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building DRILLS
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3 person front row.

Building a 3 person front row. Hooker forms 1st, standing with shoulders lowered and knees bent to about 3/4 height. Arms up in the air in a 'flying' position. Props then bind underneath the hookers arms, with their inside arms around the back of the hooker.

Contact Skills

Off-Loading Pass

Tell your players the following...... There will be two static players, passers, on the mid sections cones. One on each side. One of which will have a ball. There will be one runner who will start with one ball in their left hand. The ball carrier should start running towards the other side of the grid. The static player with the additional ball feeds that ball to the runner who has to catches the ball with their right hand only - and underloads the ball to player the opposite side. Repeat 5 times and then change over.

Passing

Pass Invaders

Tell your players the following..... In groups of 2 they will attack, passing the ball before they reach each unique cone, so when they have passed in front of a cone - that cone is no longer unique and they can move beyond it. Following their pass they must realign, taking steps back to get ready to come onto the next pass. They keep going until they finish the entire grid. When one group is at least two cones ahead, the next group can go. All passes must be legal. Progressions: Place a defender at the first cone, having them move back one each time. Even by staying static - they will apply pressure to the attack. Increase the distance between the cones, increasing the length of the pass. Make all the passes flat, for the attackers to run onto. Increase the number of player in the attack to three, this will mean quicker hands.

Passing

Passing in Traffic

Tell the players the following...... Runners move forward towards the cone opposite to their location. There will be one ball carrier and one reciever in every set of runners, 3 sets of runners at any one time. The ball carrier must make a legal pass to the player approaching, avoiding traffic. That's it - lets get going.

Passing

Passing to Support

Tell your players the following...... One the call of the scrum half, the 3 attackers turn, round the cone and attack. The scrum half feeds the ball to the first reciever, players will need to decide who the first reciever is. The other two players fall in at depth, providing support left and support right. The support players can expand the space between them and the ball carrier. As the attack approaches the end of the grid, the coach will point left or right, and the ball must be (without delay) passed to the support player on the side the coach has pointed to. The attacking unit return to join the line in preperation for the next attacking opportunity, they should pass the ball back to the scrum half.

Passing

Pop and Pass

Tell the players the following.... The player on the cone passes the ball forward to the player just in front of the cone, the passer then become the runner. The reciever pops the ball for the runner to run onto. Runner takes the ball and makes a bawards pass to the player on the cone opposite them.  The runner can drift to increase the distance of the pass. Players should side step to avoid one another in the middle of the grid. The first reciever can change the way they present the ball: they could set the ball on the ground for the runner to pick, they could lob the ball into the air for the runner to reach for and catch, they could deliver a low pass aross the knees for the runner to catch etc.

Passing

Pop, roll, down, up and gut

Tell your players the following...... The ball carrier will run/carry the ball directly across the grid, offloading it to the player opposite. The offload will be different, depending on the coaches call - so you need to listen. There will be traffic in the center of the grid, so avoid it. Ok - lets get moving, the first call is to pop to the receiver - the pop should be legal! Calls include: POP THE BALL, ROLL THE BALL, SET IT DOWN, THROW IT UP, GUT PASS (not too hard).

Passing

Pressure Cooker

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. The 5th player will be the ball carrier. 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. They keep going until told to switch with another player. 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.

Passing

Quick Hands

Tell your players the following..... The first player runs out with the ball to the first set of cones and passes the ball to the second player. The second player then runs out to the next set of cones and passes the ball to the third player, who runs out to the next set of cones. In the last area of cones, the ball has to be passed quickly amongst all the players.

Passing

Split with Trailer

Tell your players the following...... Player A passes to D and cuts - not getting ball back , but holding up - B cuts and receives the ball off D, then turns it back inside to C, who passes to A to score out wide on Right. Players change position after each attack, the static player will be a runner in the next attack.

Passing

Building The Loop Passing - Ru...

