Contact Help center
Rugby Rugby
HOME Rugby Coaching Trends SEARCH

Rugby: passing race

passing race DRILLS
View All

Passing Race

Using just one hand they should pass the ball to each other. The pass should come from on, or behind the hip. They should make 10 passes on one hand, and then 10 passes on the opposite hand. That's it, lets get going - it's a race.  Any dropped balls - and your group has to start again. That's it, get working.

Handling

Pendulum passing race

For this drill to work properly you'll need at 5 players in a team, standing in a row, with 2 teams facing off with each other. The ball will start on one end and be passed to the other end and then back again. The team to get the ball all the way down there and back first will be the victors.

Passing

Relay Passing Race

With each new instruction to players you'll be having a race, lets see which group is the fastest - no cheating! Don't spend too much time talking, get the players into their groups quickly and tell them to do the following: Pass the ball between your legs to the person behind you - keep going until the ball reaches the end of the line. Same thing as above, but this time when the ball reaches the end of the line, the player at the end runs the ball back and the ball starts the same journey again. This is repeating until the every player has run from the back to the front of the line. Same idea but this time under legs then next person passes over head, next under legs (under/over/under etc.) Same idea but twist hips to pass to person behind first to the left then to the right - back person runs to front. As above but just over the head. Progress this with your own ideas e.g. pass to the person behind you with one hand etc. This warm-up should be full of fun.

Warm Up

Pendulum passing race Passing ...

For this drill to work properly you'll need at 5 players in a team, standing in a row, with 2 teams facing off with each other. The ball will start on one end and be passed to the other end and then back again. The team to get the ball all the way down there and back first will be the victors.

General

Passing Race Passing - Rugby D...

Using just one hand they should pass the ball to each other. The pass should come from on, or behind the hip. They should make 10 passes on one hand, and then 10 passes on the opposite hand. That's it, lets get going - it's a race.  Any dropped balls - and your group has to start again. That's it, get working.

General

Relay Passing Race Warm Up - R...

With each new instruction to players you'll be having a race, lets see which group is the fastest - no cheating! Don't spend too much time talking, get the players into their groups quickly and tell them to do the following: Pass the ball between your legs to the person behind you - keep going until the ball reaches the end of the line. Same thing as above, but this time when the ball reaches the end of the line, the player at the end runs the ball back and the ball starts the same journey again. This is repeating until the every player has run from the back to the front of the line. Same idea but this time under legs then next person passes over head, next under legs (under/over/under etc.) Same idea but twist hips to pass to person behind first to the left then to the right - back person runs to front. As above but just over the head. Progress this with your own ideas e.g. pass to the person behind you with one hand etc. This warm-up should be full of fun.

General

Relay passing race Warm up - R...

1) All team - legs straddle - pass ball between legs to back person - (s)he runs to front of line. Repeat until all have completed it. 2) Same idea but this time under legs then next person passes over head, next under legs (under/over/under etc.) 3) Same idea but twist hips to pass to person behind first to the left then to the right - back person runs to front. First team to win 3/4/5 races.

General

Passing Grid Passing - Rugby D...

Set up a grid of about 10 x 10Aim to have 12 attackers and 2 defenders3 attackers spread out on each side of the square. One player starts with the ball and runs towards the first defender, before passing off to a supporting attacker, who runs towards the next defender and passes off to the other attacker in the threeThe ball is popped off to the end attacking player on the opposite side of the squareThe same play happens with three new attackers and same two defendersThe ball is then popped off to the side, and play continues until all four groups of attackers have run through twice.Then switch defenders.

General

Rugby: Passing Lines of 5 - Sp...

Set up an area of about 15 x 15m. Have 2 teams of 5+ players, with 1 one ball.The players can run anywhere in the area but can't run with the ball. The first team that get 10 passes wins a point. If the ball in intercepted or dropped then turnover. The 1st pass is after the turnover is free.Stop the game every 1 minute to stretch for 30 seconds.PROGRESSIONPlayers can run with the ballPlayers can run with the ball for 2 seconds onlyOverhead passes onlyTouch the ball on the ground before passingCan't pass back to the person you've received it from

General

Passing Technique Progression ...

1. Square on: one hand Stand square on, in your partners pass the ball back and forth no more than 5m away from eachother, rember use 1 hand and start with ball on hip. 2. Side on: one hand Same again but no stand side on. 3. One step: two hands Same distance apart, introduce the second hand and take a step and pass try to do 10 off each hand.

