Collarbone

Question
Hi,

Im 6 foot 1, 74kg and i usually play in the no.1 jersey (league).

I broke my collarbone 8 months ago in a tackle. Last week I played one of my first games again and felt that the shoulder wasn't good. (i.e. I was reluctant to make big tackles afraid that the collarbone will snap again)

Do you have any tips on how to overcome this problem, exercises i could do to improve my shoulder.

Thanks

Answer
I injured my shoulder in a tackle.  I can understand the trepidation about going full speed back in.

Tackling has two important aspects- the physical contact and the mental preparation.  So in order to tackle properly after an injury, two questions must be asked-

1.  Are you physically able to tackle safely?

-Can your shoulder muscles move sufficiently to cover the collarbone?
-Can your elbow rise to the height of the shoulder when you are good body position to make the tackle (shoulder above the rear, head up, spine in line, crouched with back bowed in)?
-Can the neck rotate and move to the side?
-Can the arms be spread out with hands up?

If the answer to any of these questions are no, then you should go into a strength/flexibility development regime under the guidance of a physical therapist until you can answer yes.  

The collarbone is the weakest joint in the body.  It is essentially two bones that abut each other without much in the way of connective tissue found in other joints (tendons, ligaments, etc).  Additionally it has very little protection from either other bones or muscles.  The best way to protect the collarbone is good technique and solid muscles.  One of the questions asked relates to lifting the elbow.  This is important because the act of lifting the elbows 搕hickens?the muscles over the collarbone, providing more protection.  Additionally, raising the elbows raises the level of the deltoids, also providing some protection.  I am not comfortable about describing specific exercises for protecting the collarbone, except to say the exercise should involve lifting, lowering, and pivoting about the elbow.  A discussion of proper tackling follows.

Coming back into the game too soon will make reinjury that much easier.  Knowing you are physically able to make a tackle will go far in being mentally prepared to make contact.  

2.  Are you psychologically ready to tackle?
-Do you want to make the tackle?
-Can you overcome your fear of reinjury sufficiently to make a good tackle?  Have no doubts, you will have a fear of reinjurying the shoulder.

If the answer to either question is no, then you need to develop confidence.  Do not be ashamed to admit this, after an injury, most rugby players have lessened confidence after an injury.  This leads them to play timidly and since they are not mentally prepared to make contact, they increase their chances of reinjury.

The best way to regain confidence is to use the process of learning how to tackle and to focus on technique.  This should be progressive program.  

I would suggest starting tackling against a rucking bag (tackling bags can also be used), coming in under control and working on body position (very important- keep shoulders square so the initial contact is not made with the point of the shoulder, arms raised so that muscles can provide more protection).  

Once confidence in body position is there, start working against a ball carrier.  Many coaches start tackling development with the tackler on his knees, then in a low crouch, and than moving towards the ball carrier.  Again, you should only progress to the next level when you are confident about making the contact.

I tend to be a minority in this, but unless shoulder pads are necessary to protect the injury, I usually do not recommend them during the training phase.  With a false sense of security, players are less likely to employ good technique when tackling and more likely to use their shoulders as weapons.

Once you are psychologically and physically ready to make contact, the final, and admittedly the most difficult task, is to make full contact tackles.

As a said in the beginning, this is the process that I am personally using to get back to tackling after a shoulder injury.

Remember the tackling fundamentals:

When tackling remember to keep the eyes open, head outside, or behind, and wrap the legs tightly.  A dangerous tackle is generally any tackle over the armpits.

All tackles must include the wrap, arms tightly wrapped around the opponent.  If need be, actually grip your own wrists.

Do not leave your feet when initially making the tackle.  American football players tend to leap into tackles.  This is not good for a rugby tackle.

When coming into a tackle, center the tip of your shoulder on your opponent's midsection and have the arms raised, with the elbows out and up.  This will ensure that the head will be on the outside of the tackle and that the shoulder is protected.

Generally when you tackle try to hit the softer parts of the opponent's body such as the torso above the hips or mid-thigh (watch for the knees).  You should always focus on taking the opponent's legs out from him.  It is true- the bigger they are the harder they fall.

