Set-up (see picture 1)

12 players

15m x 10m box

8 cones

4 balls

What you get your players to do

The ”Union Jack” exercise provides a lot of traffic from different directions and carrying the ball in two hands means dropping it is less likely. Players run directly across the box and pop the ball to a runner, coming in the opposite direction, at least a third of the way across and preferably near the middle. The passer then continues to where the runner he has just passed to came from while the new ball carrier continues and passes to the next runner who should meet him halfway (see picture 2).

Encourage

Ball in two hands, balanced running trying to avoid contact by using vision and agility.

Development

Add 2 to 3 ruck pad carriers and 2 to 3 defenders who move around but stay in the box (see picture 3). The runners with the ball have to avoid being blocked by pads or the two-handed touch-tackle of a defender. Make the running area smaller. Add more running cones so more players are running across the grid.