EXPERT SESSIONS AND ADVICE FROM QUALIFIED AND EXPERIENCED GRASSROOTS RUGBY COACHES
When it comes to coaching fundamentals, you don’t get much more fundamental than passing. Players aren’t all blessed with lightning pace or accurate kicking skills, but every player should be able to pass. The passing drills and handling activities in this section provide countless ways to improve your players passing and handling skills.
in Ask Dan, Passing & Handling, Rugby drills
Subscriber question: I have to produce a 40-minute session for a level 2 course – it concerns a 2 v 2 support loop using whole-part-whole. Can you give me some ideas on how to approach it? MORE
in Girls/Womens, Passing & Handling
Use this long passing drill to help player embed the technique of passing deep. That means, pulling the pass back and therefore away from the defence to a player who is deeper. The exercise challenges the players to work off both hands, so they are plenty of repetitions. MORE
Develop your players' skills to pass out of the tackle, so maintain continuity without having to use rucks. This keeps the defence moving backwards and unable to realign and organise themselves. MORE
in Contact, Passing & Handling, Practice plans
Pocket support is a very simple style of support play. As a ball carrier moves towards contact, a support player runs in behind him and “into the pocket”. If the ball carrier cannot pass laterally, or takes contact, he can offload the ball to a player immediately behind him. MORE
in Passing & Handling, Small-sided games
Use this decision-making exercise to create a different attacking picture for the players, especially for using long flat passes to beat the defence. MORE
in Girls/Womens, Passing & Handling, Rugby coaching videos
Here’s a simple 3 v 2 exercise, where the attackers and defenders run to the corners of the box before turning to play. Got to love the invention of the first receiver! Put attackers and defenders at the edge and middle of a large box, say 15m square. Have three attackers with one ball... MORE
Realign quickly after a quick ruck and attack where there are mismatches. This dynamic scenario activity can cover a wide range of skills and techniques. MORE
Improve the players' realignment to run straight and at pace onto the pass in this continuous realignment exercise. Progress by adding defenders to pressurise the key passers. MORE
in Passing & Handling, Small-sided games
Go from simple skills to decision-making in 15 minutes with this challenging, fast-paced session. It will encourage intelligent failure. MORE
in Attack, Passing & Handling, Practice plans
Nothing is more of a core skill than fixing defenders and passing to space, especially for 3v2s. This session works on converting running and passing skills into good habits in matches. The session ends by putting these skills into a game. MORE