Tell your players the following..... One group of 4 players will be in defence. The other two groups of 4 will be in attack, they will attack one group at a time. There will be two attackerss and two defenders in the first two channels, the third channel will be open and free of attackers and defenders. The fourth channel will have an attacker and defender, the fifth channel will be free of attackers and defenders, the sixth channel will have an attacker and defender, and the last channel will be free of attackers or defenders. Defenders can move forward and side to side within their own channel, but they cannot leave their channel. Attackers attack their own channels, but can call a loop (L1,L2,L3 etc.) in order to attack the open channels. Allow players to discover solutions, question - try not to tell. Change the defenders.

General

Building The Pass Out of The T...

Tell your players the following...... One player will be a ball carrier. The player directly opposite will make a half tackle, lifting the ball carrier onto their shoulder. The ball carrier will look for an off-load to a supporting player on the left or right. The support players will be the first player on the other two cones, to the right and left of the ball carrier. The ball is off-loaded and the catching player becomes the new ball carrier, while the remaining support player becomes the new defender. The other two players clear the traffic and the above happens again - with the new support players coming from the other two cones. This can take a minute or two to get going, but stay with it.

General

Building Speed Onto The Ball S...

The speed of the pass should be reasonable and provide the interceptors with a chance of success. Tell the players the following.... The rest of the players will start one cone back from the passers, each standing one behind the other. The first player will go, aiming to intercept the flat pass. Then the next, until all players have intercepted the pass. They then move another cone back - to do the same. They keep moving back until they don't have enough speed to get onto the ball. Don't forget to give the passers a chance, they could be injured players who you might want to keep busy with simple passing.

General

Building The Contact 2 Contact...

<b>Setup:</b> Set up with 4 players with pads, and four players facing them about five metres away. There should be enough space between the players to ensure that they and the players making the hit are safe. The rest of the players fall in behind the leading 4 players who will be making the first hit. Each group of four will go together. The players holding the pads should do so with one hand on each strap, not with one arm through both straps as this exposes them to a lower arm fracture on a big hit. Have more than one group if necessary, as you don't want to have players waiting for more than 20-30 seconds between hits. Start slowly to get the technique right, and build from there. Tell the hitting players to raise their elbows 90 degrees or more. They will notice that their shoulders get bigger. Demo this with another coach if necessary.

General

Building The Defence 1 Sevens ...

Tell your players the following......... The coach will call a number e.g. 1. That attacking group must attack, aiming to score a try at the opposite end of the grid. The defence must try to stop them. Simple as that - except the number calls will be quick - there will be no delays between attacks, so the defence must be Sharpe and respond quickly to what they see. That's it - lets play. Don't forget to change the defenders.

General

Building 8 man scrum Scrum - R...

Front rowSetting the front row is the building blocks for a scrum.The 3 players (Prop, Hooker, Prop) should stand in a line facing the opposition. Two props tuck in close to the hooker either-side, wrapping their inside are around the hookers shorts or T-shirt maintaining a strong and tight grip. (Reach as far around the hooker as possible so the shorts or t-shirt are tight. This should pull the hooker in tight to both props hips. The hooker then lowers arms from above his head and wraps them around the 2 props, pulling tight onto their tshirts.Hooker needs flexibility to move hi slower body to hook the ball.Once set, the players sink from their hips as a unit - usually with a call routine. Then they wait for the refs calls to crouch, touch, engage. Where they use explosive leg drive while maintaining ga flat back and strong core to push the other props off the Second Row While standing bind together - holding on to eachothers waisteline or shirt.With thier outside arm, place it through the legs of the prop infornt of them, holdin gon to shorts. - keeps props tightChins off chest, stright back, hips below chets. Flankers + number 8enganemnt and hit is most important here.8 must be bound before engangemnt for saftery and to add weight ot the pack. Larger flanker on tight head side - stay down and push on the engamnet - gives support ot the tighthead prop. Loose head - does less pushing

General

Building the Ruck - One Step A...

Have 3 or more pad holders, this depends on how many rucking units you wish to have and how many players you have at training - but work hard to keep every player busy and active. The 3 pad holder should be about 5 meters back from the rucking units, and they should be holding the pads safely. Players should work in groups of 2, and there will be 1 scrum half. Only one ball is needed as the scrum half will move the ball from unit to unit. Get the players moving quickly, and tell the players the following.... One player carries the ball into contact and presents the ball. The other player provides covers and time for the scrum half to move the ball to the next unit. The scrum half should move the ball from unit to unit, and the units/pads should reposition themselves for the next line of attacks. Keep the action going, and don't forget to change the players on the pads.

