My midfielders have been hesitant in their tackling skills, so I tried this little exercise and it seems to be working. I have the players buddy up, facing each other on the field. A ball is placed between them. On the whistle, they both try to gain possession of the ball and get to the goal line. They get one point for each successful tackle. Variation: Have them 8 to 10 yards a part and sprint to and control the ball. The first player with control wins.