every team on all levels are doing it.. Rewarding a player with a sticker on his helmet for clean and hard play is not the same as saying "I'll give you 1500 bucks to hurt Peyton Manning".. C'Mon guys..

Played for a high school team that used the sticker reward system, and they were awarded for number of tackles, INT's, forced or recovered fumbles, defensive scores, and yes big hits. Also played college ball for a school that used the sticker award system and every sunday the "hammer" award was given out for the biggest hit from the day before. The trophy was an actual sledge hammer that the player would have the honor to keep in their locker for the week. We also had a "nail" award for the person on the team who got blown up (it was usually an offensive player, and we always had fun with that one during film session) I played defense, and had the mentality of a Butkus, Tatum or Lambert, I wanted to run through the ball carrier, not just tackle him. If he was taken out of the game, so be it. With that being said, I never intentionally tried to injure someone, and I do not agree with that what so ever. All of the years I played ball, never once did I have a coach tell me or any of my team mates to "take someone out" I was always taught to play hard and clean; and whatever happens is a natural consequence of playing a VIOLENT game.. I'll always remember the first thing my dad told me when I started playing at a young age and that was "whoever is going the fastest, won't get hurt"

 

We need to keep in mind that we are playing a violent game.. and just because a few people decided to tarnish it with this "bounty" noise does not mean that every team on all levels are doing it.. Rewarding a player with a sticker on his helmet for clean and hard play is not the same as saying "I'll give you 1500 bucks to hurt Peyton Manning".. C'Mon guys..

:thumb:

Played for a high school team that used the sticker reward system, and they were awarded for number of tackles, INT's, forced or recovered fumbles, defensive scores, and yes big hits. Also played college ball for a school that used the sticker award system and every sunday the "hammer" award was given out for the biggest hit from the day before. The trophy was an actual sledge hammer that the player would have the honor to keep in their locker for the week. We also had a "nail" award for the person on the team who got blown up (it was usually an offensive player, and we always had fun with that one during film session) I played defense, and had the mentality of a Butkus, Tatum or Lambert, I wanted to run through the ball carrier, not just tackle him. If he was taken out of the game, so be it. With that being said, I never intentionally tried to injure someone, and I do not agree with that what so ever. All of the years I played ball, never once did I have a coach tell me or any of my team mates to "take someone out" I was always taught to play hard and clean; and whatever happens is a natural consequence of playing a VIOLENT game.. I'll always remember the first thing my dad told me when I started playing at a young age and that was "whoever is going the fastest, won't get hurt"

 

We need to keep in mind that we are playing a violent game.. and just because a few people decided to tarnish it with this "bounty" noise does not mean that every team on all levels are doing it.. Rewarding a player with a sticker on his helmet for clean and hard play is not the same as saying "I'll give you 1500 bucks to hurt Peyton Manning".. C'Mon guys..

 

I agree w/ what you said above. However, we can not believe that there are not schools out there that do have something similar to what the Saints had. Just a few years ago, there was a Dad of a team in NM who sharpened the chin strap buckles of his players to make them almost razor sharp in an effort to hurt the hands of their opponents. Unfortunately, there are adults who never got over the fact that they graduated high school and weren't good enough, or smart enough to make it to the next level.

I think we all know that there are programs that are doing exactly what the Saints were doing. At all levels (from College down to Middle School).

Played for a high school team that used the sticker reward system, and they were awarded for number of tackles, INT's, forced or recovered fumbles, defensive scores, and yes big hits. Also played college ball for a school that used the sticker award system and every sunday the "hammer" award was given out for the biggest hit from the day before. The trophy was an actual sledge hammer that the player would have the honor to keep in their locker for the week. We also had a "nail" award for the person on the team who got blown up (it was usually an offensive player, and we always had fun with that one during film session) I played defense, and had the mentality of a Butkus, Tatum or Lambert, I wanted to run through the ball carrier, not just tackle him. If he was taken out of the game, so be it. With that being said, I never intentionally tried to injure someone, and I do not agree with that what so ever. All of the years I played ball, never once did I have a coach tell me or any of my team mates to "take someone out" I was always taught to play hard and clean; and whatever happens is a natural consequence of playing a VIOLENT game.. I'll always remember the first thing my dad told me when I started playing at a young age and that was "whoever is going the fastest, won't get hurt"

 

We need to keep in mind that we are playing a violent game.. and just because a few people decided to tarnish it with this "bounty" noise does not mean that every team on all levels are doing it.. Rewarding a player with a sticker on his helmet for clean and hard play is not the same as saying "I'll give you 1500 bucks to hurt Peyton Manning".. C'Mon guys..

I agree with everything you said. I promise you we worked on forum tackling as much as anyone. Never told anyone to take someone out.

