Rugby: defensive shape

5 attackers - 10 defenders (or 2 to 1 ratio dependent on numbers) Start slowly with ruck ball Defenders cannot steal ball Attackers recycle ball Defenders realign Coach calls tackle made Coach controls speed of ball available

5 attackers - 10 defenders (or 2 to 1 ratio dependent on numbers) Start slowly with ruck ball Defenders cannot steal ball Attackers recycle ball Defenders realign Coach calls tackle made Coach controls speed of ball available

Drill to practice team shapes or backs moves against a defence with less numbers than the attack.Set up a "ruck" with a scrum half/feeder, 3 defenders on the back foot of the "ruck" and 4 attackers opposite them. The attackers attack the defence, then turn round and attack back the way they have just come. Progressions: Change the set up of the attack, for example a blindside winger or full back in behindChange the number of attack/defenceChange the defensive system (e.g. hammer, blitz, ice, up and out, umbrella)

Lets get the ball and the players moving with lateral passing through the hands. Each training area only needs one ball, and that ball should start with the any of the two players at the very ends of the L. Tell players to move forward, passing the ball down the line. When the ball gets to the last receiver, that player will pass it to the first receiver in the next line that is waiting to go. They should advance right away. Allow the players to simply move the ball down the line.

Set up 4 grids of about 8-10m by 5m. 3 players start on the first grid, working from one end to the other, covering the 5m distance. The aim is to stay in one straight line as they go up, and also keep themselves evenly spaced Once they have achieved that, they fall back into the next grid diagonally across and back. Now there should be 6 players on the line, and they all work together to come off the line, as one. Players continue working like this, until they reach the end of the grid. Once the coach blows his whistle the line may press off.

<div class=&quot;&quot;&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&quot;&quot;>Be brief when telling the players the laws of this game, it's important to get them moving quickly. </div> <li class=&quot;&quot;&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&quot;&quot;>This is not a contact game. <li class=&quot;&quot;&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&quot;&quot;>Break your players into two teams, giving each team their own colour of bibs if necessary. <li class=&quot;&quot;&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&quot;&quot;>One team goes to attack, and one to defence. <li class=&quot;&quot;&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&quot;&quot;>Nominate a Scrum Half for each team. <li class=&quot;&quot;&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&quot;&quot;>There is no kicking in this game. <li class=&quot;&quot;&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&quot;&quot;>Normal laws of rugby apply e.g. a forward pass will result in the ball being turned over to the opposition. <li class=&quot;&quot;&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&quot;&quot;>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. <li class=&quot;&quot;&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&quot;&quot;>When you start playing this game make sure that the defence is employing your defensive pattern around the ruck. As the game develops consider telling the defenders that they must have one or more players at the back of the ruck, if they are not fast enough to do this - push them back 10 meters. <li class=&quot;&quot;&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&quot;&quot;>It’s important that defenders are employing their defensive pattern behind the primary defensive line. <li class=&quot;&quot;&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&quot;&quot;>Have attacking players do what they normally would at the ruck. <li class=&quot;&quot;&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&quot;&quot;>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! <li class=&quot;&quot;&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&quot;&quot;>When you feel the time is appropriate, usually during a ruck, blow you whistle and should FLIP IT – kicking in or throwing in a second ball to the back 3/2 defenders on the team currently in defence OR just kick it behind the defenders. The defensive team goes, without hesitation, into attack. The team that was attacking goes into defence and you or an assistant coach remove the other ball from play when you can. Ideally you might have two balls with different markings. <li class=&quot;&quot;&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&quot;&quot;>Don't hesitate to shape the game to focus on your session goals, and let us and other coaches know what worked for you!

This is a simple 3 v 2. The three attackers have to get past the two defenders without being touched, that's it. The defenders will start 10 meters back, and can move anywhere inside the box. The attack must remain inside the box and all pass msut be legal. Don't forget to change the defenders.

The aim of the drill is to develop players understanding of support lines Players work in groups of 4 in attackSet up 5 defenders with pads, in a 2-2-1 formationAttackers focus on beating the defence by drawing the opposition or breaking through the pad and offloading to supporting players

The basic scrummage shape, with the player on their knees. Poor position: arched back and chin on chest. Good position: back 'hollowed' with chin off chest.

Drill to practice fast, accurate passing.Set up a T shape with 3 cones roughly 5m away from the central cone (see diagram)One player stands on each cone, the player in the middle of the T is the player who works (yellow).The players on the outside (blue) take it in turns to pass to the working player (yellow), who must catch the ball and pass it to the free player on the edge (see video.PROGRESSIONS:Start slowly and increase the pace at which the players pass to the working player, giving them less time to catch and pass the ballIncrease the distance that the working player must pass the ball.

10 is the ball carrier, advancing forward, before cutting in as shown in the diagram. Both 12 and 13 advance, then change direction as shown in the diagram. 12 and 13 switch. 10 provides a pass to 13, who either hits the opposition defensive line at an angle before straightening up. Think about what will happen next. Could 10 follow the pass and take an off-load on an inside ball, if 13 gets past the gain line could 15 and 14 off wide support? Make this move your own!

