If you attempt to tackle a player in soccer the same way you would in American football, you’ll quickly find yourself taken out of the game. In soccer, tackling refers to taking control of the ball away from your opponent, either by using your leg to take possession or by sliding in and knocking the ball away. Soccer rules require that the target always be the ballif a player touches their opponent before the ball, or makes “unfair contact” after touching the ball, the move is considered illegal. Tackles from the front or side may also be considered illegal, even if they touch the ball first. In contrast, any tackles from behind or using both legs (as in “scissoring,” where the tackler keeps their own legs apart in order to trap the other player’s) are always illegal.To become a skilled soccer defender, you’ll have to master certain types of tackles. One of the most common is the block tacklea basic version of the upright tackle. In this move, the defender approaches the target from the front “and while maintaining a low, crouched stance to ensure stability, the defender plants one foot and drives the other low, seeking to strike the ball with the inside of the foot and then secure it from the opposition player” (“Soccer Tackling Mechanics” at www.faqs.org).A sliding tackle is a much more complex move. If the target player has the ball between their feet, a sliding tackle will be very dangerousto both players. This move is reserved for when the offensive player is running with the ball in front of them. The defender slides with one leg extended and knocks the ball from the other playeroften knocking them down in the process.There are a number of fouls associated with the sliding tackle, making it even more difficult to pull off correctly. Commonly, the offensive player will fall on the tackler’s foot or over the stopped ball. If the tackle is considered to be “careless, reckless or using excessive force,” such as by kicking or tripping an opponent or raising the cleats perpendicular to the field, the referee will often award a direct free kick or penalty kick. The sliding tackle can also constitute misconduct, in which case the referee will give the tackler a yellow “caution” or red “send off” card.