Rugby coaching session to improve movement and support play

Giving direction to the players who do not have the ball is often more difficult than to one who has possession. These players have to second guess the ball carrier's movements, anticipating where the ball will be. Use this Smart Session to improve your players' movements after they have passed the ball.

What you tell your players the session is about

• Improving your passing accuracy.
• Improving your “hand catch” (the ability to catch the ball early so you can pass or run quicker).
• Improving your movement and support play.

What you tell your players to do

• Pass the balls around the square to the receiver at the front of the next group.
• After passing, follow the ball and join the back of the next group.

What to call out

• “Hands up as a target for the passer”
• “Catch the ball in your hands and not against your body”
• “Communicate by shouting or signalling with your hands”
• “Take and give the ball in one smooth movement”
• “Accelerate away quickly to follow your pass”

What to look for

• Players that pass the ball and don’t move. Ensure that movement after the pass is part of the whole technique of passing. The pass now becomes: Catch, pass and move.
• Players who catch the ball against their body. Players must reach for the ball and take it early, which will help keep it off their body.

What to think about

• What type of passes are your team using and which are more successful?
• Is there a marked difference moving the ball from left to right as opposed to right to left?
• Are players passing and then moving, or moving and then passing?

What you get your players to do

Mark out an 8m square. Split your squad into four groups, one at each corner of the square. Place a ball at two of the corners diagonally opposite each other.

On your signal, both balls are passed around the square. After passing, each player moves to the next corner and joins the back of that group.

Session development

• Add two more balls so each corner starts with one.
• Increase the size of the square and ask players to only use spin passes.

How would I put this into a game situation?

Set up a game on a 25m x 40m pitch, ideally with eight-a-side. Play touch rugby and allow four tackles before the ball is turned over.

On the fourth touch, the ball carrier places the ball on the ground. All eight attacking players have to touch the ball before they move 5m back into a defensive line.

Meanwhile, the team now in possession forms an attacking formation. It can only restart the game once all eight of their opponents have touched the ball.

By doing this, the players will learn to support the ball carrier. Especially on the fourth attack. It’s also a great game for getting players back into position.

This article is from Rugby Coach Weekly.