In rugby, footwork and evasion skills are the “fine arts” – ways to run with the ball and beat players with skill, pace and panache. These articles include ways to coach players to have “rugby speed” not just pace, and evade contact with nifty “rugby footwork”. Try one of the footwork and evasion drills below at your next session and see how you get on.
How far should you go in developing better evasion skills by setting up footwork exercises without defenders? Is it better to let them play and discover? MORE
Improve your players’ footwork before contact and how they protect the ball, so they retain possession. An excellent breakout exercise during a normal session.
The attacker should dominate any contact whether to offload or wait for support. MORE
The ball carrier uses a strong fend to create space and time to pass the ball to their supporting player while the defender aims to disrupt. They then turn the corner and repeat MORE
This session is fun, easy to set up and works your players’ footwork and conditioning. The players will be jumping and side stepping around a “shipwreck” trying to avoid “pirates”.
The game further develops the decision making elements from the initial session. (You can also get the players to set up the “wreck”.) MORE
One player goads another, then touches the line and races to the other end to avoid being touched by the chaser. It’s a like smaller version of the Bangladeshi game of Kabadd MORE
Improve your players’ footwork and ability to evade contact. The “hot box” means your players will need to use their peripheral vision and their ability to see where defenders are. MORE
Develop another evasive skill for the ball carrier by encouraging them to spin just before the tackle. The footwork needs experimenting with because it can unbalance players.
Although spinning before contact slows you down a little and is less confrontational, there are occasions when it can allow you to break free from a defender and move into a space. MORE
