Defensive scramble

Develop the skills to cover an attack which might be outflanking your defence. This activity works on the choices to come forward or track back.

If your team is in danger of being outflanked in attack, what do they do? In many cases, teams sacrifice territory by scrambling backwards across the field allowing them to close down the attack further down the field, using the touchline as another defender.

1. Put cones in a channel to represent gates to run to and do an exercise, plus a ball. Set up another channel next to this channel.
2. Put four to six attackers in the non-gated channel ready to attack.
3. Have the defenders at the other end in the other channel.

1. The defenders run to each gate, perform a short exercise then move to the next gate.
2. As they reach the last gate, shout “go”.

1. They then have to cover across as the attackers come forward.
2. Progress to full tackling and/or making the channels wider.

TECHNIQUE

• The line of four must maintain their communication and shape through the gates.
• Once the call GO occurs, the four must sacrifice ground but the first players into the channel must listen to their team mates behind to judge how far across the field they can go.