Encourage your players to use good footwork in small spaces by avoiding contact. These two fun activities are excellent for warming up body and mind.
Though rugby is a contact game, avoiding it is a core skill. There are no set techniques because each player will have their own style. Let them develop it in these two activities.
Put up to six players in a box, with a ball between two and a defender.
When you shout go, the defender tries to touch the ball carriers.
If a ball carrier is touched, he has to pass.
If he bumps into another player, he has to put the ball down on the ground.
If the ball is on the ground, another player picks it up. Run for 30 seconds and then swap the defender. You can make it a competition to see how many bumps there are.
The bottom picture shows that in the second exercise below, the player has to put his foot inside the box.
Put two or more players on each corner, with the front player holding a ball.
When you shout “go” the ball carrier in each corner runs forward, putting at least one foot inside the box before continuing to the opposite corner and giving the ball to the next player.
Count how many “bumps” there are in 30 seconds.
Make it harder by adding in more players and balls.
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
Improve your players’ footwork as they run forward, so they beat opposition players, or at least create a chance for a good offload in contact.
This is a simple session to set up and can be adjusted easily to suit the stages of your players’ development.
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