Rugby coaching tips to get players falling safely

Tell your players to:

• Use knees, hips and shoulders to impact on the ground, not the arms.
  
  
• Progress slowly, increasing the level of contact.
  
  
• The ball carrier needs to know how to fall as much as the tackler needs to know how to tackle.

Get your players to:

• Slowly increase the level of intensity.
  
  
• Make sure every player practises with a ball held in both hands.
  
  
• Make sure all players fall to the ground correctly – with no hands out to break the fall.

Falling drill

Get your players to practise falling to the ground. The order of contact with the ground is:

• Knees.
  
  
• Hips.
  
  
• Shoulders.

Static tackle rugby drill

This rugby drill involves the middle and end sections of a full tackle. One player puts one foot in front of the other (heel to toes) while holding the ball in two hands. Another player is then shown the ideal tackling position and grip. He takes up this position.

The tackle for this advanced position is made, ideally, onto a mat or pad. Check both players have fallen properly.

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