Rugby: kicking games

The aim of the drill is to develop reactive short kicking game.

Two teams of 2. 1 team attacking and the other team defenders. Attacking team starts with a ball. Aim of the game is for the attacking team to reach the opposite try line by either using a chip or grubber kick to penetrate the defensive line. The aim of the defence is to advance in a tight defensive line and prevent the attacking team from scoring.

Two team of 4.40m x 20m area.The aim of the game is to kick / punt the ball into the oppositions half. If the ball bounces on the ground or is knocked on (from a grubber-kick) then you get 1 point. If the ball is caught cleanly then no points are scored.

4 teams of 2 players, with 2 teams at each end. One player from the 1st team starts with the ball. The player with the ball runs forward and grubber kicks the ball on for their team mate to come from an on side position and recovers the ball, taking it at pace. The player then runs on and hands the ball off the player in the next group. The next group repeats the drill.

Split the group into three teams. One team starts in the middle of the grid along the line. The idea of the game is to kick the ball over the middle team and try to land the ball in the oppositions area. If the ball is caught then no points are scored, if the ball bounces in the oppositions area then 1 point is scored. If one of the players in the middle catches the ball (they gain 1 point) then they swap positions with the team that kicked the ball.

Game to practice controlling the ball.Set up two goals (roughly 2m wide) opposite each other about 5m away (red cones - see digram).Each player has to defend their goal while the other player tries to score by grubber kicking the ball through the goal. The player in goal tries to gather the ball, and then kick it back to try and score.PROGRESSIONS:Pass the ball instead of grubber kicking it. Make the passes low and difficult to catchMake the goals wider so there is more space to defendThe player in goal should face away from the player with the ball, when the player with the ball shouts the goal-keeper must turn around and try to defend their goal.

Fun game to practice passing/kicking accuracy.Set up a grid with lots of different objects (tackle bags, hit shields, tyres, cones etc) inside.Have four players on one side with a ball each (blue) and four players on the other side (red).The blue players are aiming to pass or kick their ball onto one of the objects in the square, the red players are there to retrieve the balls and return them to the blue players.Each team gets three attempts per player before swapping roles.The team which collects the most items from the grid are the winners.Progression - Large/medium items require more hits than others before they are removed (e.g. tackle bags need 3 hits, hit shields need 2 hits)Vary the size of the gridEach player only gets one attempt before the teams swap

Kicking from hands requires the player to kick the ball before it bounces, unlike a drop kick. 1 ball, cones to give areas for scoring games etc.

Two teams of 2. 1 team attacking and the other team defenders. Attacking team starts with a ball. Aim of the game is for the attacking team to reach the opposite try line by either using a chip or grubber kick to penetrate the defensive line. The aim of the defence is to advance in a tight defensive line and prevent the attacking team from scoring.

Drill to warm up/practice different types of kick.Players form two lines in the 15m channels with all the balls starting on one side.The player with the ball at the front of the line runs out and does a cross-field punt to a partner on the opposite side of the pitch - kick labelled 1.The partner catches the ball, and does a chip kick which they chase and gather themselves - kick labelled 2. Once they have gathered their chip kick they perform a grubber kick to their partner who has continued their run. Aiming to kick the ball between the posts for their partner to gather and score - kick labelled 3.Players jog back to join the back of the opposite line.Once the first pair have performed the chip kick, the next pair in line can go.

Players dropkick the ball, aiming to land the ball inside the area and then follow their kick. They then pick up the ball, run around the cone and rejoin the back of the line.Ball held, with hands evenly on each sideLocate the target; then, eyes on the ballBall held over knee of kicking leg at approx 45 degrees to groundStep on to non-kicking foot; guide ball to ground; kick ball at the instant it touches the ground.Follow through with kicking leg.

Two teams with one team in the middle.Each player has to kick the ball over the the middle team for a member of the other team to catch. The catcher then gives a pop pass for the next member of the team to kick over.If one of the middle team intercepts the ball they swap over with the team that kicked the ball.

Players start with the ball, a few steps back from the crossbar.They must attempt to get the lift from the tight angle and flight the ball over the crossbar.After each success they can move a meter closer to the crossbar and repeat.On each occasion the ball is to land within the target zone as specified by the coach.Start the target zone quite large and then reduce it in size as the kicker grows more confident.

Can be practiced with all players but specifically for the kickers of the team for start off kicking and tactical point scoring. 1 ball, cones to set up target zones etc.

• The aim of the drill is to develop kickers through the gate and keeping square onto the kick.

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: We will be playing a rugby league style touch. When touched: set the ball down, stand over the ball, allow the scum-half to move the ball away from the point of contact. The defenders should stay on side following a touch, and should not compete for the ball. Any infringements in defence should result in the defending team conceding 10 Meters or possibly giving 1 or more extra touches to the attacking team. I'll leave this to your judgement depending on your team's age, skill level, and your session target/s. The attacking team can sustain three touches before they have to kick. Their kick should be as it would be in the game: a kick to touch, a kick for territory, or a kick that can be regained e.g. a grubber kick. The defenders should behave as they would in a real game. Quick put in's from the touchlines replace lineouts. Defenders who take the ball from an attacking kick should counter attack. A forth touch results in a turn over. The Scrum Half has a maxium of 5 seconds to move the ball from the point of touch. A ball kicked directly to touch from outside the attacking teams 22, or where the ball has been taken into the 22 by the attacking team and then kicked into touch - will result in a turn over with play starting on the five meter line closest to where the kick was made. The defence should be 10 meters back. A ball kicked from inside the attacking teams 22 can go directly to touch, as long as the attacking team did not carry the ball into their own 22 before the kick. The resulting put in will be to the opposition from where the ball has went into touch. Quick put-in's are enoucraged, if not possible the ball is played from the 5 meter line with the defence 10 meters back. Give points for quick put ins that work. Feel free to play with any of noted laws, let us know the law variations that work for you!

Break your players into two teams. One team goes to attack, and one to defence. There is no kicking in this game. Normal laws of rugby do not apply e.g. the ball can be passed in any direction. The ball is passed from player to player, but once the ball is caught - the ball carrier must stop moving. They can move only to pass the ball to another player. The defenders can close down attackers, working to remove attacking options. Defenders can intercept the ball, but must leave the ball carrier alone once the ball is cause. They can apply pressure on the pass, similar to the pressure that a bastleball player might apply (but consider using this as a progression). Tries can be scored by attackers who catch the ball inside the oppositions in goal area. Dropped balls result in a turn over.

The box kick is a very dangerous tactic for attack and defense. When attacking it can apply immense pressure on a team by putting the ball behind them. It also isolates the receiver making them vulnerable to turnover. It can also be dangerous if not executed correctly as you can end up giving away possession.

4 teams of 2 players, with 2 teams at each end. One player from the 1st team starts with the ball. The player with the ball runs forward and grubber kicks the ball on for their team mate to come from an on side position and recovers the ball, taking it at pace. The player then runs on and hands the ball off the player in the next group. The next group repeats the drill.

The aim of the drill is to develop the Bomb kick

Players looking to get the non kicking foot close to tee.