How to Tackle a Girl

Make sure you know her well enough to tackle her. You should never tackle a stranger, and you should avoid tackling someone that you've just met unless you're sure that she will be comfortable with it. If she is your sister, your relative, or your good friend, then she might feel more comfortable with you tackling her. Use your best judgment.

Tackle in the right setting. Tackling is a large part of many contact sports, including rugby and American football. If you are playing a contact sport with a mixed group of boys and girls, then the tackling issue will certainly come up. Consider playing flag football, two-hand touch football, or another less violent variation of the game. If you plan to tackle a girl in a non-sporting context, then you will need to be especially sure that she'll be okay with it.

• Flag football or two-hand touch football can be a great way to avoid the issue of tackling a girl. In regular football, you stop someone from running the ball by tackling them to the ground. In touch football, you only need to touch them with two hands at once. In flag football, you pull a "flag" from the runner's belt to signify that you have stopped them.

Make your intentions clear. Check in to be sure that the girl is comfortable with being tackled. It's better to ask ahead of time than to risk making someone feel violated. Get consent and establish a common understanding of the rules.^[1]

• If you are playing a contact sport like rugby or tackle football, make sure that everyone playing understands that he or she might get tackled. Explain the rules before you begin. If anyone is uncomfortable with being tackled, consider playing a less violent variation.
• If you are going to tackle a sibling, a romantic interest, or a female friend, then you should be physically comfortable with one another. It's okay to play rough, but you need to make sure that you are not violating her personal space.