Sevens: Pass and follow into the pocket

by Dan Cottrell in Attack, Touch, Tag & Sevens

Use this activity as part of your sevens tournament warm-up or to develop your players awareness of passing and then supporting the pass. Also good for general handling too.

The ball carrier must engage the defence first by running forward, then passing. Once he’s passed the ball, he should drop in behind the receiver (“into the pocket”) so he can offer support should he go into contact AND be in position should the ball coming back his way.

Put up to six players in a line, with a ball carrier just in front of a player at one end of the line.
The ball carrier runs forward 5m and then passes the ball back to the next player in the line.

Once he has passed the ball, he then runs back to fill the space left by the receiver.
In the meantime, the receiver, who has run forward to receive the pass repeats the process until the ball reaches the last player.

The last player in the line takes the ball to the line, turns completely around and passes in behind him to the player who last passed him the ball.
This player goes in behind and passes back in the other direction.
The players should keep going for at least four cycles, before you swap the middle players with the end players.
Develop by making the box wider.

TECHNIQUE

Run straight before passing the ball.
Run in directly behind the next receiver and hold the spacing between each player.

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