TackleBar Football
Spectator SportsMinnesota, United States2-10 Employees
TackleBar Football, based in St. Paul, Minnesota, offers a safer approach to football that preserves the game’s tradition and spirit. The organization provides a harness-based system where players wear standard protective gear along with a TackleBar harness featuring two foam bars; players simulate tackling and then remove a foam bar from the opponent’s harness, reducing impact while maintaining contact-style play. The approach aims to teach proper contact, fundamental skills, and injury reduction, with the broader goal of increasing youth participation by addressing parental safety concerns and making the game accessible for kids of various ages and sizes. In its industry of spectator sports and youth football, TackleBar positions itself as an alternative that emphasizes safety without compromising the experiential aspects of the sport. A notable development is a partnership with Riddell, announced in October 2019, reflecting interest from major equipment manufacturers in promoting safer participation and broader engagement in football. The company operates with a small team and focuses on delivering its safer-contact model to youth and participants seeking a non-traditional format for football.