Contact Help center
Rugby Rugby
HOME Rugby Coaching Trends SEARCH

Rugby: faster passing

faster passing DRILLS
View All

Quick Hands Passing - Rugby Dr...

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.

General

Rugby: Quick Passing To Space ...

Give each training area one ball and tell the players the following...... One of the attacking lines takes the ball. They simply attack, moving the ball through the hands - lateral passing only. The defenders (there will be three), mark the first three attacks, they leave the forth free. Defenders can move up and down, left and right, but must leave channel 4 open. Defender start 10 meters back. The ball must go through all four attacking hands. Don't forget to switch the attackers and defenders.

General

Pressure Cooker Passing - Rugb...

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.

General

Fast And Pressured Sevens - Ru...

Tell your players the following...... There will be one runner. 1 player, static, on each cone. 4 players on the cones in total. There will also be two players in defence, they will have a tackle/ruck pad each. The defenders will be 3 meters in from the start of the grid, the second defender 7 meters behind the first. The defenders can move left and right, but not backward and forward. There will be a ball on the first left cone, and on the second right cone. The player at the first cone with the ball will pass the ball to the runner, who avoids the defender and passes the ball to the reciever on the opposite first cone. The runner then catches the second ball, passed by the player on the second cones. The runner passes the ball to the opposite reciever, avoid contact with the defender. The runner then turns and does the same again - the defender steps back a bit. Don't forget to change the defenders, proving all players will the chance to attack.

General

Pass Invaders Passing - Rugby ...

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. <em>Progressions:</em> 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.<br />

General

Quick Hands Race Sevens - Rugb...

Tell your players the following...... The two bottom players will be the feeders, they will be positioned by the cones with the balls. It's a race, team against team. The idea is to take the ball from the feeder and pass it down the line, with the last player setting the ball on the ground. The ball must travel through each players hands. The winning team is the team that can get all their balls down the line the fastest. Any dropped balls must be returned to the start of the line, to the feeder who will pass them out again. You can keep the race going by having the last reciever feed the balls back. So all the balls must travel up and back down the line.

General

Wave After Wave Passing - Rugb...

Keep your player briefing, brief! Tell the players the following or have a demonstration group..... We have 1 scrum half, 4 runners and 3 defenders with tackle/ruck shields. The scrum half starts the attacking line by passing a ball from the ground at the first cone, to the first receiver in the attacking line. The defenders start 10 meters back and press up on the first 3 attackers, leaving the 4th attacker free. The attackers use quick hands to move the ball down the line, before the next cone. The last receiver sets the ball down, the attack line will have realigned, and the scrum half will now be on the second cone of the opposite side of the grid ready to restart the attack. The defenders rush 10 meters back and and once again press up on the first 3 attackers, leaving the 4th attacker free. They keep going until the end of the grid, turn around - and do the same working down the grid. Don't forget to change the defenders.

General

Rugby: Simple Passing Exercise...

Tell your players the follow..... The first two players at each coach will advance, attacking the cone to their left, in the middle of the training area. The players should split as they run, increasing the distance between them. When they get as far as the middle cone, they should then pass. The reciever then passes to the first reciever on the cone they are approaching.

General

L With Defenders Passing - Rug...

Keep your player briefing, brief! It's important to get your players working as quickly as possible. 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 be with any of most players. Tell players to move forward, passing the ball down the line - they do not need to wait on any call by you. When the ball gets to the last receiver, that player will pass it to the first receiver in the next line - they should advance without delay. Allow the players to moving the ball along the lines. After you feel the players are comfortable, tell them that they can be as creative as they like with respect to passing e.g. miss passes, switches etc. Introduce one defender, let the defender drift - but they must start from around 10 meters back. When you are happy with one defender, add two, and finally three defenders. Keep the same defenders in place for a about 10 attacks, then rotate. Allow the players to discover, though questioning, the best possible way to respond to what they see in terms of moving the ball. Players should change positions in the line after each run. Don't forget to change out the defenders.

General

Rugby: Passing to Support - Sp...

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.

General

Split with Trailer Passing - R...

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.

General

Quick Hands Targets Sevens - R...

