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Rugby: press

press DRILLS
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Hold, Press, Push Sevens - Rug...

Tell your players the following..... The first should of 3 will PUSH, drifting across and HIT the pads together. They will then advance and do the same at the next 2 sets of pads before returning to their start position to go again. The second group of defenders can go when they feel there is enough space between them and the first group. That's it - lets get to work. Don't forget to change the defenders and bag holders.

General

Press Up Position Sevens - Rug...

Tell the players the following...... They should advance in 2's. Hit in on the bag with their shoulder, driving forward and placing their hands on the ground in a press-up position over the ball. They then clear the area, and the pads reset for the next hit.

General

Ruck - PRESS UP - PART 2 Seven...

Tell the players the following...... The first group of 3 go first. The first player hits in on the bag with their shoulder, driving forward and placing their hands on the ground in a press-up position over the ball.The second player covers him, and the third acts as a SH moving the ball to the next set of 3. The next 3 player unit does the same, moving the ball back to the first 3 player unit - which should have reset ready to go again.

General

Rugby: Ruck Organisation and p...

5-7 players run around in a rectangle shaped grid. They must move very fast within it awaiting the whistle, but they are not allowed to touch the other players. Once the whistle goes they must occupy the closest cone to them, facing the coach. Then they must shift, heavies to the inside and speedsters to the outside. On the next whistle they then press in one line.

General

Push Push 2 Sevens - Rugby Dri...

Tell the players the following...... When the attack advances the defenders PRESS UP on the attack. The attackers must pass the ball down the line, no inside passes. The defenders PUSH/DRIFT across pushing the attack towards the sideline. When the attack reaches the end of the grid, if it reaches the end - the attack turn and sets - as does the defence. The exercise restarts. This is a full contact exercise. Don't forget to switch defenders into attack.

General

Breakdown Touch Game Match Rel...

Set up an area for a normal game of touch, with teams split evenlyPlay goes as normal, but when there is a touch, the ball carrier goes to ground and presents the ballThe player that made the touch then gets to the floor in a press up position, as does a second attackerWhen both are down, they contest at the breakdownPlay carries on with the same team that were in possession

General

Beat the defence Passing - Rug...

Offensive players (blue), line out in one deep line while the defence (red) line up opposite in a straight line, slightly inside player from the player that they are marking. The offence will attempt to pass the ball across the line at speed. Defenders will move up to stop them but do not tackle, simply press. This teachers the attackers to pass under pressure, as they try to pass across the line without making any mistakes.

General

ULSTER Backs Moves - Rugby Dri...

Use the diagram as a starting point for players. 10 advances carrying the ball, inviting the defence to press up on the attack. 12 and 13 advance, 13 cutting in towards the 12 and drawing their defender in. 11 loops around, planning to enter outside 13. 10 passes to 12. 12 miss passes to 11. 15 should have advanced from behind the 13 and up. 11 passes to 15. 14 provides outside support.

General

ENTER 4 Backs Moves - Rugby Dr...

10 carried the ball forward, inviting the defence to press up. 11 runs a decoy line. 10 passes to 12. 15 runs a line between 12 and 13, see diagram. 12 miss-passes to 13, skipping 15. 13 runs an over before taking the ball. 14 runs a supporting line for the ball carrier.

General

Single Arm Tug Of War Contact ...

Get in pairs and players start in a press up position. Players hold onto opposite arms whilst still in the press up position. The aim is to remain balanced and work to pull the other player over

General

SWITCH 1 Backs Moves - Rugby D...

See the diagram for suggested starting positions. 10 carried the ball forward, inviting the defence to press up. 10 cuts in. 12 presses up and cuts in towards 10 on a switch. 10 passes to 12 on the switch. 12 hits at an angle before straightening up. 15/13/14 provide support, 15 provide close support.

General

ENTER 1 Backs Moves - Rugby Dr...

Use the diagram to help with players starter positions, but feel free to experiment. 10 carries the ball forward, inviting the opposition defence to press up. 12 runs forward, at pace. 11 runs between 10 and 12, providing a decoy. They could even overrun the ball, allowing 10 to pass behind 11. 10 passes to 12. 15 runs forward, then changes their angle of run to a fast run off the outside shoulder of 12. 12 passes to 15 as close to the defensive line as possible.

General

Leave No Man Behind Warm Up - ...

Players start in the bottom right corner and on the command sprint as a group before doing 5 press ups. They advance as a defensive line, moving as fast as the slowest player. They never leave a player behind. They then side step (push as a defensive line) left to the next set of cones to do 5 sit ups before sprinting to do press ups. The group follow this routine until the end before the next group go.

