What counts as "full contact" in practice?
Guideline- USA
- USA Football
- Youth tackle
- 14U
- 14 and under
- 2026 guidelines
- Coaches
USA Football's Levels of Contact:
| Level | What it means | Full contact? |
|---|---|---|
| Air | No opponent and no contact | No |
| Bags | Contact with a bag or soft surface, not a player | No |
| Control | Assigned speed until contact, predetermined winner, above the waist, players stay on their feet | No |
| Control to ground | Assigned non-competitive speed, predetermined winner, controlled take-down allowed | No |
| Thud | Competitive speed through contact, no predetermined winner, above the waist, players stay up, quick whistle | Yes |
| Live | Competitive speed in game-like conditions | Yes |
USA Football defines full contact as any drill or activity where contact happens at competitive speed, judged by the initial player-to-player contact, whether or not anyone goes to the ground.
Added 21 Oct 2026