Rugby: crum half pass

Rugby is a game of decisions. Every second, players choose: pass, carry, or kick? Blitz or drift? Jackal or get back in the line? The team that makes better decisions more consistently wins matches - not necessarily the team with more talent or better fitness.

Game management is the skill of making these decisions correctly under pressure, with fatigue setting in, with the crowd noise, with the stakes rising. It can be developed.

The Decision-Making Framework

Good decisions start with good information. Players need to see the game clearly before they can choose correctly.

The OODA loop in rugby:

  • Observe: What do I see? Defensive structure, space, support
  • Orient: What does this mean? Opportunity, threat, neutral
  • Decide: What's my best option? Pass, carry, kick, hold
  • Act: Execute with commitment

The faster and more accurately players cycle through this loop, the better their decisions. Training should develop each stage.

Developing Observation Skills

Many poor decisions come from poor observation. Players who don't see the full picture can't make informed choices.

Training observation:

  • Pre-scan: look before receiving the ball
  • Peripheral awareness: what's beside you, not just ahead
  • Key cues: what specifically to look for (defender's hips, space, numbers)

Drills for observation: Play games where the coach calls "freeze" and asks players to describe what they see. What options exist? Where's the space? Where's the threat?

Situational Awareness

Understanding the game situation frames decision-making. The right decision at 0-0 in the first minute differs from 3-0 down in the 79th minute.

Situation factors:

  • Score: leading, trailing, or level
  • Time: first half, second half, final minutes
  • Field position: own 22, midfield, attacking 22
  • Conditions: wind, rain, surface
  • Momentum: who's on top right now?

Players need to know the situation without thinking about it. Score, time, and field position should be automatic awareness.

Risk Management

Every rugby decision involves risk. The question is whether the potential reward justifies the risk in this specific situation.

High-risk decisions:

  • Running out of your own 22
  • Offloads under pressure
  • Speculative kicks without chase support
  • Committing extra players to the ruck

When high-risk is acceptable:

  • Trailing with time running out
  • Attacking in the opposition 22
  • Momentum strongly in your favour

When to play conservative:

  • Protecting a lead late in the game
  • Deep in your own half
  • Opposition on top and looking for turnovers

Pressure Moments

Certain moments in matches carry extra pressure. Decision-making under pressure deteriorates without specific training.

High-pressure scenarios:

  • Final play of the half or game
  • Penalty opportunity to win/draw the match
  • Defending a one-point lead in your 22
  • Restart after conceding a score

Training pressure: Create pressure in training through consequences, time limits, and competitive scenarios. Players who've experienced pressure in training cope better when it matters.

Communication in Decision-Making

Rugby decisions are rarely individual. Communication coordinates group decision-making and ensures everyone understands the plan.

Essential communications:

  • Ball carrier: "Carrying!" "Kicking!" "Looking left!"
  • Support: "With you!" "On your shoulder!"
  • Defence: "Up!" "Drift!" "Numbers!"
  • General: "Time!" "Space outside!" "Keep it!"

Leaders must take ownership of communication. The fly-half and captain should constantly talk, directing the team's decision-making.

Learning from Decisions

Post-match review should examine decisions as much as execution. Why did we make that choice? What did we see? What would we do differently?

Effective review questions:

  • "What was your thinking there?"
  • "What options did you see?"
  • "Given what you know now, what would you do?"
  • "What can we learn from this?"

Avoid blame. Focus on understanding and improvement. Players who fear judgment stop taking responsibility for decisions.

Developing Decision-Makers

Coaching approaches:

  • Guided discovery: ask questions rather than give answers
  • Constrained games: rules that force specific decisions
  • Decision overload: faster game speed to develop instinct
  • Post-play review: brief discussions about choices made

The goal is players who can read, decide, and act without waiting for coach instruction. Games move too fast for external direction - players must be autonomous decision-makers.

Key Coaching Points

  • Good decisions require good observation - train players to see
  • Situation awareness frames every choice
  • Risk must match the situation
  • Pressure can be trained - create it in practice
  • Communication coordinates group decisions

Drills to Develop Game Intelligence

VIEW ALL DECISION MAKING DRILLS

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crum half pass DRILLS
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Maul Touch

Be brief when telling the players the laws of this game, it's important to get them moving quickly. This is not a contact game, but there will be some light contact. Break your players into two teams, giving each team their own colour of bibs if necessary. One team goes to attack, and one to defence. Nominate a Scrum Half for each team, it will be their job to move the ball from the back of the maul and out to an attacking line. There is no kicking in this game. Normal laws of rugby apply e.g. a forward pass will result in the ball being turned over to the opposition. If an attacking player is touched: they must stop and turn, a maul is then built based on how you have trained your players to Maul. Only four players should be in the maul - but every player should be able to maul - including the backs! When you start playing this game make sure that the defence is employing your defensive pattern around the maul. They will commit 4 players, but will not do anything more than provide light resistance. Once formed the maul can take four steps before moving the ball. If there is a delay in creating the maul, or the quality of the maul is poor - the ball can be turned over. Depending on your goals decide on the number of touches you wish to allow e.g. unlimited is not a bad option as mistakes will be made! If a team has been in possession for a long time, don't forget to turn the ball over to give the opposition a run. Don't hesitate to shape the game to focus on your session goals, and let us and other coaches know what worked for you.

