What makes a tackle or a block destructive?
The energy lost in the collision
Where the energy is deposited
Are the participants ready for the collision?
Gravity is the ãsecond tacklerä
Notes:
There are several factors that determine the damage done in a collision.
The first factor is the energy lost in the collision, or better, the energy distributed to each participant. Energy = (1/2)mv2 so a massive lineman or a speedier but smaller linebacker can each have his effect.
Obviously there are some parts of the body that are more susceptible to damage - the back, the headand neck , the knees - and how the force of the collision is spread is also a factor.
A good tackler uses gravity to do the tackling. This is why a good tackler hits low and uses gravity to pull the ball carrier over. Sometimes a high hit has the same effect.
If the player is braced to be hit, he moves to reduce the effect of the hit but he also braces the muscles that connect head, torso, etc. In that case the player is more like a single rigid object. If the player is hit by surprise, e.g. the quarterback le
The ground provides friction to slow down a sliding player, it may or may not be energy absorbing (grass vs. artificial turf) and the surface may pin the playerâs foot to a particular spot (can you say Anterior Cruciate Ligament?)