# Ankle tap

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ankle_tap
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ankle_tap.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankle_tap
> Source revision: 1334746574
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

An **ankle-tap** or **tap-tackle** is a form of [tackle](/source/Tackle_(football_move)) used in [rugby league](/source/Rugby_league),[1] [rugby union](/source/Rugby_union) and [gridiron football](/source/Gridiron_football).

It is used when the player carrying the ball is running at speed and a defending player is approaching from behind or the side. If the defender is not able to get close enough to the ball-carrier to wrap his arms around him in a conventional tackle, he may still be able to dive at the other player's feet and, with an outstretched arm, deliver a tap or hook to the player's foot or ankle, causing the player to stumble. At speed, this will often be sufficient to bring the ball-carrier down.

## See also

- [Sports portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Sports)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Tap and a nod: Reynolds enters Origin frame"](http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/tap-and-a-nod-reynolds-enters-origin-frame-20120503-1y1uu.html). 3 May 2012.

v t e Rugby football terminology General Ankle tap Blitz defence Blood replacement Bomb kick Cap Cauliflower ear Crash ball Drop goal Dummy Field goal Flying kick Goal from mark Grandfather rule Grubber kick Hat-trick Mark Offside Penalty Penalty box Place kick Professional foul Set piece Tackle Dump High Spear Touch Touch judge Try celebration Rugby union Glossary Bonus point Dangerous play Drop kick Experimental law variations Eye-gouging Free kick Gain line Giteau's law Line-out code Numbering schemes Penalty Scrum Test match Rugby league Chicken wing tackle Grapple tackle One on one tackle

This rugby league football article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information.

- [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Rugbyleague-stub)
- [t](/source/Template_talk%3ARugbyleague-stub)
- [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Rugbyleague-stub)

This rugby union article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information.

- [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Rugbyunion-stub)
- [t](/source/Template_talk%3ARugbyunion-stub)
- [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Rugbyunion-stub)

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ankle tap](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankle_tap) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankle_tap?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.