General

Building the Contact Contact S...

<b>Setup:</b> Set up with 4 players with pads, and four players facing them about five metres away. There should be enough space between the players to ensure that they and the players making the hit are safe. The rest of the players fall in behind the leading 4 players who will be making the first hit. Each group of four will go together. The players holding the pads should do so with one hand on each strap, not with one arm through both straps as this exposes them to a lower arm fracture on a big hit. Have more than one group if necessary, as you don't want to have players waiting for more than 20-30 seconds between hits. Start slowly to get the technique right, and build from there. Tell the hitting players to put their hands behind their backs and make a hit on the pad using their shoulder. Remind them to keep their head up and to place their head to the side of the pads. Demo this with another coach if necessary.

General

Building The Switch Pass Passi...

Keep your player briefing short and tell your players the following.... 3 attackers line up on the first three cones, the rest fall in behind. One attacking line will go at a time. The SH will work from near the top of the grid - off to the left. The first attacking line goes. The SH passes to the first receiver in the attacking line.. The ball carrier and the second receiver switch - using the top to cones as targets. They can..... Switch, dummy, pass to the 3rd receiver. That's it - let the players play.

General

Building The Defence 2 - TURNO...

Tell your players the following......... The coach will call a number e.g. 1. That attacking group must attack, aiming to score a try at the opposite end of the grid. The defence must try to stop them, but their target is to turnover the ball. Simple as that - except the number calls will be quick - there will be no delays between attacks, so the defence must be Sharpe and respond quickly to what they see. That's it - lets play. Don't forget to change the defenders.

General

3v2 School - Rugby Drills, Rug...

Set up two lines of 3 cones, about 10 meters apart, with players on each of the three cones. On the coach's whistle players play out a 3v2 (always 3 attackers and 2 defenders). Defenders should look initially to defend the first 2 attackers.

General

Switch Drill Passing - Rugby D...

Drill to practice inside running lines (switches) in attack.Set up a 10m x 10m square (green cones) with two attackers (blue) on one side of the square, and one defender (red) on the other side of the square on the left hand side (see diagram).The attacker with the ball runs forward, then diagonally across the square towards the diagonally opposite cone, to get the defender to chase him.The second attacker also runs forward, then switches back across the square towards where the defender has come form.The ball carrier turns towards his outside and passes to the other attacker who is running a switch. They then score over the try-line marked by the green cones.If the defender holds for the switching player, the ball carrier should continue running and score over the try-line marked by the green cones.

General

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building SESSIONS
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Pre-season Contact Build-Up | ...

After a long off season period it's important to carefully ease your players back into contact - use this session to get your players tackling again in a safe and injury-free environment

Contact: Rucking technical session

Master the ?Smash? and the ?Roll? rucking technique so that when the pressure is on and a clear decision needs to be made, clearing the ruck becomes second nature to your players.

Introduction to Handling and Unit Plays

Set out the targets for the season and develop your players handling skills after an intense physical pre-season. Put the final touches to your game with this session.

Building player's confidence in contact

Build your player's confidence in contact with this session, as you work on their contact skills in a safe and competitive environment

Position Specific Speed Training

Get your team the fastest and most agile out there. As the season deepens, we all need to stay on top of our game; make sure every position is covered with this intense drill.

Rocking the Ruck

You've only got 5 seconds in the ruck to free the ball and win back possession for your team - Make those 5 seconds count!

Improving the length of pass

The ball travels faster than a running player, so stretch your opponents defence by developing your players' long pass.

Defensive Principal: Competing Jackal!

Develop some tactical awareness and get your players recognising the value of slowing down the game with a jackal.

Dominating the Ruck

Create sustained attacks by understanding how to dominate the ruck by developing an understanding of positioning and technique amongst your players.

Fun Tag Session! - Passing, Evasion and Running

Refresh your players' basics with this fun selection of core skill drills and mini-games
building ANSWERS
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Does anyone have drawings for a SCRUM MACHINE?

