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 Footwork and evasion, Passing & Handling, Practice plans
Help your players discover the power of passing and evasion under pressure with this game. “Danish long ball” can be used to trigger lots of skills exercises, with players returning to the game afterwards. For instance you could work on long passing, sidestepping or communication in between bouts of play. MORE
The scrum half can pick up the ball from the base of a ruck or scrum and pass. Why do scrum halves use this type of pass and how do they execute it effectively. MORE
in Passing & Handling, Practice plans
A bad pass need not always mean the end of a fluid move. Players can learn to react positively by adjusting their bodies to catch and then deliver the ball, and support players can learn to delay their runs. In this way your side can continue their patterns of play even if one of the passes has been disrupted. MORE
in Passing & Handling, Practice plans
Faster passing shifts the ball to where the defence is not, before they can fill the gap. Long passes are easier to defend because the defenders can shift as the ball is in the air. If a team passes the ball quickly, defences find it more difficult because their focus is constantly changing. MORE
in Attack, Passing & Handling, Practice plans
Switch passes, also known as cut passes, should be a natural part of the passing armory and used by all players. This session uses a simple exercise which can be set up with lots of stations for lots of activity. Players will quickly learn that timing and angles are as important as the pass itself. MORE
in Passing & Handling, Rugby drills
10 pass & catch skills to improve your rugby handling skills. All you need is a rugby ball and a wall making these the perfect exercises to practise at home or in the garden. MORE
The ball is often fumbled or passed poorly as players get used to handling. That means more ball on the ground. Help your players recover the ball and play away. A moving rugby ball isn’t an easy thing to pick up. And once gathered, the new ball carrier has to make decisions on what to do next. Use this session to work on techniques and options. MORE
in Attack, Passing & Handling, Practice plans
The pace of the attacking line can be enhanced by a player entering from a deep position. The timing of this run comes from using lots of practices like the ones in this session. Players get to know the passing shapes of their team mates and so find it easier to read the running lines and get their timing right. MORE
in Core skills, Passing & Handling
William (14), Tom (12), John (9), Clara (5) and dad Jamie Green go through different ball handling ideas bouncing a ball against the wall. It shows how you can give each age group a different range of challenges. MORE
in Core skills, Passing & Handling
Handling enhanced training with balls arriving in the player's hands from different directions, angles and speeds. Touch & run develops catching at angle on the move; kick backs develops tests the catcher's reaction a quicker, more random return pass. Aim to get up to 30 touches in a minute of each activity. MORE
