Protect the ball

U13–U16 | CONTACT 1

Get players used to changing their body position to improve ball placement after being tackled

1. Set out two cones, 8m apart. Put a feeder 5m back from the first cone with a pile of balls at his feet. Line your players up by the first cone.

2. When you say “go”, the first player comes forward and takes a pass from the feeder. You then shout out a ball placement shape – “jack knife”, “long” or “power roll”.
3. The player takes the pass, steps past the feeder and then goes to ground behind the rear cone to perform the required placement shape.

4. As soon as he is past the feeder, the next player comes forward and repeats, stepping to the other side.
5. Develop by having the previous placement player act as a tackler. In this case, work at 50% intensity so the players concentrate on good technique.

You will need

• 2 cones placed 8m apart
• Lots of balls

Got more players?

You can line up as many players as you like, as long as you have enough balls.

What to tell your players

“Step hard round the feeder”
“Drop to the ground and get into position quickly”