Helmetless Tackling Training
An evidence-based football coach education program designed to improve tackling technique while reducing unnecessary head contact during player development.
Developed at the University of New Hampshire
Powered by InjureFree
What is HuTT®?
Delivered through the InjureFree online learning platform, HuTT® gives coaches convenient, self-paced training they can complete anytime, anywhere. Upon successful completion, coaches receive a Certificate of Completion validating their training in safer tackling instruction and player safety practices.
Online HuTT® Helmetless Tackling Training Course
Coach Learning Modules
Knowledge Assessments & Quizzes
Certificate of Completion
Secure Online Access Through InjureFree
Coach Progress Tracking
Administrative Reporting
Mobile & Desktop Compatible
What’s Included
Program Curriculum
HuTT® is a progressive, season-long curriculum rooted in the core principle of executing drills without helmets or shoulder pads. The curriculum moves players from key foundational drills then work through static, dynamic, and functional phases — building toward full-speed tackling and blocking technique that carries over into full-contact play.
Organization Benefits
By certifying your coaches through HuTT®, your organization demonstrates a commitment to:
Player Safety
Coach Development
Proper Tackling Technique
Risk Reduction
Parent Confidence
Program Excellence
The Science Behind HuTT®
HuTT® was developed at the University of New Hampshire and has been studied across multiple football populations, from Division I college programs to high school teams. The research consistently points the same direction: regular, supervised tackling repetition without a helmet trains players to keep their head out of contact — a habit that carries over into full-contact play.
The first peer-reviewed randomized controlled trial, published in the Journal of Athletic Training, found that collegiate football players who completed the HuTT® intervention had roughly 30% fewer head impacts per athlete-exposure than a control group by the end of the season.
A separate multi-year randomized controlled trial of high school players found that players randomized to the HuTT® program experienced a reduced frequency of head impacts during play, particularly during games.
The most recent prospective longitudinal study, conducted in Hawai'i, found that players who adhered to the program at a 60% level or higher experienced a 34–37% reduction in head impacts by the end of the season compared with those who did not.
The program has been funded in part by the National Athletic Trainers' Association Research & Education Foundation and the National Football League, and has been covered by national outlets including The Washington Post, Sports Illustrated, and ABC News.
This research reflects the underlying HuTT® training methodology. Individual outcomes depend on program adherence, coaching implementation, and supervision.
Football
Organization
Pricing
Save more the larger your staff.
Pricing is graduated — each coach is billed at the rate for their tier, so the discount applies progressively as your staff grows.
Individual Coach Certification includes: Full HuTT® Online Training, Course Assessments & Quizzes, Certificate of Completion, Online Access via InjureFree, Coach Training Records.
Select Your Organization Type
Umbrella Organization
An umbrella organization is an overarching association of clubs that work together to pool resources and coordinate activities.
Club
An organized group that facilitates participation in sport for associated teams, often within the umbrella organization.
Team / Individual
A team is a group of athletes participating in sport as a single unit. Most often similar in age.
Frequently Asked Questions
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HuTT® is an evidence-based football coach education and player development program designed to teach safer tackling and blocking techniques while reducing unnecessary head contact. Inspired by rugby tackling principles and adapted specifically for football, HuTT® trains coaches to teach athletes how to keep their heads out of contact during tackling and blocking drills.
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HuTT® uses progressive, helmetless training drills that encourage athletes to naturally avoid leading with their heads. The program is evidence-based, football-specific, progressive throughout the season, and focused on reducing unnecessary head impacts while improving tackling performance.
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HuTT® leverages the natural vulnerability players feel when their heads are unprotected. By practicing in controlled, helmetless environments, athletes learn proper body positioning and tackling mechanics that carry over into full-contact practices and games. The idea is straightforward: players who consistently practice without initiating contact with the head are more likely to maintain those safer techniques while wearing helmets during competition.
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Yes. HuTT® is an evidence-based program supported through research and funding from the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) Research & Education Foundation, the Head Health Challenge, GE, the NFL, and Under Armour. See The Science Behind HuTT® above for the full research summary.
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In addition to player safety, HuTT® has shown improvements in tackling performance. In one documented implementation with a nationally ranked NCAA Division I FCS program (University of New Hampshire), the team's missed tackle rate improved from 20% to 14%.
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Anytime. Because HuTT® drills are performed without equipment or live tackling to the ground, the program can be installed year-round, including in the off-season.
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HuTT® is designed for youth, middle school, and high school football coaches, football organizations, athletic directors, and youth football leagues. Organizations are encouraged to certify every football coach to ensure consistent teaching of safer tackling technique.
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Entirely through the InjureFree Sports Safety Platform. After registering, coaches receive secure online access and can complete training at their own pace from any computer, tablet, or mobile device.
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Online HuTT® training modules, instructional videos and drill demonstrations, knowledge assessments and quizzes, coach learning modules, secure access through InjureFree, progress tracking, administrative reporting, and customer support.
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Yes. Upon completing all required modules and passing assessments, coaches receive an official HuTT® Certificate of Completion, a HuTT® Coach Credential through InjureFree, and a digital training record maintained on the platform.
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Most coaches complete it in a single sitting or across multiple sessions. The course is self-paced — coaches can start, stop, and resume at any time.
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Yes. InjureFree gives administrators visibility into enrollment status, progress, course completion, and certification records — making it easy to verify coach compliance and maintain documentation.
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Desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone — anywhere with internet access.
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Certification is priced per coach and gets less expensive as your staff grows:
$39 per coach for organizations with 1–9 coaches
$30 per coach for 10–24 coaches
$25 per coach for 25–49 coaches
$20 per coach for 50 or more coaches.
Pricing is graduated, so each coach is billed at the rate for their tier rather than the whole group being repriced at once. Every certification includes full HuTT® online training, all learning modules, drill videos, quizzes and assessments, a HuTT® Certificate of Completion, a HuTT® Credential through InjureFree, and a secure online training record. -
Organizations that certify their coaches demonstrate a commitment to player safety, coach development, proper tackling technique, risk reduction, parent confidence, and program excellence — with added administrative visibility into coach training and certification status.
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HuTT® combines evidence-based tackling instruction, safer player development, online convenience, coach accountability, organization-wide reporting, and professional certification — delivered through the InjureFree Sports Safety Platform.