Looking to "enhance the experience for young football players and ultimately help increase participation," USA Football today unveiled Rookie Tackle, a pilot program launching with 11 organizations around the country that "features fewer players, smaller fields, no special teams and no three-point stances," according to Josh Barnett of USA TODAY. USA Football Exec Dir Scott Hallenbeck said that the Rookie Tackle program is "intended to serve as a bridge between flag football and 11-man tackle football for kids to help them learn the game and develop their skills." USA Football said that the pilot program will "involve leagues with a total of 24,000 players, including those who play flag, Rookie Tackle and 11-man tackle." Among the highlights of the initiative include the ability for leagues to "choose to play six, seven or eight players on the field per team." Overall roster size will be "decreased to encourage greater time on the field for each player." Players will be able to "experiment at different positions" and there will be "no special teams." Smaller fields at 40x35 yards also will be "scaled by size and player level." As part of the pilot, USA Football has "created substantial material to help leagues and coaches understand the rules and be able to explain the game to parents and players." Players will "wear devices that track what USA Football called 'efforts' to see the impact on physical activities." The eventual goal is "creating a national standard but also provide individual leagues with enough flexibility to adjust to particular local circumstances" (USATODAY.com, 6/7).