Warm Up

Scoring Zones

Be brief when telling the players the laws of this game, it's important to get them moving quickly. This is not a contact game. Break your players into two teams, giving each team their own colour of bibs if necessary. One team goes to attack, and one to defense. Nominate a Scrum Half for each team. There is no kicking in this game. Normal laws of rugby apply e.g. a forward pass will result in the ball being turned over to the opposition. If an attacking player is touched: they must go to ground, present the ball, two of their teammates ruck over (staying over the ball), and the Scrum Half moves the ball for the next phase of attack.The defence must commit three players to every ruck, or risk an infringement which will see tem pushed back ten meters. The ball must be moved from the ruck within 5 seconds. Make sure that the defense is employing your defensive pattern around the ruck.  Throughout the game the coach call the point of attack e,g, attack RED ZONE or Zone 2. The coach can also call the scoring zone, Score At Zone Yellow or Zone 3. As the game progresses have the players call the point of attack, and the scoring zones - but they must do this early and they must committ to that attack for a period of time. Have attacking players do what they normally would at the ruck. Depending on your goals decide on the number of touches you wish to allow e.g. unlimited is not a bad option as mistakes will be made! On a mistake or after a period of time, turn the ball over so that both teams get time in attack and defence. Don't hesitate to shape the game to focus on your session goals, and let us and other coaches know what worked for you!

Warm Up

Attack Vs Defence Continuous D...

<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>Set a cone 2 meters from the defensive line. This will mark where the ball will passed from (feed) preferably from a scrum half.<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>Set a cone 0.5 meters each side from the mid point of the passing cone to simulate the sides of the ruck.<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>Set a cone a cone 5 meters from the ruck on the defensive line. 4 players start as attackers3 defenders start on their stomaches on the other side of the defensive cone (ruck) and 1 player on the defensive cone 5 metres from the ruck<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>The player on the 5 meter cone (defence) starts the drill by shouting ‘FOLD’ (or whatever call your team may use).<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>Defenders on their stomachs get up and fold around the ruck to take up a defence position. Players fold wide first, and ensure that 2 players are close to the ruck (Guard and Body Guard). <span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>The player on the defensive cone bounces out (takes space in the defence line), the first player who folds takes up a position on the 5 meter defence cone (or inside the first attacking player)<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>Once the defence line is set the scrum half can pass the ball.<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>The attackers work to beat the defence, setting up a 'tip' (running a hard line) and 'pull back' option. They should read the defensive movements and make a decision to hit the tip option or pull out the back<br><br>

General

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crum half pass ANSWERS
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At u11 level can the scrum hal...

I think a pass has to be made from the back of a maul or ruck but I am not clear about the rules at the scrum .

Mike Hancox Coach, England

Scrum half approach to the ruc...

I'm a new player trying to learn to play Scrum half. I have a general idea of how the game works having played back positions a few times. However, I'm confused about one thing (and this might be dumb but bear with me). The thing is, I'm pretty quick. I can usually make it to a ruck before the forwards have fully formed it. When this happens I don't really have a good sense of where to stand in order ot have good access to the ball but also avoid blocking other forwards coming in to ruck.  Usually I've already surveyed the field (to my newbie abilities anyway) and made a decision as to what I want to do with the ball, yelled the call on my way to the ruck, etc, so that puts me in a mindset that I REALLY want to be close to the ball so I can make it happen.  Should I just keep my distance instead until the ruck is fully formed? Where specifically should I be standing and how quickly should I get there? Thanks!

Archived User Coach

Scrum half kicking in U13s rug...

are scrum halves allowed to kick from the scrum in U13s rugby, or do they have to pass/run?

John Stackelberg Coach, England

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

Please can someone explain the...

Please can someone explain the benefits of a Drift defense and why or what situation you would use it.

Archived User Coach

Openside flanker position afte...

My coach has put me at openside flanker and I'm confused of where i should be after the scrum. Should I be attacking the opposing scrum half or just trailing behind the backs waiting to clean up/ form a ruck? It would be great to know what I'm doing !

Archived User Coach

Refereeeing an U10 ruck | Spor...

As well as coaching U10 rugby, I also get to referee U10 games, under the New Rules Of Play. I feel that my refereeing of the ruck isn't as good as it could/should be. Has anyone got an easy to follow system to help them referee U10 rucks ?

Archived User Coach

Likely outcome of scrum fed fr...

What would be the likely outcome of a scrum fed from the thrower's tighthead side? Who would more likely win possession and what quality of possession could be expected? What if the law was that most scrums were required to be fed from the thrower's tighthead with the non offender determining who was to feed? The remainder, such as penalty scrums, would stay as is. Could this encourage a more constructive approach to scrummaging?

Archived User Coach

How many tacklers are allowed ...

At under 10s I was under the impression that it is 1v1 tackling. Can someone clarify the laws on this please?

Aaron Lee Newson Coach, Wales

U10s organisation in defence. ...

I have started an under 10s team up, and I would say about 8 from the 13 children I have , did not play rugby until about 6 months ago. Of these players, there seems to be a lot of potential, as we are scoring tries against teams, that very rarely concede tries.the problem I got with them, is that we are very poor at organising our selves in defense when the opposition has the ball, which does result in us conceding quite a few tries. We have some very good tacklers in the team. Can anyone offer some ideas on how I can get them to organise themselves? Thanks . Chris.

christopher jenkins Coach, Wales

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