Target practise for kickers
Avoid aimless kicking. Make players kick the ball at a target, preferably where the opposition is not. This session is a unit skills session for backs.
Avoid aimless kicking. Make players kick the ball at a target, preferably where the opposition is not. This session is a unit skills session for backs.
Warm up time: 5-7
Session time: 8-10
Development time: 10-15
Game time: 10-15
Warm down time: 5-8
What to think about
Most kicking tactics are a quick chat before the game and then let the players have a go. This session sets up kickers to learn a core skill. The kicker has to receive the ball in the right place to kick with their strongest foot. A right-footed kicker ideally receives the ball from the left side. However, he needs to adjust if he receives the ball from the right .
This session highlights potential problems.
set-up
- Look for spaces. Square the shoulders to the target and kick into the space.
- Kick lower and harder to have the ball beat the defender to the landing point either in front or behind him.
What you get your players to do
Put a feeder (9) on the 22m line around the middle of the pitch and a kicker either to the left or right towards the 10m line. Split the try line into five zones (giving each a letter) as shown in picture 1, using the 15m lines and posts as guides.
Shout which letter to aim at and get the the kicker to receive a pass and send a kick into that zone.
The kicker aiming for different areas across the try line after receiving a pass from 9.
Development
Put the feeder at different places along the 22m line before he feeds the ball.
Push the kicker further back (or forward) depending on their success rate.
Get the kicker to take a drop kick if you call to kick for the posts.
Put three defenders just outside the 22m and a kicker and feeder inside the 22m with five pairs of cones 10m from the try line.
Game situation
Set up the pitch as in picture 2. Get three defenders to start just outside the 22m. Shout out which lettered zones they must run into. At the same time (or just before), indicate which set of cones the feeder should run to.
As soon as the feeder gets there, he releases the ball to the kicker who has to kick the ball so it lands in one of the spare areas outside the 22m. The defenders aim to catch the ball on the full if it lands in their area (see picture 3).
Make the feeder run to a set of cones and pass to a kicker who aims to kick into the spaces not covered by defenders. Tell defenders where they need to cover.
What to call out
- “Set yourself up as you receive the kick so you are in position to kick”
- “Give yourself a short run-up to strike the ball: Take two steps and kick”