There are so many elements to passing, which ones do you concentrate on first and how do you train them?
Here are a bunch of the priority skills you need and then great ways to train them.
Priority skills for spin passing and Priority skills for catching pick out which of the most important techniques you need to use under pressure and then concentrate on how to train one of them for spin passing and for catching. There are two sessions in each article which concentrate helping both advanced and developing players.
For push passes, in other words a non-spin pass, Magic hands and core to the try line give your players key cues to ensure they are both accurate with the pass and engage the defender.
Finally, all players need to be able to clear the ball from the base of the ruck. Super-fast clearance (scrum half) passes will develop the basic ideas so you can make the best use of quick ruck ball.
There are seven key factors for spin passing, but if you had to concentrate on just one, here’s which would make the most difference to your players. MORE
There are five key factors for catching the ball, but if you had to concentrate on just one, here’s which
would make the most difference to your players MORE
With younger age groups, the ball must be passed away from either the tackle or the ruck. Every player needs to be a clearing passer, and the faster the better.
The clearance pass doesn’t need to be a spin pass. A firm pass, with the hands going through to the target is enough on most occasions. All the players in your team should be practising this skill. MORE
In Hard and Fast with the Miss Pass, we set up a “miss pass” training session. The miss pass is a long pass which skips one player, with the missed player drawing a defender in the process. MORE
A hard and fast flat miss pass can cut out defenders before they have a chance to change their running angles. It can lead to clean breaks as your attackers exploit the gaps.
By scanning the line and hitting the ball at an angle towards a space, the ball carrier is going to be almost impossible to stop. MORE
Training games, like touch rugby or contact games, tend to be competitive.
They should have:
Context: the players should know, either before or after the game, the reason you are playing. Fun/enjoyment are a given. However, what are the potential rugby outcomes?
Points: the players will want to know what the score is, and what the points system is.
Now, let's spice this up MORE
Already leaked more tries than you expected this season. Here's some cures to shore up your defensive line, which concentrate on technique, skills and organisation. Remind your players of what they do well and then help them to address their weaknesses. MORE
If you are coaching adult rugby, then you are probably already beginning to put in some elements of contact into your preparation programme for next season. If you are coaching youth rugby, then you need to carefully consider the regulations about contact rugby. For example, in England for under 11s and below, you won't even start "contact" of any sort until the actual season starts. MORE
Use our two simple tactics to pull defences one way and then kick the other to surprise them and give your chasers a good chance of gathering the kick unopposed. MORE
