EXPERT SESSIONS AND ADVICE FROM QUALIFIED AND EXPERIENCED GRASSROOTS RUGBY COACHES
A simple game that makes your players think about who they are going to pass to – and where – after getting into position and attacking with a four-man overload.
A coned 40 x 20m channel with four players touching each of the tackle tubes A, B, C and D. A ball is placed on both sides of the channel.
To start, players walk around their tube with one hand always touching it (picture 1). When you call a letter, (in our example “A”) those players sit on that tube (picture 2).
Then the 8 players on one side of the channel attack the four on the other after picking up the nearest ball. Give them five seconds to score a try (picture 3). Use touch-tackling or full tackling. The defenders can run to their own try line before defending if you want to give the attackers more chance to score.
“Read the defence and give helpful information to the ball carrier.”
“Look at the defence and make a judgement on what you are going to do early.”
“Make crisp passes listening to team mates’ calls.”
Players coming from different directions in both attack and defence is something players who transition from minis to youth rugby have to become used to. This game helps with that transition.
in Passing & Handling, Small-sided games
Ged Hall challenges players to be effective in finding space and passing, either on their feet or from the ground (the deck!). Good for fitness as well as decision-making. Deck hands is seemingly a very simple game to play, but beneath its simple exterior is a game that challenges players physically, mentally, tactically and technically. MORE
Twenty years of writing about coaching makes you reflective. I did use games 20 years ago. I invented some at the time, and still use variations of them. You would think by now I would have seen them all. MORE
in Attack, Passing & Handling, Small-sided games
Keep the players thinking about where to attack as the defence move around dynamically, adding in players as the attack becomes more successful. MORE
in Small-sided games, Warm Ups
Use this quick-to-set-up game, including an easy-to-adapt playground element, with rewards and forfeits thrown in. This is a game I will use at the start of sessions as a pulse raiser, sprint activation and to develop realistic evasion skills. It takes less than a minute to set up and can be played with three or more players. MORE
Use this game and its variation to create opportunities for players to make decisions on when to attack open or go back to the blindside. Create opportunities to stretch the defence and then attack where they are weakest. MORE
Here’s how I set up a game to work through some plays which had been designed to help a team run with either quick ball or slow ball from rucks. MORE