This drill coaches players the lines they should run when receiving the ball in order to maximise the chance of them breaking the gain line.<li dir=&quot;ltr&quot;>Use a tackle bag to simulate where the ruck and offside line would be.<li dir=&quot;ltr&quot;>The players line up as if they were going to come &quot;around the corner&quot; to receive the ball.<li dir=&quot;ltr&quot;>Players should run an L shaped running line to get across the first defender and then footwork to get through the second defender.Progression (0.49) - Add an extra pass to the drill<li dir=&quot;ltr&quot;>For the first receiver the drill is exactly the same in terms of the running line.<li dir=&quot;ltr&quot;>Then there is a second player on his outside shoulder who uses the same running line to beat the second defender.<li dir=&quot;ltr&quot;>The first receiver has a choice (1.19) - whether to go through the gain line and pass or pass before he gets to the gainline.What is the gain line?The gain line is an imaginary line in rugby parallel to the halfway line that is the back foot of the breakdown or the defences offsideline.

The following are the laws for this game: Equal number of defenders and attackers. Use bibs to identify both teams. Normal laws of rugby apply; a knock on etc. results in a turn over. The attacking team gets 8 touches before the ball has to be turned over. Change this to suit your training goals. It would be ok to have unlimited touches, changing the defence and attack after a set period of time. A player is touched only when two defenders have all four hands on them, if this is not the case - the attacker can play on. Defenders cannot hold the attacker, nor can the attacker use significant force to push through defenders. If a player is touched: they stop, set the ball down, stand over it, and the scrum half is allowed to move the ball again to restart the attack. The defence must remain onside following a touch. Only when the support player passes the ball out can the defence press up on the attack. If the defence goes offside or operates illegally, the attack gains 10 meters. Don't forget to switch the teams around. There is no kicking.

This is an exercise for continuity and support for attacking play Lay out a rectangular playing area, with four attackers and minimum three defenders The attackers begin in a diamond formation, with the ball carrier at the front The defenders are then stacked in rows, one defender per row, spread out diagonally The ball carrier is tackled by the first man, and offloads to one of the two supporting attackers The receiver of the pass runs and is tackled by the next defender and they offload to one of two supporting attackers As one of the four attackers will be on the floor from a tackle, the next phase will include three attackers, who should be in an arrow formation

The following are the laws for this game: Normal laws of rugby apply; a knock on etc. results in a turn over. The attacking team gets 8 touches before the ball has to be turned over. Change this to suit your training goals. It would be ok to have unlimited touches, changing the defence and attack after a set period of time. A player is touched only when the defender has made a two handed touch, you can change this to one hand if you wish. Defenders cannot hold the attacker, nor can the attacker use significant force to push through defenders. Defenders who make a touch run to the furthest in goal area and back before being back to re-join the defensive line. You will find that several defenders will be making their way forward and back at any given time. If an attacking player is touched while in posession of the ball: they stop, set the ball down, stand over it, and the scrum half is allowed to move the ball again to restart the attack. The defence must remain onside following a touch. Only when the support player passes the ball out can the defence press up on the attack. If the defence goes offside or operates illegally, the attack gains 10 meters. Don't forget to switch the teams around. Tries only, no conversions - keep the game tempo high. There is no kicking.

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. When you start playing this game make sure that the defense is employing your defensive pattern around the ruck. As the game develops consider telling the defenders that they must have one or more players at the back of the ruck, if they are not fast enough to do this - push them back 10 meters. 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! Don't hesitate to shape the game to focus on your session goals, and let us and other coaches know what worked for you!

Split your players into two teams, giving one group of players a set of coloured bibs to set them apart, and quickly tell your players the following laws: Keep the law briefing, brief! Normal laws of rugby apply - in the case of a knock on etc. the ball will be turned over to the opposition. When the ball carrier is touched, they must go to ground. The defender steps back and does not compete for the ball. The defender that made the touch - cannot make the next touch! The ball carrier on the groud must pop the ball to a supporting player, the pop pass should be quick - any delay can result in a turn over. Judge the speed at which the player has went to ground, how quickly the support has gotten there and how quickly the pass was made. Depending on the age and skill level of your player - make a decision on weather you allow the attack to continue or if the ball is lost and turned over. The player receiving the pop has two options - they can take the pop at speed driving past the defender who made the original touch (remember they cannot make a second touch right away). Or - they can stop and pass the ball away from contact. If the supporting player stops to take the pop - the defence must allow that support player to make a pass away from the point of contact. The support player cannot run on. The ball cannot be kicked.

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!

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.

Keep your player briefing; brief, and get them working as soon as possible.I can't stress this enough, it's not a debating society - players want to play. Split your players into two teams, giving each team their own set of bibs - if necessary. One team will be in attack, the other in defence. Tell the players we are going to play one touch off-load, the normal laws of rugby apply. Any forward passes etc. will result in the ball being turned over. When a player is touched, they must pass right away without delay. A delay will result in the ball being turned over. Use your own judgement here, taking into account the age and skill level of the players. Alternative: You might decide that one team will play 5 minutes in attack no matter what - and 5 minutes in defence. They have unlimited touches, you can change this depending on your training goals. Let them play - don't tell them what it's all about. Let them discover, remember this is the warm-up! Don't hesitate to change any of the above to suit your training goals/targets.

tackle sausage Place 2 sausages perpendicular from eachother in a T shape. Have one player line up a couple meters away from the bag. Conditioning drill, the player does reps of clearing the bag, running back to the line, doing a down up and going again.

Lets get the ball and the players moving with lateral passing through the hands. Each training area only needs one ball, and that ball should start with the any of the two players at the very ends of the L. Tell players to move forward, passing the ball down the line. When the ball gets to the last receiver, that player will pass it to the first receiver in the next line that is waiting to go. They should advance right away. Allow the players to simply move the ball down the line.