With younger players catching the ball can be a major issue, even without pressure and opposition. Use this graduated exercise to improve their confidence to catch.
This activity looks to make your players much more at ease catching the ball and in the longer term, excellent handlers that can cope under pressure. This graduated exercise can put different pressures on players, and you can adjust each to suit the abilities of the players you have.
When you start the activity ensure its coaches that are feeding the ball to the players.
This means that the weight of pass is consistent and the players quickly get used to this.
One player runs to the other group and while doing so takes and gives a pass.
This is then continually repeated with players from each side taking turns.
Develop with the coaches giving low or high passes.
Add in tackle tubes to act as obstacles. Again keep varying the passes for better players especially.
Finally develop with a defender coming forward to pressurise the catcher – but only if you think the players are competent.
TECHNIQUE
Catch the ball in their hands, not against their body.
Make a target with their hands and try to encourage them to reach for the ball.
Hands, fingers and arms are relaxed and not tense.
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Use this activity to improve players’ ability to scan what’s in front of them. It will allow the players to develop their footwork options before contact or in open play.
All the targets are in front of the ball carrier, so they will need to go forward but still avoid the defender. MORE
"With the return to rugby, I’m really worried that my team (U13s) will have forgotten lots of things about rugby. In particular, I’m trying to work out when and how to introduce contact and tackling."
This question came from a coach in Gloucester and is typical of lots of concerns around this area of the game.
It is true that the players will have "forgotten" lots of skills.
Here's how I would approach this situation. On the next page are two tackling exercises to support training.
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Improve your players’ awareness of how to move together as a defensive line.
A defensive line needs to know who’s covering who and then double up if they can to make a tackle. MORE
Make sure your players use the right footwork to power through the contact area and then manipulate the ball so they can offload or present the ball cleanly.
Though power and aggression are important in the contact area, the ball carrier also needs to be technically accurate to ensure good continuity. MORE
Work on good setups and movement, jumping and organisation in your lineout pods with this dynamic activity. It should mix up roles of your players.
Let players try out different roles, even if it’s not perfect. That allows players to realise what works for all those involved in the lineout lift and jump. MORE