Tell your players the following. They just need to pace the ball down the line, each player will get the ball. A colour will be called, which is the target. The ball must be down the line before they hit that target. They move come onto the ball at pace, and hands will need to be quick when the target is close. That's it, play.

General

Passing circle Passing - Rugby...

Tell your players the following..... There will be 4 players on the outside of the circle, starting at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock positions. There will be one player in the middle. The players on the outside of the circle jog around the circle. The player in the middle will have a ball, and will pass the ball to one of the runners - for them to run onto it. The new ball carrier will pass the ball back to the static player in the middle of the circle. And the same happens again, but the passer cannot bass to the same player twice. Players will have to respond to the calls: SLOW JOG, FAST JOG, FASTER, CHANGE DIRECTION, TOUCH THE GROUD WITH YOUR RIGHT HAND, TOUCH THE GROUND WITH YOUR LEFT HAND, etc. Don't forget to change the static player.

General

Rugby: Right Angled Passing Dr...

Drill to practice passing.Set up a right angle (L-shape) with lines of 4 players on each side (see diagram)The ball starts at one of the outer ends and the players pass it down the line, when it reaches the end of the line the fourth player passes the ball off to the first player in the next line (see diagram).They then pass the ball down the line and pass it off to the first player in the next line, and the drill repeats.After completing their pass players should run through and join the back of the next line.

General

Passing compass Warm Up - Rugb...

Have a quick demo using one group - keep your player briefing, brief. Each pair face one another and stand side by side, about 1 meter apart - shoulder to shoulder. And about 2 meters apart - face to face. Players should be up on the balls of their feet, jogging on the spot. They should continually pass to each other, passing with the player in front of them. When the coach calls out a direction the players should move as a unit maintaining the distances to each other while passing until the new direction is called. You could call NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, or WEST. You could also have each side of your grid marked with different coloured cones and your players could move according to colours. Movement should be controlled and not too fast. Expand the size of the training area for greater speed of movement over distance.

General

Loop (L1,L2,L3) Passing - Rugb...

Keep your player briefing, brief! It's important to get your players working as quickly as possible. 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 lines, don't mention the Miss Pass. After you feel the players are comfortable, tell them...... Any player can now call an L1,L2,L3,L4 - depending on their position in the attacking line. This means that they can pass and loop round the back of the rest of the attack to collect the ball and continue the attack. An example of this would be: L2, player passes, loops around two other players, and collects the ball in attack. Allow the players to discover, though questioning, the best possible way of executing and calling the (L) move. Players should change position in the line after each run.

General

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

Passing Central Passing - Rugb...

Keep your player briefing, brief - and get the players moving as quickly as you can. You may consider having a demo group. On your go: The player acting as the Scrum Half passes a ball to the grid on his right and then another ball to the grid on his left, both passes will be from the ground. Upon receiving the pass - each grid begins their 2 v 1 attack and the player with the tackle pad presses up in defence. When the player acting as the scrum half has completed their two passes, they join the attackers on either the left or right grid. The first receiver of each attack becomes a Scrum Half - or simply returns to the start of the grid to join a new attack as the first receiver. Players rotate positions e.g. Scrum Half, First Receiver, Second Receiver. Defenders can move forward and back, and side to side. Change the defenders often to give them a chance in attack.

General

Serious Fun Passing - Rugby Dr...

Tell your players the following, keeping your player briefing, brief! It's vital to get the players moving as quickly as possible. Each of the three cones should have one player. The player in the middle will have a ball, and one of the two other players will have a ball. The player in the middle has to throw their ball up in the air (vertical), catch the ball being passed from the other ball carrier, and then forward the passed ball onto the other player in the group, before catching the ball that they just threw up into the air. Once that is done, they do the same again - this time the lateral pass will come from the opposite direction. This is repeated, the tempo increasing as the players get more comfortable handling the two balls they must keep in play. Change the position of each player in the group; there can be a competition between the players to find out who can do the most without dropping any of the balls, or giving a poor quality pass. Have fun with this, but don't forget that there are great lessons to be learned here, many of which are noted in the coaching points.

General

More Loop Passing - Rugby Dril...

