Emergency sessions

Stock regression (to include weaker players)

Magic men game

Progression (to challenge better players)

Coach holds two balls (not illustrated) - this keeps the game moving faster, reduces the time discussing whose ball it is

GAME 2 - Up, down, left, right

Stock regression (to include weaker players)

Outline the direction changes ahead of time to allow players the opportunity to work it out before the rule comes into effect. Reward those that think quickly but lack the confidence to tell others

Progression (to challenge better players)

Get the players thinking. Change the names of the sides of the pitch to North, East, South, West or A, B, C, D. Rotate the attack clockwise 180 degrees

GAME 3 - Three-team game

Stock regression (to include weaker players)

I use lax refereeing for weaker players here to afford them more opportunity to play on after a knock-on or forward pass. Process rewards are key, as is a little chat afterwards to highlight this once the intensity has lowered

Progression (to challenge better players)

Target setting can be made game-situation-specific - for example, three minutes to score two tries to win the game AND three minutes to defend the line to win the game

These games are ones that I refer to regularly. The games themselves are not coaching, but the conditions added or changed to challenge players begin to test them on a single metric related to the original session plan.

The players tend to manage themselves so during the activity I can set up the next one, with one eye on what’s going on, of course. 

Once the game has wound down to a conclusion, it would have highlighted the next area to work on, either in a closed drill or a full, open game. 

 As the players become more familiar with the games and what they are called, there is even less set-up time and sessions can flow quickly and seamlessly.