Rugby coaching session to develop catching skills

Turning exercise

Split your team into pairs with one ball. The working player faces away from the ball carrier. He is on the balls of his feet and in position to react fast to any trigger.

The ball carrier shouts “GO” and passes the ball. The working player reacts to the call, turning round to catch the ball. He stays on the balls of his feet throughout, retaining his balance.

The “GO” call should be made just before the ball is thrown to let the working player get used to the exercise.

Develop the exercise with players throwing the ball simultaneously with the call. As your players improve they can also make the passes progressively harder to catch.

Step towards the pass – don’t lean

Remind players that if they have to move to catch the ball the feet should do all the work. They should never have to lean to catch a pass.

Variations for goalkeeper handling

1. Vary the types of pass so the player has to move to the ball, jump and crouch down to make an effective catch.
2. Use different types of balls to make the exercise progressively harder. Miniature rugby balls, tennis balls or golf balls can be used to improve the catcher’s skills. Always insist the ball is caught in two hands.
3. Develop the exercises so that once the player has caught the ball he has to give a pass either back to the starting player or to another player to his side.
4. Once the player catches the ball he has to perform a set action. This can be anything from a simple run to a complex skill such as beating a defender one-on-one.

This article is from Rugby Coach Weekly.