What is an X-Ball and how could this simple play be used to breakdown an organised defence.
The X-Ball is a very simple attacking move that can be run at any level of the game.
It involves three attackers; the ball carrier, a hard runner, and a soft runner. The hard runner will come from the outside and run back towards the ball and the soft runner will run behind the back of the hard runner.
The ball carrier’s job is to read the hips of the outside defender.
If the outside defenders moves their hips inside to cover the hard line then the best option is the pass out the back to soft runner.
If the defender’s hips point outwards, to cover the soft runner, then the option would be to pass to the hard runner.
You can then play around with this set-up in practice. During the match you won’t always line up in exactly the same way so try bunching the three together, or spreading them out, or setting them up at different depths. You can practise this in training by seeing how many times out of ten your three attackers get over the line.
Here are some activities to help work on the skills:
Players sometimes try to be too complicated when there may be easier ways to move the ball into space. This session works on developing running and passing skills against different defences. Players should run angles at a defensive overload and straight lines if they have an overlap. MORE
Create a numerical advantage when defensive numbers are equal to the attack. Rather than looking for space, use "unders" and "overs" play to isolate the defender and creating a numerical advantage that originally did not exist. MORE
Transitions are great opportunities to score or win the ball back. They’re also a dangerous moment to lose the ball. By supporting your players to better understand transitions, you can help your team be more effective when winning the ball back: increasing their chances to score; and more effective when losing the ball: increasing their chances of winning the ball back and reducing the chances of conceding. MORE
Line speed, that is the defensive coming forward quickly and in an organised state, certainly puts pressure on the attack. However, it’s notoriously tough to coach, even at the senior level. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t start putting in place some organisation. Here are some ideas to work with. MORE
Attacking the same way from each ruck, you set up an easy attacking pattern to work with. But does this become easy to defend too? Is it time to rethink this tactic? Lots of teams default to a “round the corner” pattern of play, which is easy for forwards to work to and gives the sense of a plan. But it’s becoming also increasingly easy to defend and reduces attacking threats and efficiency. MORE
Kicking tactics have changed. With more players in the backfield covering kicks, you now need to savvier with your kicking game. A kicking game is still a key way to jumble up defences. However, defences are staying out of rucks and spreading across the field, thus allowing more players in the backfield. With more players behind the first line of defence, there is less space to kick to. These two factors have meant that kicking has to be more accurate. We cannot get away with kicking the ball long without an excellent chase. We have to think about where we are kicking. MORE
You need to be flexible in your approach to backline defence and suit the strengths of the team you coach. But there are principles you need to keep to be effective in the modern game. COACH THE TEAM, NOT THE SYSTEM I have coached a number of different teams and I think it is important... MORE