Does anyone have drawings for a SCRUM MACHINE. I've started a club in Chengdu,China. Too expensive to import. Thinking of getting one made. Need prints for a simple machine

Archived User Coach

how would you describe key factor analysis in one sentence?

how would you describe key factor analysis in one sentence thanks

peter frantz Coach, United States of America

we have a very old and antique scrum machine, does?

we have a very old and antique scrum machine, does anyone have a newer model for sale or the plans/drawing to have one made?

Archived User Coach

only a good 3 and 15

how do you make players play according to a game plan that is around your no3 and no15 as these are the only good players in the team. and what would be your game plan be.

Archived User Coach

Can I and should I coach basic tackle skills to U8s?

Does anyone have a definitive answer to this question%3A can I coach basic tackling skills to U8s now, in preparation for next season, without falling foul of any RFU rules or regulations? Hugo

Hugo Norton-Taylor Coach, England

attitude issues with several players

Hello, I have a real issue with certain players in my team, they are lazy, undisciplined, don't respect the coach or trainner. What should I do? how can I try to get them back on track?The problem is that we are a small club, our team is only 11 members and they feel they have their own position earned no matter if they train or not.Thanks!!

Archived User Coach

How can I create animations?

Steven Portplan Coach, England

U9 tackling games for confidence building

What first time u9 tackling games do other coaches use Asked using Sportplan Mobile App

Robin whitehouse Coach, England

good tackling drill that is not too hard or impact??

For school assignment, i am teaching 12-13 year old girls rugby and need tackling drills

Erin Chant Coach, Australia

Building team culture

How do you create positive team culture? There seems to be a divide amongst my U16 playersCheers, Francis

Francis Vaiotu Coach, Australia

hitt training with ball for u10

do you have a who can support me with a hitt training with ball for u10?

maurits schotte Coach, Netherlands

I need ideas for fun team buil...

I need ideas for fun team building activities and any fun games to help towards team building. Has anyone got any ideas on what to do? Anything to spice up rugby training sessions in the dark, cold winter nights.

Archived User Coach

Team building activities u12s ...

u12 boys team.. looking to do 90 min team building session in a hall.. large group of 30. kids and coaches.. any recommendations for activities and games that don't need buying equipment or investment.. that like promote cross friendships..bonding..Communications..fun

Sean bohan Coach, Scotland

plans for building a scrum mac...

looking for plans to have a welding shop build us a scrum machine, simply do not have the $6000-10000 these companies are asking for! cheers

Ian Salmon Coach, Canada

Building a scrum sled | Sportp...

I need to know the proper dimensions to build a scrum sled for our rugby club. Asked using Sportplan Mobile App

Shane strong Coach, United States of America

Under 9`s rugby, fear of tackl...

I coach under 9`s rugby and a lot of the kids have a bad fear of tackling, they lack the confidence to get stuck in. What is the best thing to help them overcome this?

Archived User Coach

My U11's are a mixed bunch whe...

My U11's are a mixed bunch when it comes to tackling. Some very good, most OK, some ...hmmmm... enough said. Been through all the drills and when we break things down, go back to basics, everything appears OK, but it doesn't always transfer into the game. Any ideas on small group games that will allow me to combine technique with confidence?

Archived User Coach

First time coaching the U13s n...

I have just started helping our head coach with under12's team. He wants to retire and has put me forward to be head coach next season. I am a little worried on how i should aproach training with the boys, going to a full 15 a side team on a full pitch. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Archived User Coach

Tackling progression plan to i...

I need to put together a progressive tackling session for an U16 girls 10-a-side team, who are tackling at an U14s boys level. They have done a tonne of basic technique but cant deliver the agression come game time. I need to help them building confidence and technique.Thanks, Coach from Australia.

Raphael Wood Coach, Australia

My fowards seem afraid to ruck...

My fowards seem afraid to ruck and stand around the ruck while in the way of the scrum half trying to get the ball out to the backs. They also don't support the ball carrier while he is being tackled. Please help me with any suggestions!!!

William Barrett Coach, United States of America
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Phase Building 2

running tackle bags

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Defense Into Tackle

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