“A ball carrier on the ground aims to hold the ball while another player tries to rip it away. If it is ripped, the ball carrier attacks to win 1 v 1. If they lose their grip, the player on the ground pops up the ball to their team-mate, who aims to score 1 v 1.”
SET UP
Cones, a ball.
HOW TO PLAY
Put a ball carrier on the ground, holding a ball by their side. Have a defender on their feet, holding the ball. Finally, put the ball carrier’s team-mate about 4m away facing the defender.
Start with the defender trying to drag the ball away from the player on the ground.
If the defender succeeds, they attack, trying to beat the other player. Use touch tackling or full contact.
If the defender slips off the ball, then the ball carrier throws the ball from the ground to their team-mate, who tries to score against the defender. Again, use touch tackling or full contact.
If there is an impasse, shout “release”. The defender must release, put their chest on the ground and then get back up to defend while the ball carrier passes to their team-mate.
DEVELOPMENTS
Start with the defender not having their hands on the ball. The ball carrier should twist and turn to prevent the defender from grabbing it.
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
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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