General

Rugby: Round the circle Passin...

Each group forms a circle with players about 1m apart. First practise passing and catch around the circle. Next, the first player to pass runs around the outside of the circle. The player races against the ball to return to his/her start position.

General

Passing Underhand Sideways Pas...

"Out the back door" passing with a spin elementPairs work on one handed passing underneath the arm. Players stand opposite each other about 3-4m away. One player will take a few steps forward, then pass back and sideways to their partner.

General

Side on Pendulum pass Passing ...

Here the player needs to have slightly bent knees, and ensure that he is leaning slightly forward with a straight back, giving him space to swing and pass the ball. The player with the ball swings the ball back and forward with a straight arm with force, releasing the ball into the opposite players' hands. The ball is now being passed from left to right. The player receiving should be waiting for the ball, both hands out, fingers soft and pointing 45 degrees up from the horizontal.

General

Lateral Pass Passing - Rugby D...

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

Rugby: Passing Under Pressure ...

Set out a square grid, at one end of the grid, separate four cones evenly - red, blue, blue, red.One defender stands on each of these cones.Three attackers stand at the other end of the grid.The coach initiates the game by passing to the end player in the grid, and shouting a colour (blue or red).The two defenders on those cones run out to defend, leaving the other colour on the line. A 3 v 2 situation plays out.The attackers must try to get past the defenders to reach the other side of the grid.

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

Passing Grid Progressions Pass...

Start out with a grid of 10 x 10Passing progressions are based upon the ability of players to fix defenders - ensure the exercise reflects match situationsStart with three groups of three or four, each on a corner of the square leaving one corner freePlayers need to come around the corner, bending their runs before straightening up before popping the ball off to the next groupThe ball needs to travel through hands of all the players in the group

General

Rugby: Passing Left and Right ...

This is to practice handling and passing the ball to a direct target. It is good for awareness and communication between the three support players. 2 balls, 3 support players, 1 passer. The support players set up a triangle on your given dimensions. The person at the top of the triangle is the feeder for the passer, who will stand one metre from the feeder on the inside of the triangle. The feeder starts with a ball as well as the passer; once the first pass is made on the coaches call the passer must look to receive the next ball from the feeder to pass to the next support player. As soon as the support players receive a pass they should return it to the feeder. Each passer should work for about one minute and then rotate with one of the support players.

General

Passing Width and Pace Passing...

The aim of the drill is to develop wide passing.

General

Rugby League: Pass and shuttle...

Players stand in a square by a cone each. They pass the ball around either clock wise or anti clock wise. After the player passes the ball they have to follow their pass touch the cone of the player they passed to and get back to their cone before receiving the next pass.

General

Front on Pendulum passing Pass...

2 players face one another and stand about 5m apart. The ball is cupped in one hand (not gripped). The player with the ball swings the ball back and forward with a straight arm with force, releasing the ball into the opposite players' hands.

General

Relays Agility & Running Skill...

1) Run out to line - score a try - run back.(1b) Same - but forward roll on way out!)<br>2) Run out to line - score try - on way back <b>pass</b> ball to next person (then spin pass if they can).<br>3) Run out - <b>dive</b> to score a try - run back (better in long grass or when wet).<br><br><br><br>First team to win 3/4/5 races.<br>Change teams if one team is always coming last!<br>Repeat relay (after coaching) if first relay is not done well enough!<br>Only use relays as warm-ups - not for major part of lesson.

General

Rugby: Speed pass challenge - ...

Groups of 8Ball Cones2 sets of 4 players line up back to back.Cones are places 3m apart and 3 in fornt of both set of players.When the coach says go the players must complete 4 passes before reaching the far cones. Then they must turn and do the same off coming back. (1 rep) Its a race agaisnt the opposing attackers to compelete the the reps given.

General

Pass and run Passing - Rugby D...

Tell the players the following.... Player 1 starts with the ball. Player 1 passes the ball to player 2 and then quickly moves off their cone and runs to the cone where player 2 is and back to their cone. Player 2 then passes to player 3, follows the pass to the position of player 3 and back to their starting position. Change your passing hand each time The aim is to for the players to be back in their starting position before the ball returns back, but main thing is that they provide a good pass to the receiving player.

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

Attacking footwork and tacklin...

Defender should try and keep shoulders square, close down space and focus on the attackers hips. Attacker tries to stop and sprint to either the right left cone. Defender has to copy them. Attacker should look and move the ball to be able to handoff defender. Attacker must be at full speed.

