Tracking the ball carrier

Set up

A 10m box, split in half lengthways.

What you get your players to do

Put a tackler about halfway up the box on the side, and an attacker on the corner.

Have the attacker walk up the box, moving diagonally towards the far endof the box. He is not allowed to cross the midline.

In the meantime, the defender walks out to meet him. He needs to grab and hold the ball carrier, with his shoulder into his shorts.

Once the players are happy with this, progress to jogging.

Look for

• Defenders keep balanced and on their toes.

• Head position of the tackler.

Development

• Increase the speed of the attacker.

• Have the attacker start in the middleof the whole box but only run downthe far channel, so the defender hasto run across 5m before he tackle him.

Notes

• Set up two or three boxes if you havemore than six players.

• Make sure you rotate the players sodifferent players tackle the better players.

• It is better if the ball carrier holds the ball in two hands.