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.
Both teams can compete for the ball in the air.
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.
I've been fortunate enough to have Eddie Jones deliver some sessions. This is the game he started with and it is excellent for reinforcing key messages around core skills or principles of play. MORE
Make more of poor opposition kicks with this session. Also, work on what your defence might do when you do make a poor kicking decision.
Most matches have poor kicks. Use these training scenarios to practise your team’s reactions and decision making. MORE
Introduce players of mixed ability to contact by building up the skills through games and questioning.
I’ve found that using this progression of activity, the players develop contact skills together. You can adjust the pitch sizes and timings to suit your players. MORE
Players who turn for training early often kick the ball around.
While you might not want to intervene and allow them to have free play, you might want to make this a "thing".
That is, "if you want to start 15 minutes earlier than the official start time, I will lay on some activities to do. They are voluntary".
MORE
Use this unusual pitch set up to pose problems for your players to solve. As they work out ways to score they will begin to use handling and support to create width on their game. MORE
Encourage your ball carriers to run at pace, looking to avoid contact by anticipating where the spaces are.
This is a scanning exercise for just the ball carrier. They will make mistakes, yet start to become attuned to looking for gaps. MORE
