Tackle characteristics analysed
| Tackles | |
| Tackle events | Counted as a single tackle regardless of the no of players involved. |
| Tackle actions | Counted as the total no of tackles made (eg, a tackle event involving two tacklers would be coded as two tackle actions). |
| Players in tackle | |
| 1 player tackle | Only 1 defender/tackler is involved at any point in the tackle up to when it is completed. |
| 2 player tackle | 2 defenders/tacklers are involved at any point in the tackle up to when it is completed. |
| 3 player tackle | 3 defenders/tacklers are involved at any point in the tackle up to when it is completed. |
| Tackle type | |
| Active shoulder | First contact is with the tackler’s shoulder, and the tackler drives or attempts to drive the ball carrier backwards. |
| Passive shoulder | First contact is with the tackler’s shoulder and the tackler does not drive or attempt to drive the ball carrier back. |
| Tap tackle | Tackler trips the ball carrier with a hand on the lower limb below the knee. |
| Smother tackle | Tackler uses the chest and attempts to wrap both arms around the ball carrier. |
| Lift (illegal) | Tackler lifts the ball carrier’s hips above the BC head. |
| No arms (illegal) | Tackler impedes the ball carrier without use of their arms. |
| High tackle (illegal) | Penalised by the referee for contact being high. |
| Tackle in the air (illegal) | Penalised by the referee for defender making contact with carrier in the air. |
| Point of contact | |
| Head and neck | Initial contact on head or neck of ball carrier. |
| Shoulder and armpit | Initial contact above the line of the armpit and below top of shoulders or ball carrier. |
| Torso | Initial contact above midpoint of hips and below the line of the armpit of ball carrier. |
| Upper leg | Initial contact above midpoint of knee and below midpoint of hips of ball carrier. |
| Lower leg | Initial contact from foot to midpoint of knee of ball carrier. |
| Tackle direction | |
| Front-on | Tackler makes contact on the front of the BC. |
| On angle | Tackler makes contact with the BC on an angle. |
| Side on | Tackler makes contact with the side of the BC. |
| From back | Tackler makes contact with the BC from behind. |
| Body position | |
| Tackler/carrier upright | No bend at the waist/hips at the point of contact. |
| Tackler/carrier partially bent | Approximately 30°–60° bend at waist at the point of contact. |
| Tackler/carrier fully bent | Greater than approximately 60° bend at waist at the point of contact. |
| Tackler/carrier diving | Diving at the point of contact. |
| Tackler and carrier speed | |
| Static | Player has feet planted in the final moments before contact. |
| In motion | Player is in motion (walking/jogging) but not at ‘high speed’. |
| High speed | Player is at fast pace or sprinting. |