General

Shuttle run. Agility & Running...

Start lying on the ground (in a down press-up position) run out to the 1st set of cones and then run backwards to the start and do one press-up.<BR>Quickly get back up onto feet and run out to the second set of cones, turn around and run back to the start and do one press-up.<BR>Quickly get back up on feet and run out to the 3rd set of cones. Turn around and run back to the start, back into the starting position.

General

ENTER 3 Backs Moves - Rugby Dr...

10 carried the ball forward, inviting the defence to press up. 11 runs a decoy line. 10 passes to 12. 15 runs a line between 12 and 13, see diagram. 12 miss-passes to 13, skipping 15. 13 runs an under before taking the ball. 14 runs a supporting line for the ball carrier.

General

Ruck n Roller Sevens - Rugby D...

Tell the players the following...... The first group of 3 go first. The first player, the ball carrier, hits in on the pad and rolls off the bag, taking contact on the second defender and going to ground to place the ball. The defender can try to steel the ball. The second player hits in on the defender with their shoulder, driving forward and placing their hands on the ground in a press-up position over the ball and player on the ground, the third acts as a SH moving the ball to the next set of 3. The next 3 player unit does the same, moving the ball back to the first 3 player unit - which should have reset ready to go again.

General

Clapping Game Passing - Rugby ...

Tell your players the following. Lets just get the ball moving clockwise for a while, just to get the ball moving through the hands. After a minute or two, lets switch the direction of the ball. After another minute, tell them the ball can go in any direction, but...... The receiver must clap once before catching the ball - and the passing player must move the ball within 5 seconds. The passer can dummy, and if a receiver claps they must do one or more press-ups. If the receiver doesn't clap and receives a ball - they must do one or more press-ups following their pass. You can also play this game using a word like RUGBY. Each time a play makes a mistake they get a letter. The loser is the first player to get all the letters that spell RUGBY. Some teams and coaches have more interesting and colorful words to spell - I'll leave this to you. Have fun with this!

General

Crouch Tackle Tackling - Rugby...

Players stand 5 metres apart, only the attacking player moves in this drill, the tackler remains still as their partner approaches. As the player gets close the tackler should keep their head up and engage the runner with either their left or right shoulder. Holding around their knees tightly and driving with their shoulder they should allow the player to fall over their shoulder to floor.

General

STATIC 1 Backs Moves - Rugby D...

See the diagram for suggested starting positions. 10 and 12 remain static, the other players are in motion, offering options. 10 and 12 invite the defence to press up at speed. 10 passes to 12. 11 cuts in on 12's shoulder. 12 passes to 11. 15 and 13 provide alternative options.

General

M1 (13 MISSED, 14 UNDER) Backs...

See the diagram for suggested starting positions. 10 moves forward with the ball, drawing the defence to press. 10 passing to 12, 12 is moving forward. 13 presses up fast, overrunning the ball, but only just. 14 presses up, running an under. 12 throws a miss-pass to 14. Be careful of an interception. 15 supports 14, providing an inside option.

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

LOOP MOVE - M1 Backs Moves - R...

See the diagram for suggested starting positions. 10 passes to 12. 12 moves forward. 10 loops around behind 12. 10 hits in on the outside shoulder of 12. 12 passes to 10. 13 attacks inwards at speed, calling the ball. 15, and 14, press up at speed. 10 makes a miss-pass to 15. Be cautious of an interception.

General

Lower back stretch Warm Up - R...

Players lie flat on their back and bend their knees together and press them against the floor. Slowly move the knees left and then right on the ground.

General

Piggy in the middle and defend...

4 players stand on the corners of a 5x5m grid, and one player in the middle (the piggy). They play piggy in the middle until the whistle goes.On hearing the whistle: The player with ball in hand is pillar aka 1. The rest of the players FOLD in and become 2,3,4 and 5 in the defenesive line. Once they are set, they call hold hold and press off the line.

General

Back Row Drill Agility & Runni...

The player either starts lying on their front or must perform 10 squat thrusts as fast as possible before then jogging forwards towards the coach.The coach will be positioned facing the runner and will signal with their arms as to whether the player should sprint left or right.

General

Rugby: Alignment - Running as ...

Working in groups of up to 4, players spaced approximately 4-5 metres apart.Players jog to the 1st cone then jog backwards to the start line. Still running as a line they then jog to the 2nd cone and so on to the 4th cone.

General

Baseball Kicking - Rugby Drill...

