Develop your players’ ability to jump to catch a high ball under pressure. This session aims to
give your players more confidence.
A jump to catch a high ball is not just a vertical jump. The player has to be moving into the space in front of them to dominate the situation.
Put two players holding ruck pads at head height about 5m in front of the catcher and no more than arms distance apart.
Have the catcher run at the gap in the pads.
Standing behind the pads, throw ball over the pad holders so the player has to leap and catch the ball either just before, over or through the pads.
Increase the distances and have the pad holders move forward and backwards to develop.
GAME SITUATION
Put two attackers and a kicker about 20m away from two 10m boxes.
Put a defender in front of the kicker and then another defender just behind the boxes. Have the kicker aim to land the ball in the boxes so they are contestable by his own players.
The defender in front of the kicker can try to block the kick or run back to help his team mate.
TECHNIQUE
Keep your eye on the ball all the way – no matter what you expect to happen.
Jump into the space where the ball will be caught, keeping your elbows close and your hands up.
Bend your knees as you are airborne to land more safely.
Good drop kick restarts allow your team to put pressure on the opposition. This simple exercise helps develop more players who can use this skill.
Not enough time is spent on this simple skill. Especailly for younger players, they need to work their way through the set up and technique to complete a drop kick restart. MORE
Work on your kicker’s specific out-of-hand technique so they can develop that natural ability into a repeatable, accurate skill under pressure.
Ideal to use a session the players can then go and use themselves, before or outside training time. MORE
Improve your kicking with a game of aerial noughts and crosses. Teams take it in turns to kick the ball and aim to drop it in a square which marks their nought or cross.
Aerial noughts and crosses gives your players a chance to make accurate kicks with additional tactical pressures as you build the game. MORE
There are 10 key factors for drop punting, but if you had to concentrate on just one, here’s which would make the most difference to your players. MORE