General

Rugby: Heads up Passing - Spor...

Tell the players the following: Lets just get the ball moving down the line. Give the player at the start of one of the lines a ball, tell the line to advance using lateral passing - with the last player in each line passing the ball to the first player in the opposite line. Players should change positions in the line following each attack. Focus on the coaching points - the drill is only a means to an end. No spin passing. When you feel that the players are executing the short pass to your satisfaction - add in more pressure by have two opposite lines run at once. Once the teams have master that - lets get all four units running at one. The firt two groups go, when they each the mid-way point - the second two groups go. This will mean that all four gourps will be working at one. The groups keep moving unit you tell them to stop. Devlop this by alowing players to attack and be creative in their attack e.g. loop, M1, etc. There will be lots of traffic, they need to stay on their toes and work hard to keep the attack and the ball alive.

General

Pass and shuttle Warm up - Rug...

Players stand in a square by a cone each. They pass the ball around either clock wise or anti clock wise. After the player passes the ball they have to follow their pass touch the cone of the player they passed to and get back to their cone before receiving the next pass.

General

Rugby: Speed pass challenge - ...

Groups of 8Ball Cones2 sets of 4 players line up back to back.Cones are places 3m apart and 3 in fornt of both set of players.When the coach says go the players must complete 4 passes before reaching the far cones. Then they must turn and do the same off coming back. (1 rep) Its a race agaisnt the opposing attackers to compelete the the reps given.

General

Speed Handling Race Catching -...

Two lines of four stand back to back with the ball on the right hand side of each line. On go they both sprint 15m whilst passing down the line and then turn to run back whilst returning down the line to the player who started with the ball.

General

Jog - Lock and Load Passing - ...

Tell your players the following: Using just one hand they should pass the ball to each other, spinning the ball. They will continue down the grid until reaching the end before turning back and doing the same with the opposite passing hand. They can use two hands to catch. They should be jogging. That's it, get working. Refer to the coaching points in order to help your players improve. This drill is about helping players understand and develop their spin pass, while improving the quality of their pass. It should be using in conjunction with other training exercises to develop the spin pass.

General

Zig Zag Relay Passing - Rugby ...

The player with the ball passes to the next player and follows the direction of the ball using a side step. The player who receives the ball does the same and so on to the last player who receives the ball and runs around the group to the first cone and restarts the drill.

General

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

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

where can I get an under 8 year program of training?

where can I get an under 8 year program of training or activities to introduce them to the game of Rugby?

Archived User Coach

Looking for day 0 skills to teach children?

I am looking for a Day 0 type of session for American children who may have never held a rugby ball. If I move forward with a rugby exhibition/team creation in the neighborhood, I want to make sure I know how/what to teach Day 0. I'm hoping that interest is growing for touch and flag rugby due to the recent in Philadelphia between the USA Eagles and the Maori All Blacks. I was there. It was fantastic. Tickets sold out so fast, I think there will be more of these in the area. Thanks.

Doug Jones Coach, United States of America
passing race COMMUNITY DRILLS
View All

passing drill

Passing drill 1

Passing Race

Autosave 63847028

Passing Race

Passing Race Game

PASSING RACE

Zig Zag passing race

Passing Race

passing race

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
Six Nations 2026: Tactical Trends Every Coach Can Steal

Six Nations 2026: Tactical Trends Every Coach Can Steal

From France's collision dominance to England's folding defence - what grassroots coaches can learn from the 2026 Six Nations.

February 2026
|
Sportplan Coaching
The 2026 Lineout Law Change: New Opportunities for Your Attack

The 2026 Lineout Law Change: New Opportunities for Your Attack

The removal of "not-straight" on uncontested lineouts transforms your set-piece options. Here's how to exploit the new rule.

February 2026
|
Sportplan Coaching
6 Things Changing Rugby in 2026

6 Things Changing Rugby in 2026

2026 brings revolutionary changes to international rugby: a brand new global tournament, historic tours, and law changes that will reshape the game. Here's everything coaches need to know.

January 2026
|
Sportplan Coaching
VIEW ALL COACHING TRENDS
Rugby POPULAR SEARCH TERMS
ruckingwarm uptacklingtouchtag rugbyruckdefencelines of runningtouch rugbytagmaulscrumfitnesssevens7passingtacklejunior backline drillslineoutunder 8

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