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LOGINIt’s good to talk
Clear, concise and accurate communication is vital to support play, in attack and defence. Help your players establish the language they need in games.
WHY USE IT
Identify the language that will help team-mates know where they are and when they want the ball.
set up
A 20m square, three 5m boxes. Ruck pads.
HOW TO PLAY
ACTIVITY 1: Allocate a ball to every other player. Have the players run around. The ball carrier rolls the ball along the ground when you shout “Down!”. Give the whole group three seconds to pick up the balls cleanly. Any contact trying to pick up the ball, or failure to pick up a ball, loses the group a life. Give the group five lives and one minute to survive.
ACTIVITY 2: Set up one ruck pad-holder in front of one box, as in the middle picture, and another in between the other two. A ball carrier runs into the side box and passes the ball before the ruck pad-holder makes contact with them. The other ruck pad-holder runs into one of the other two boxes. The support player has to run to the space and shout when and where they want the ball (“wide” or “short”).
DEVELOPMENT: Develop by setting up the ruck pad-holders as in the bottom picture. Now the support players have to shout “left” or “right”.
Coaching points
- If you are better placed than the ball carrier to carry the ball, tell them.
- Be clear when you want the ball and where.
More like this...
- Players run around the box. When you shout “Down!”, the ball is put on the ground
- Another player has to call for the ball and pick it up. The group has five seconds to pick up all the balls
Related Files
- One ruck pad-holder puts pressure on the ball carrier
- The other ruck pad-holder chooses which box to attack. The receiver calls whether to go “wide” or “short” with the pass
- The ball carrier goes forward and passes before they make contact with the pad
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Put a ruck pad-holder at the back
- The ruck pad-holders move into the boxes to force a decision
- The receivers move and call to receive a pass
Dan Cottrell
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