Improve your players’ handling by giving them plenty of opportunities to pass the ball in training. Not all the passes are the same, and not all passers either. Help your players discover which works best for them, while giving them hints and tips on how to progress.
Here we have four videos of activities you can mix into your training to develop better passing and then move onto decision-making situations where they can use those passes.
Start with our Fun, competitive, passing warm up. It’s ideal for all ages of players and isolates the top half of the body. The competitive element makes the players look for ways to win, which, in turn, leads to them thinking more about their hand positions and follow through.
Take this detail to the next stage with Make kids better passers. This exercise from Mark Calverley has the players giving direct feedback to their peers on the accuracy of their skills. It’s great because it allows the players to become coaches, so making them think more deeply about their own skills.
Then we have video activities from two experienced skills coaches. Ben Pegna, who worked with the Wasps academy shows us how we can use an enhanced Game of netball to focus on better handling in a more chaotic environment.
Rob Appleyard, who coached the Dragons and was a skills coach with the WRU has a great warm-up 3 v 2 activity which can be used in training and before matches to get in plenty of ball work and decisions.
Use this kneeling down passing exercise to work on good upper body style for passing, where the players use their shoulders and hip rotation to generate power in the pass, and elbows and wrist to create acceleration and accuracy. It's also good for working on catch and pass techniques in isolation. MORE
Develop your players’ skills within a games environment. Mix questioning, demonstration and instruction to allow the players to understand
their roles and responsibilities. MORE
Keep your team on the front foot in the breakdown area by making sure the players use good techniques and make the right choices on which threats to deal with. MORE
Not all 2 v 1s have the support player in lateral support. Work on the passing and offload options in tight channels, where the ball carrier might take contact and the support punches through. MORE
Develop players’ skills around the tackle and post-tackle situation. The tackler makes the tackle and then rolls out quickly. The ball carrier aims to present the ball well to prevent the steal (jackle). MORE
See how well individuals react under pressure at the ruck with this decision-making activity and progression. It isolates ball presentation and 1 v 1 ruck skills. It’s intensive, so only needs to last ten minutes. MORE
Draw in defenders and release attacking options with your 10 putting himself into the best place to deliver the ball. It’s a coffee table shape. Use this exercise to develop these possibilities. MORE
