A defender with a ball stands on one side of the area in the centre gate. An attacker stands opposite, also in the centre gate.
The defender passes the ball to the 1 attacker.
On receiving the ball, the attacker runs forward and tries to get through one of the gates either side of the defender without getting tagged.
At the same time, the defender comes forward to tag the attacker.
Play winner stays on – If a tag is made, the defender returns the tag and becomes the attacker, and a new player comes in as defender. If no tag is made, the attacker becomes the defender and a new player comes in as attacker.
What you say
“Get close to the ball carrier”
“Grab and remove the tag belt”
“Hold the tag above your head and shout “Tag!””
“Return the tag to the tagged player”
How many players do I need
You only need two players at a time, but It’s a dynamic game, so players can wait their turn, or run more than one game at once.
“The defender keeps themselves light on their feet, head up and marking a potential break, coming forward to close down an attacker when they move forward” MORE
Any defensive system needs to time to work on. It should also be simple and understood by the rest of the team. But you can still have a blitz system if you concentrate on the right principles. MORE
Individual defenders have to react quickly to changes in potential ball carriers. This session develops a defender’s ability to slide on to the ball carrier, sometimes at the last moment. MORE
My U15 team has leaked lots of tries from scrums and lineouts recently. What are the best ways to defend from these set pieces?
The problem lies in the connection between the forwards and the backs. The backs are 5-10m back from the forwards, so when the ball is released, they don’t immediately connect. MORE