Played for a high school team that used the sticker reward system, and they were awarded for number of tackles, INT's, forced or recovered fumbles, defensive scores, and yes big hits. Also played college ball for a school that used the sticker award system and every sunday the "hammer" award was given out for the biggest hit from the day before. The trophy was an actual sledge hammer that the player would have the honor to keep in their locker for the week. We also had a "nail" award for the person on the team who got blown up (it was usually an offensive player, and we always had fun with that one during film session) I played defense, and had the mentality of a Butkus, Tatum or Lambert, I wanted to run through the ball carrier, not just tackle him. If he was taken out of the game, so be it. With that being said, I never intentionally tried to injure someone, and I do not agree with that what so ever. All of the years I played ball, never once did I have a coach tell me or any of my team mates to "take someone out" I was always taught to play hard and clean; and whatever happens is a natural consequence of playing a VIOLENT game.. I'll always remember the first thing my dad told me when I started playing at a young age and that was "whoever is going the fastest, won't get hurt"

 

We need to keep in mind that we are playing a violent game.. and just because a few people decided to tarnish it with this "bounty" noise does not mean that every team on all levels are doing it.. Rewarding a player with a sticker on his helmet for clean and hard play is not the same as saying "I'll give you 1500 bucks to hurt Peyton Manning".. C'Mon guys..

 

Even if you take Manning out with a good, clean hit?

Even if you take a player out with a clean hit, there is nothing okay with getting a cash prize for it.. have some respect for the game.

Even if you take a player out with a clean hit, there is nothing okay with getting a cash prize for it.. have some respect for the game.

 

But it is ok to get a sticker and big sledge hammer for the same thing? Why does money make a difference? If high school players get a sticker, sledge hammer, and side pot they had with friends, is this now wrong? I do not condone anyone intentionally trying to injure someone, but if they get hurt on a good, clean play, I do not have a problem. The only problem with the saints is the coaching staff got involved which is a big no-no because of the liability to the league.

Littleluck- If you really believe that a sticker on a helmet, or anything of the sorts is the same as giving cash money to a player for hurting someone, I suggest you take a step back and rethink. Putting a cash offer on the table for injury is going to make someone TRY to hurt another, in turn leading to cheap and dirty hits. Kids do not go out on the field and say "Man, Im going to roll up this QB's leg, so I can get a new sticker for my helmet".. Really? And you mention the only reason the Saints got in trouble is because of the league's liability? How about what was going on was illegal, immoral, and just plain stupid. Those guys were intentionally trying to cause bodily harm to another, and recieving cash in return. In most states, that is a crime. Just because it's done between the white lines of a football field, does not make it any less illegal.

 

Plain and simple.. A helmet sticker given to a high school kid for his play on friday night, is not the same as a pile of money given to a professional adult athelete for intentionally hurting another player. There is simply no comparision

Littleluck- If you really believe that a sticker on a helmet, or anything of the sorts is the same as giving cash money to a player for hurting someone, I suggest you take a step back and rethink. Putting a cash offer on the table for injury is going to make someone TRY to hurt another, in turn leading to cheap and dirty hits. Kids do not go out on the field and say "Man, Im going to roll up this QB's leg, so I can get a new sticker for my helmet".. Really? And you mention the only reason the Saints got in trouble is because of the league's liability? How about what was going on was illegal, immoral, and just plain stupid. Those guys were intentionally trying to cause bodily harm to another, and recieving cash in return. In most states, that is a crime. Just because it's done between the white lines of a football field, does not make it any less illegal.

 

Plain and simple.. A helmet sticker given to a high school kid for his play on friday night, is not the same as a pile of money given to a professional adult athelete for intentionally hurting another player. There is simply no comparision

 

 

But this is where it gets tricky, IMO. You reward someone for a good, clean hit that hurts someone but it is a problem if someone says before the game you get a reward(cash, stickers, sledgehammer) for taking someone out of the game with a clean hit?

Look, I played for 15 years, pee-wee, high school, and college, and I coach at the HS level now.. I have never once heard the helmet sticker reward system explained by a coach saying "If you guys take their best player out of the game, with a good clean hit, you'll get a sticker" Like mentioned in my previous posting, the stickers, in most cases, are given for number of tackles, defensive or offensive scores, big plays on offense, INT's, big hits, or some other form of game changing play.. At no point have I ever heard "taking someone out of the game" being criteria for recieving a sticker.

Look, I played for 15 years, pee-wee, high school, and college, and I coach at the HS level now.. I have never once heard the helmet sticker reward system explained by a coach saying "If you guys take their best player out of the game, with a good clean hit, you'll get a sticker" Like mentioned in my previous posting, the stickers, in most cases, are given for number of tackles, defensive or offensive scores, big plays on offense, INT's, big hits, or some other form of game changing play.. At no point have I ever heard "taking someone out of the game" being criteria for recieving a sticker.

 

I'm not speaking on you and your experiences. I am asking(in general) if it is a problem(at any level) or does it become a problem to reward players and make it known before the game they get that reward for taking someone out the game with a good clean hit? That is my question. I understand rewarding big hits. I am trying to figure out if a reward that is put on the table for a good clean hit that takes a player out of the game is acceptable. Like I said, this is where it gets tricky, IMO, because it seems that with a majority of big hits someone at the very least leaves the game for a little bit. I'm speaking on good, clean, legal hits. Not dirty with intent to injure and end your career hits.