Rugby: Passing circle

Work on their speed and stamina in this passing and receiving recap session - designed to get your players spreading their fingers for maximum passing control

1. 4 players stand on the middle cones in the grid, avoiding the corner cones. The 2 players at the top and the bottom of the grid will have a ball. The players on the sides of the grid will have one ball between them.
2. The 5th player will be the ball carrier.
3. The ball carrier starts at the top of the grid facing the bottom. Moving forward they will take a pass off one of the middle players and pass the ball onto the other middle player. They will then collect a pass off the player in front of them, before popping the ball back to them. They will then turn and once again collect a pass off one of the middle players before moving it on to the other middle player. They then take a pass off the top player before popping it back and starting the exercise again.
4. They keep going until told to switch with another player.
5. The player in the middle can turn and flick the ball to the static players at the top and bottom of the grid, as well as popping the ball.

Each group forms a circle with players about 1m apart. First practise passing and catch around the circle. Next, the first player to pass runs around the outside of the circle. The player races against the ball to return to his/her start position.

1. There will be one ball carrier at any one time.
2. They will run around the circle, passing the ball.
3. The ball must be handled by all players, so players work to identify themselves as needing the ball.
4. The ball cannot be passed to the person beside the carrier, but backwards passes are allowed.

• The coach can change the direction of the players running and ask them to do things e.g. touch the ground with your right hand, touch the ground with your left hand, jump up and clap etc.

Offensive players (blue), line out in one deep line while the defence (red) line up opposite in a straight line, slightly inside player from the player that they are marking.

The offence will attempt to pass the ball across the line at speed.

Defenders will move up to stop them but do not tackle, simply press. This teachers the attackers to pass under pressure, as they try to pass across the line without making any mistakes.