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
Mismatches happen quickly and players need to judge when to go for it and when not to. There’s no better way to create lots of these scenarios than through a game. MORE
Use this easy to replicate play for under 15 level players and above with forwards and backs combining, to allow momentum for better attacking plays. MORE
Quick clearing passes, the pass away from the tackle or ruck, are an essential skill which will keep your game functioning at high speed. Encourage all your players to be able to pass away. MORE
Use this drill to work on tackle technique, first and foremost, and the speed and formation of the defensive line. It focuses on head-on driving tackles with aggression and good timing. MORE
