Heads Up Program

What is USA Football?

USA Football is “football’s national governing body, [who] leads the game’s development, inspires participation, and ensures a positive experience for all youth… .” The organization provides information and instruction n Heads Up Tackling, concussions, equipment fitting, and safety.

What is the Heads Up Tackling Program?

USA Football’s Heads Up Tackling Program is their “national initiative to help make the sport of football better and safer” through coach education and certification, instruction on equipment fitting, providing information and instruction on concussion recognition and awareness, and heat and dehydration awareness, and instruction on Heads Up Tackling.

What is Heads Up Tackling?

“Heads Up Tackling is a step-by-step protocol to teach the core principals of the skill, and sets a new standard in player safety. the program utilizes five fundamentals [breakdown, buzz, hit, shoot, rip] through a series of drills to reinforce proper tackling mechanics, and teach players how to properly tackle with a focus on reducing helmet contacts.”

How is YSF going to utilize this program?

YSF is affiliated with USA Football and their Heads Up Football Program. Through conferences, training sessions, and online courses, YSF hopes to make football a safer sport for your youth.

• Our Mission: To introduce Iowa and surrounding areas’ youth to football and develop their skills in a safe and instructive manner, using USA Football’s heads up tackling philosophy, while keeping the game fun and enjoyable.
• Our Goal: To get every participant to form good, safe habits in their tackling and blocking techniques, so that they may be prepared for higher, more intense levels of the sport.
• Our Plan: To have each of our Regional Directors be Player Safety Coaches, through training from USA Football’s Master Trainers, and pass along the information and techniques to our coaches; and to have every head and assistant coach a certified USA Football youth coach through online courses on USA Football’s website.

The Final Product: Every member of the YSF community will have the knowledge and skill set to educate every one of our youth players on how to play HEADS UP; and every youth player will be knowledgeable in heads up tackling.