Swerve at pace to avoid defenders

Any ball carrier should be able to swerve to avoid defenders in open field play. Even if they cannot beat them with the move, they will force a “non-aggressive” tackle from the defender, allowing supporting players easy access to the ball. This session develops the skill from the technique through to a game situation using swerving at pace.

Warm up time: 7-10
Session time: 10-15
Development time: 10-15
Game time: 15-20
Warm down time: 7-10

What to think about

Which hand should the ball be carried in? Both hands initially and then the hand furthest from the defender, so the ball carrier can fend off if necessary. Carrying in both hands keeps the defender guessing on the intentions of the runner. Why swerve and not sidestep? A sidestep can be used, but it tends to slow the player down, making him an easier target for covering defenders. What is the difference between a swerve and a sidestep? A swerve does not use a step one way before stepping the other. Instead it uses the weight of the player to shift the defender one way before leaning back the other.

set-up

1. Attack the defender’s inside shoulder by leaning towards them and then driving off on their outside.
2. Execute the swerve at close to full pace, moving the ball into the hand away from the defender.

What you get your players to do

Stand a player with a ball in two hands on a line. Make him lean over to one side and slightly forwards. He should rebalance himself and move forward as late as he can. Once mastered, he can do this walking and then running.