Don't let players think too much...

In a social experiment, shoppers were directed to a booth in a supermarket on different days.

On one day, it had only a few jars of jam to select from; the other day, it had many.

Rationally, you would’ve thought shoppers would prefer to have more choices. However, the experiment proved most shoppers preferred fewer choices, and sales were 30% higher on the day with fewer jams.

It is similar when it comes to planning your coaching and playing rugby. When faced with many choices of which plays to use or skills to employ, players much prefer the choices to be made for them – or certainly simplified.

It is not that players necessarily always want to be told what to do; but too many thoughts can clog up the decision-making process.

That’s why the best coaches always have a knack for simplifying the game. They cut straight to the most essential choices.

They also make sure the player knows why. Therefore, if the situation changes, they realign their thoughts properly.

For example, it makes sense to attack the blindside from a scrum 15m infield on the right-hand side of the field. But if the opposition puts another defender over, and the scrum wheels, what next?

Now, the choices should be equally simple. Over time, I’ve learned to curb my enthusiasm for too many new backs’ moves for one season. Instead, the most effective method is to have a few different plays but with a couple of options based on what the opposition does.

The more players understand the ‘why?’, the better they can make informed choices.

How do you teach this aspect of the game? One way is to make sure the brighter players lead the play. They must be convinced it might work. You can do this by discussing the play’s benefits before introducing it. If they disagree, that might be a good reason to reject the plan.

Choice is good; too much choice is bad. Your job is to narrow the options.