Pre-season tackling exercise

Develop your players’ basic tackling footwork before adding in more contact with this 1v1 exercise. Use it as part of a warm-up as well, with players rotating so they are given different challenges all the times. A session from Rhys Cottrell.

• A ball carrier and defender start with their backs to each other in the middle of the box.
• Shout out first the attacker’s cone and then the defender’s cone.

• The attacker and defender run to their cones and turn.
• The defender aims to make a two-handed touch on the ball carrier.
• They swap roles and repeat.

• After one go each, the first ball carrier from each group moves anti-clockwise to the next box.
• This ensures a different challenge every go.

DEVELOPMENTS

• Increase the level of contact.
• Have the defender on their fronts or backs to start with.

TAG DEVELOPMENTS

For tag players, they can score one point for grabbing one tag, and two points if they grab both tags at the same time.