The power step

U13–U16 | CONTACT 2

Get your players used to fending off defenders with good ball transfer

1. Mark out a 2m triangle of cones and put a tackle tube behind it. Put a feeder to one side of the triangle and an attacker by a starting cone about 6m in front of the triangle.
2. When you say “go”, the attacker runs forward, takes a pass from the feeder and runs into the triangle. He then steps out to one side of the triangle and forward, and uses a hand to fend off the tube at the same time.

1. 
2. When players have mastered fending off the tackle tube, mark out a 5m line and position ruck pad holders at 2m and 4m along the line, one standing just to the left and the other to the right. Put attackers at either end of the line and give the first attacker a ball.
3. When you say “go”, the first attacker runs forward, fends off the first ruck pad holder with one hand, then transfers the ball to the other hand and fends off the second ruck pad holder. At the end of the line he passes to the next attacker who repeats, going back the other way.

You will need

• 1 ball
• Cones
• 1 tackle tube
• 2 ruck pads

Got more players?

Set up more tackle tubes and get players practising their fend offs

What to tell your players

“Keep the ball away from the defender”
“Push with a bent arm”
“Drive forward”