Rugby: long passing

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

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long passing DRILLS
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M1, Inside Pass/Pop, Back Pass...

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 any of the two players at the outer most cones. 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 player should be waiting to go. Players should advance right away, they don't need to wait for your call. Allow the players to move the ball down the lines, just to get them used to handling the ball within the L. When you feel the players are comfortable, tell the players that the first ball carrier will miss pass the ball to the third player in the line, who will miss pass to the last player in the line, who will give an inside ball to the forth player in the line, who will then pass the ball to the second player in the line. When each line has completed the above pattern, they should give the ball to the next attacking line. The last pass to the next attacking line will be a long pass and should be completed correctly within the laws of the game. Allow the players to discover, though questioning, the best possible way of executing the M1 while maintaining or creating depth in advance of changing the pattern of attack. Players should change position in the line after each run.

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long passing ANSWERS
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Tips for teaching kids to pass?

Tips for teaching kids to pass? Under 7's%3A Posture, feet position, ball holding,action, short and long passes. Any guidance / links to websites please

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What could you teach a player cues for the halfback pass,(passing from the ground)?

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i am just starting to play scrumhalf could you give?

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The law says that a forward pass is one "thrown forward" "in the direction of the opponents' goal line" Does that mean that, if the ball is passed and the receiver catches it NEARER to the opponents goal line than from where the ball was passed that the pass was forward? (Leaving to one side any other touches of the ball that might have taken place.) Maybe an example is better. Player 1 passes the ball sideways - releasing it on the 22 metre line. Player 2 (with no other player having touched the ball), running from well behind the 22 metre line, catches the ball when it has travelled sideways but the ball is now 20 metres from the opponents goal line (2 metres further forward from the place that the ball was passed). Is that a forward pass or throw forward? And if not, why not?

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What is the clear definition of "rolling away"? Playing in the SCRFU we've been penalized a few times for the ball carrier (sometimes tackler) not rolling away when they are at the bottom of a pile. Even when raising our hands and not making any play for the ball. We simply can not move from the pile because our leg/head/arm is beneath other players. It seems like a misinterpretation of the rules and their intent to prevent the play from continuing.

Kevin Raymond Coach, United States of America

u8s running sideways not forward!

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Any advice as to where rest of forwards should line up without getting in way of fly half and other backs for example in a 3 man lineout?

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Mr McBride Coach, United States of America

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Tips for teaching kids to pass...

Tips for teaching kids to pass? Under 7's%3A Posture, feet position, ball holding,action, short and long passes. Any guidance / links to websites please

Archived User Coach

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