Selecting the best backs moves

For a backs move to succeed, your players need the correct set of skills and the right alignment. For instance, the move might need a miss pass. Can that be achieved off both hands?

It might rely on a player entering the line at pace at the right moment. Do you have a winger or full back who can time their run to do this?

So you can only really copy backs moves which suit the skillset of your team. Work to improve their weaknesses and increase the number of moves they can use.

How to learn PLAYS

Once you have worked out which moves suit your team, follow these five steps:

1. BUY IN

The team has to believe in the move and want to use it.

2. USE A TACKLE LINE

Walk through the drill and then run it with a tackle line. That means a line of cones across the pitch where defenders might meet an advancing back line. This helps players get their timing right.

3. A DEFENCE

Get defenders in front of the backline.

4. A DYNAMIC DEFENCE

Move the 9 around before they pass so the backline has to realign.

5. MIX UP THE PLAYERS

Keep changing the backline because you won’t always have the same players in position on match day.

Concentrate on running a few backs moves well. Each move should have “get out” variations if the defence does not do what you expect. Every player should expect the pass.

And think about what happens next. If you breakthrough or not, who will be in support for the next pass or next point of contact.

On the next two pages, we have concentrated on backs plays which use a change of angle from the centres. They are one pass plays, so retain some simplicity and therefore rely more on timing of runs.

On page 5 we look at “hard” lines, also known as “unders and overs”.

The activity on page 6 builds up the skills of using a “block” type pass which goes behind one runner to another who is running into the space. This type of pass and run needs all the players to understand the angles to attack the right spaces.