Set up a pitch area (green cones) based on the age of the players (depending on how far they can kick) with fielders spread out around the pitch. (E.g. senior players may need half a pitch whereas 20m x 20m may be big enough for a beginner).Set up a diamond by setting up cones roughly 10m apart (blue) similar to a baseball pitch, with kickers lined up on one side.One player/coach is the feeder in the middle of the diamond. He stands on the white cone and passes the ball to the kicker who catches it and then almost immediately kicks the ball, aiming for space.Once he has kicked the ball he tries to run around the diamond to score points.The kicker is out:Caught - their kick is caught on the full.Stumped - a fielder touches the ball on the cone that the kicker is running to.Out of bounds - if their kick goes out of the area of the pitch on the full.PROGRESSION:Make the feed harder (roll or a difficult pass to catch)Widen the cone diamond so the kicker has to run furtherKicker has to do a press up on each cone before continuing to the next oneEncourage defenders to work off the ball - they must pass the ball three times before stumping someone out.

General

Rugby League: Round the circle...

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

Warm up + Neck Stability Scrum...

Groups of 3. - 2 players get into a strong T.O.P position.- Another player starts to to standing press ups on to the heads of the 2 players. - This encoruages neck and core strenth essential for a safe scrum.

General

M1 12 UNDER Backs Moves - Rugb...

Note the starting positions of players for this move, it's just a suggestion. However, I suggest your players start that bit flatter, and that 13 starts just ahead of 12. 10 carries the ball forward, inviting the defence to press. 13 cuts in to cut the distance between them and 10. 10 makes a miss pass out to 13. 12 runs am under, runner first towards the 13 channel in order to pull their defender out of position. They then, at speed, cut out. However, if their defender does not follow them, they should maintain their line taking the ball as close to the 13 as possible. 13 makes a pass to 12, this pass should be as close to the opposition defensive line as possible.

General

Beat the defence

Offensive players (blue), line out in one deep line while the defence (red) line up opposite in a straight line, slightly inside player from the player that they are marking. The offence will attempt to pass the ball across the line at speed. Defenders will move up to stop them but do not tackle, simply press. This teachers the attackers to pass under pressure, as they try to pass across the line without making any mistakes.

Handling

Find the space

Players run in any direction in the grid trying to avoid contact by running into space. When the teacher calls stop, all players must be at least 1m from the next nearest player. Pass the ball around your back at the same time. Option: throw the ball in the air and catch as you run around

Handling

Heads up Passing

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.

Passing

Individual Skills

Move the ball in a figure of 8 round your legs Pass the ball round your back. Who can pass the ball around their back 5 times the fastest ?. Throw the ball in the air and clap before you catch it. Who can make the highest number of claps ?

Handling

Leave No Man Behind

Players start in the bottom right corner and on the command sprint as a group before doing 5 press ups. They advance as a defensive line, moving as fast as the slowest player. They never leave a player behind. They then side step (push as a defensive line) left to the next set of cones to do 5 sit ups before sprinting to do press ups. The group follow this routine until the end before the next group go.

Agility & Running Skills

Running Warm Up

Tell players the following.... Each Player will work individually, unless told otherwise. Players can run in any direction: moving forward or side to side. They must remain within the grid trying to avoid contact by running into space, sidestepping for example. They will have a ball each. When the coach calls stop, all players must be at least 1m from the nearest player. From time to time players will be ask to do things e.g. 1 press-up. Following completing the instruction - players should keep moving. You will be asked to pass your ball - before doing anything make sure you communicate with another player, you agree to pass to each other, and then you make the pass! This part of your warm-up should be no more than five minutes.

Warm Up

Simple Passing Grid

Brief your players one what you would like them to do. Start the activity by having all players pass the ball around the grid in any direction, they should moving around the grid as they do so. The only restriction is that they must pass in order 1 - 2, 2 - 3, 3 - 4, 4 - 5, 5 - 1 and so. Progress this exercise by having player 1 become a defender. The other players move the ball to avoid being touched by the defender. So in this example the ball would move in the following sequence: 2, 3, 4, 5, 2, 3, 4, 5. After some time, change the defender. Player 2 should now be the defender, the passing sequence changes to: 1, 3, 4, 5, 1, 3, 4, 5 etc. Progress this exercise further by choosing random defenders, attackers will quickly need to work out the passing sequence. If attackers get the passing sequence wrong, they do 1, 2, 3 etc. press ups - the defender does not.

Passing

Square - Improve reactions

Players stand on a blue cone. On Go, the player passes the ball and sprints out to the nearest cone in the middle then back steps back to the next blue cone in line.

Handling

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