TKL

Sports abbreviation · American Football

TKL
Stands forTackles
CategoriesSports

TKL stands for Tackles, an American football abbreviation.

Number of times a defender brings down a ball carrier, the basic defensive statistic. Stat sheets often split tackles into solo tackles and assisted tackles shared with a teammate.

Example: The middle linebacker finished with 14 TKL, nine of them solo.

Usage notes

Tackle counts are recorded by stadium statisticians rather than game officials, so totals can vary with the scorer. Linebackers usually lead their teams in tackles; when a safety leads, it often signals that runners are getting past the front seven.

More American football abbreviations

  • SB – Super Bowl
  • SS – Strong safety
  • ST – Special teams
  • TD – Touchdown
  • TE – Tight end
  • TFL – Tackle for loss
  • TOP – Time of possession
  • UFA – Unrestricted free agent
  • WR – Wide receiver
  • XP – Extra point
  • YAC – Yards after catch
  • YDS – Yards

See all 80 American football abbreviations →