Tell your players the following...... The ball carrier (A) runs straight in a line and makes a normal lateral pass to the supporting player (B) After passing the ball A runs towards and behind B After B catches the pass they angle their run towards the direction the pass has come from and so create space A runs around B and straightens as they receive the pass In effect you want the players to loop around the new ball carrier after they make their pass.

General

Chasing The Pass Passing - Rug...

Keep your player briefing short, and get the ball moving around the circle as quickly as possible. First have the players move the ball - clockwise around the circle, passing off their right hand. Then switch it, and have the ball move anti-clockwise around the circle, with the players passing off their left hand. Once the players have gotten into a rhythm of passing the ball, tell the players the following. The player holding the ball will become a runner, their job is to pass the ball and then to set-off in the direction the ball will be traveling, trying to get to their starting position before the ball does. They win if they make it back before the ball. The players win if they can get the ball back before the runner. The passers cannot miss-pass, the ball must travel through every set of hands. Each player in the group should have the chance to become a runner. Change the direction of the runner and the ball half way through. You might decide that the runner has to do a press-up or two, if they don't make it back ahead of the ball. And you may also decide that all the other players need to do the same if they do not get the ball back before the runner. You can further develop this game by making the circle bigger. This will push the runner and will increase the length of the pass required between each player. Just ask all of the players to take one or two steps back.

General

Dizzy Passing - Rugby Drills, ...

There will be one ball carrier at any one time. They will run around the circle, passing the ball. The ball must be handled by all players, so players work to identify themselves as needing the ball. 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.

General

React, run and defend Decision...

Defenders and attackers line up outside the coned area in lines of five. The coach will call out two numbers, the first refers to how many attackers should enter the area and the second refers to the defenders. So 2-1 would see two attackers reacting and running around the cones and lining up against one defender. The coach can call any variation from 1-1 to 5-5.

General

Periperal Vision Passing - Rug...

X throws ball up and A must the pass the 2nd ball to X, who catches passes to B. X then catches the original ball and throws it up again, while B passes the 2nd ball back to X who passes it on to A who then catches original ball again.

General

The Next Pass Passing - Rugby ...

Keep your player briefing, brief! Tell the players the following or have a demonstration group..... We have 8 static passers and one runner. There should be a static passer on each cone, eight in total. The 9th 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 the first static passer with a ball, passing that ball to the player opposite to the passer. The attacker moves forward and does the same at the next set of cones, then the next, and then the next. When they get to the end of the grid, completing all 4 passes - they turn and start again. They keep going until told to switch with another player. Don't forget to change the runner.

General

Off-Loading Pass Passing - Rug...

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.

General

Unfortunately there were no results for your search! Please try again
faster passing ANSWERS
View All

RFU - proposed Mini's rule changes

RFU - proposed Mini's rule changes%3A All - just a quick straw poll%3A Have any CLUBS that you are aware of officially come out in SUPPORT of these changes? If not, have they come out officially rejecting the proposed changes, or are they adopting a "wait and see" attitude? Regards Stephe

Archived User Coach

Getting 9-10 year olds to spre...

Getting quite frustrated that my u10's are not using the space on the pitch and tend to bunch up. Despite various drills and game scenarios to force them to spread out and pass to someone in space they revert in any game to bunching up around the ball and taking it back into the thick of the opposition rather than looking left or right! Any ideas how to change their ways?

Ian G Coach, England

working on passing backwards w...

any ideas of drills that can be used for primary and secondary pupils for passing backwards? currently having an issue with them staying onside and keeping behind the ball carrier

Alex Seager Coach, England

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

JOIN SPORTPLAN FOR FREE

  • search our library of 1100+ rugby drills
  • create your own professional coaching plans
  • or access our tried and tested plans
STAY CONNECTED

in more ways than one

sportplan_rugby
LATEST COACHING TRENDS
Offloading in Contact: Creating Second-Phase Opportunities

Offloading in Contact: Creating Second-Phase Opportunities

The offload is one of rugby's most devastating weapons when executed well, turning a defensive collision into a second-phase attacking opportunity. This article breaks down the technique, timing, and training progressions coaches need to develop confident offloaders at every level.

