Get your kicks

Integrating kicking into small-sided games

Players need to know when to kick in game situations. Here are some rules you can use to reward good kicking in your small-sided games so players are incentivised to use the right kicks.

Set up

Players: Maximum 7 v 7.
Area: Up to half a pitch wide, and at least 30m long.
Equipment: One ball.

Game notes

• Play any version of rugby, including touch.
• After three tackles the ball can be kicked. If it is not kicked before the fifth tackle, it is turned over.
• If the ball is kicked, it must be gathered cleanly first time, or the ball is turned over. Don’t allow knock-ons or
  knock-backs.
• The ball is allowed to touch the ground. Don’t allow the players to contest for it on the ground.
• Any kick can be contested, but the kicking side, if they recover the ball, don’t get any extra tackles.

Score

• 1 point for a try.

What to call out

• “Stay behind the kicker”
• “Jump into the space where the ball is going to land”
• “Line up deeper if you are going to kick so you don’t get charged down”

Coaching notes

• You could start with one of the kicking rules only, and then add or amend as you go along. You could also nominate players who are allowed to kick and those who are not.
• Challenge the players to chase effectively, as well as defences to track back to support the recovering players.
• Make the players think about kicking for possession and for territory.