How to Break Tackles in Football

Know your opponent well enough to anticipate his strength and the tackling technique.

If you are going to get hit in the upper chest, push your opponent off with a stiff arm or simply duck down and get your center of gravity lower.

If you are getting hit stomach and waist level, it is best to keep your feet moving. Do not stop running. It is best to try to get to where you need to go. If you feel that your legs are getting tangled up and you can't keep moving, then you are in a tight spot but not helpless. You need to focus your energy on staying up. Don't let the defender pull you down. Then you should work on pulling your legs out from his grasp.If you can keep your legs moving you will stand a much better chance of breaking that tackle.

When trying to just avoid a defender, do not juke around too much! It will only slow your speed and make you more vulnerable to get tackled. You should juke with your upper body but keep your legs moving.

If you are breaking down the sideline and you see a defender coming from the side, keep running but be ready to make the first move. When you see him get close enough but not too close, make a small juke with your shoulders to try to get him to slow down and wait for you. Then bolt into the open field right as this pause happens; usually he will be caught off guard.

Stay moving. If you can't break the tackle and you are locked up, then it's time to give up. Trying to stay up in this situation makes you prone to injury and to fumble the ball.

Keep your hips bent, but not too much. Also keep your shoulders diagonal a bit, but not too much so that your head isn't looking straight. Being able to look across the field easily is important.