When you come in for the tackle, imagine that you are trying tackle beyond the runner and that you need to go through him.  Your tackle does not stop at contact.  You must continue the effort through the opposition to a point about a meter behind him.  Often when contact is made, the tackler stops his forward momentum.

Obviously, a "head on" tackle at the torso is not always going to be successful if the opponent is larger than you are.  In this situation the best things to consider-

1.   Come from the side

2.   Hit him at the thighs, and close the arms, thus binding the legs.  Hint- when you wrap your arms around the thighs, grab you own wrists and push your arms out.  When you push your arms out, your elbows come together making a tighter bind.

3.   Allow his forward momentum and bound legs to cause him to fall.

When being tackled, do not put hand out to break the fall.  Roll along the arm, shoulder, and side where the upper body will make contact first.  Do not make contact with the shoulder point (region of the Deltoid muscles) but with the shoulder blade (scapula).  As the lower part of the body makes contact with the ground, roll along the outside of the leg, to the hip, and to the torso.

When coming into rucks, mauls, and tackles maintain good body position.  Come in low, close enough to touch the ground, and come up.  Tense the shoulders and neck, and keep the head up.  Bind immediately with the either, or both, the opposition and your teammates.  When pushing, keep the buttocks lower then the shoulder, and keep the spine in a straight line from head to rear (spine in line).  Come into the ruck/maul/tackle under control.

Try not to tackle by purely grabbing the opposition.  Your fingers are just not strong enough.  You must get in close and make the wrap.

A player may also need to perform open field tackles, tackles on opponents charging at full speed.  Many teams put their stronger centers on the outside.  These are often difficult individuals to tackles.  For those situations, here are some important considerations (some have been mentioned earlier but are important enough to repeat):

-Close the space!  You cannot let the opposition player run into you while you are flat footed and not ready to make contact.  Your opposition will also have less time to react to you.

-Come in under control.  There are a couple of negative tendencies when coming into a tackle that need to be minimized.  Keep your eyes open as long as possible prior to actual contact.  It is natural to close them, but try to keep them open.  Watch your body position.  It is also natural to be leaning too far forward when coming into the tackle.  This makes you unbalanced and more likely to lose control if immediate contact is not made.  A good rule of thumb is to keep your shoulders/chest behind your knees for as long as possible prior to contact.  This will ensure that you are better balanced.

-Forgot the head and the ball, watch both the hips (body must go where the hips go) and if possible the eyes (very few rugby players will make a turn without a quick glance to the direction they are turning); this will make you less susceptible to a fake movement.

-Low is good in the tackle.  Even hitting a player running at pace will often knock him/her off balance.  A good wrap at the legs and low tackle will often bring down even the largest fastest players

-Slow down the opposition.  I used to tell my smaller rugby players, if they can not make the tackle, at least be a speed bump.  Good solid contact can be just as disruptive as a solid tackle, and a good wrap that slows down the runner so that support can complete the tackle or strip the ball can be just as good as a tackle.  Even the second or two necessary to break a tackle is important because it usually sufficient time for your own support to show up.

Tackling is combination of heart and technique.  If you have great technique, but are timid about closing in on your opponent you will not succeed.  If you have the heart of a lion, but cannot get those arms around the opposing runner, again you will not succeed.

Remember that rugby is a possession sport, not a yardage sport like American football.  While everybody likes to see, and honestly, make, the hard stand up tackle, it is not necessary unless you are within a few meters of your try line.  The important thing is to get the runner to ground so that the ball must be released.  That is your best chance to regain possession.

Stay on your feet, especially in areas with a lot of traffic (rucks, mauls, scrums).  Referees often will penalize players for leaving their feet in rucks or mauls.  Even unintentionally falling over the ruck will generally result in a penalty for 搒ealing,?and falling down in maul could result in a 揷ollapsing the maul?penalty.  Both are very serious penalties.

I hope this at least gives you some ideas that you can talk over with your coach.

Thank you,

Deane Shephard
Stuttgart RC