This drill based practice is designed to get players comfortable receiving the ball at maximum speed.
Put four attackers at the side of the box and put three defenders (with or without pads) in a staggered diagonal line in a box about 2m wider and back than the player before them.
Have the attackers run back and around a cone and into the box.
The first player straightens and attacks the first defender and then makes a flat pass to the next player who should have worked around the corner and straightened in line with “their” defender.
This repeats for the third attacker who gives a flat pass to the fourth attacker running into space.
NOTES
With this being more drill based I would work this for 5-10 minutes maximum but maybe repeat a couple of times in between games to see if I am getting transfer of the skill into the game.
COACHING POINTS
COMFORT AND SPEED
We want players to be comfortable to receive the ball at their maximum speed. The relevance of this is if I have received a pass going through a space I want to be going at speed through that gap.
PASSING PACE
We don’t need the player passing to be at maximum speed so players should accelerate onto the ball but manage their speed in front of the defender so that their pass is accurate.
REACHING TOP SPEED
How quickly can players get to top speed and how does that affect their timing of their run?
BLOCKING LINES
We can use this practice to highlight blocking lines. So the player that passes may initially run at the centre of the defender and then as they pass drift onto the outside shoulder putting themselves between the defender and their support player.
DIFFERENT ANGLES
Make players aware that there are benefits to attacking defenders in different ways.
Sometimes attacking the inside shoulder can be useful, sometimes fixing the man where he is will be needed and other times driving at the outside space between two defenders will work well.
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.
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