April 2026
|
Sportplan Coaching
Defensive Line Speed: How to Shut Down Space Before the Attack Begins

Defensive Line Speed: How to Shut Down Space Before the Attack Begins

Defensive line speed is the single most important factor in shutting down attacking opportunities before they develop. This guide explores how to coach your defensive line to push up as a connected unit, communicate under pressure, and deny the opposition time and space.

April 2026
|
Sportplan Coaching
Pick and Go: Why Low-Volatility Rugby Is Dominating the 2026 Six Nations

Pick and Go: Why Low-Volatility Rugby Is Dominating the 2026 Six Nations

The teams winning in 2026 aren't taking risks - they're grinding out territory with relentless pick-and-go phases. Here's how to coach it.

March 2026
|
Sportplan Coaching
VIEW ALL COACHING TRENDS
Rugby POPULAR SEARCH TERMS
fitness7ruckruckingunder 8tagmaultouch rugbysevensjunior backline drillswarm uptacklelines of runningdefencelineouttouchtacklingtag rugbypassingscrum

What our users have been saying...

Coaches from around the world look to Sportplan for coaching confidence.

Sportplan rugby has played a large role in my team's love for the game!

Heather Weston Rugby Coach, United States

I am so pleased with all of the drills and advice on rugby. I am a player for my local club and we don't have a coach at the moment so I, as a senior player, am filling that gap. With your help, the team has been able to improve our skills.

Mokie Tau Rugby Coach, Papua New Guinea

Your tips and session ideas have really brought some interest back to our rugby training. The players and I now really enjoy our training sessions.

Eifion Highes Rugby Coach, United Kingdom

Wow what a great website, I have found sportplan an important tool for me when planning my netball sessions with my netball team. There are alot of very helpful tips/ideas/skills that I can learn and teach to my team. Thank you sportplan I hope to continue to use your helpful tips and to learn more about improving my teams netball skills. Thanks again....keep it up....

Monique New Zealand

I have been using Sportplan now for 3 years and can honestly say that I have never repeated the same session twice. My girls are always focused and are improving every year. Thanks Sportplan.

Debbie Cross Australia

What a fantastic tool. The Chalkboard and session tools make an unbelievable difference in making training plans in both time and organization. I will be instructing all of my assistant coaches that this tool must be used for all sessions during the season, so that we may build a club coaching resource library.

Wes Campbell Rugby Coach Canada

I can't get enough of the Sportplan, It has given me back the enthusiasm i was starting to lose. My girls are so keen and are ready at 14 to take the next up in their game. Sportplan will help no end.

Cornel Basketball Coach, South Africa

SIGN UP NOW FOR FREE

  • search our library of 1100+ rugby drills
  • create professional rugby coaching plans
  • or access our tried and tested rugby plans

Sportplan App

Give it a try - it's better in the app

SPORTPLAN USES COOKIES

Sportspeople like cookies too! By continuing to browse, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. More info

Privacy Policy
We are committed to privacy and support current industry initiatives to preserve individual privacy rights on the Internet. Protecting your privacy on-line is an evolving area and this website will constantly evolve to meet these demands.


Cookies
Some of our web pages utilise "cookies". A "cookie" is a small text file that may be used, forexample, to collect information about web site activity. Some cookies and other technologies may serve to recallPersonal Information previously indicated by a web user. Most browsers allow you to control cookies, includingwhether or not to accept them and how to remove them.

Some cookies are necessary for the operation of our website, if you choose to block them some aspects of the site may not work for you. Non necessary cookies are only set when you have given your explicit consent to their use. Such cookies included those set by our statistics package Google Analytics.

We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.

More info
Rugby POPULAR SEARCH TERMS
3 v 2 7 counter rucking defence defense fitness football forward drills junior  backline drills lesson plans line out lineout lineout drills lines of running maul passing ruck rucking rugby scrum scrum machine search sevens tackle tackling tag tag rugby touch under 8 warm up
YOUR SESSION IS STARTING SOON... Join the growing community of rugby coaches plus 1100+ drills and pro tools to make coaching easy.
LET'S DO IT