TAG rugby tactics that actually make sense

TAG and tactics are not something that should go together. The main aim of playing TAG is to give many players a chance to run, evade, and sometimes even pass! Above all, it is about movement, engagement and fun.

Tactics are how you organise yourself or your team organises themselves to beat an opponent. For example, in tennis, you might hit the ball to an opponent’s backhand because you know that it is weak.

In rugby, you might kick out of your own half because you want to reduce the risk of losing the ball in dangerous areas.

Therefore, in TAG rugby, we want to pose some tactical questions but not make them onerous or vital.

Onerous: a player feels under pressure to perform in a certain way.
Vital: the player or the team cannot function without the tactic.

Here are three tactics you can use which give your players more ball time without feeling under pressure from the tactic.

Attack the third defender

From a free pass, which goes to a static attacker, give that attacker a target. 

Don’t tell them to run to space. That’s a tough concept for a young player to picture when facing a wall of defenders.

Instead, tell them to run AT the third defender along in the line. So, that’s not the defender in front of them, or the defender next to that defender, but the next one in the line.

As they reach them, they should aim to BEAT them with some footwork. This is something you will be doing in your training anyway. So, here’s a good chance for them to try it out.

The rest of the team will know where the free pass attacker is going and will be able to support them.

2.     Only pass to your close family

There’s an old French support system called the family of the ball. You can find out more about it here.

For TAG rugby, the players who are only one short pass away from the ball carrier are close family, so brothers and sisters.

You can tell the players that if they get tagged they should only pass to a brother or sister.

This may reduce the number of times a player turns and passes to a friend rather than a player who is in support.

You can praise players who are good “close” family players, even if they don’t receive the ball that often.

3.     Fill the field

Designate two players as the touchline terrors. Every time there is a free pass, one stands on one touchline and the other far touchline.

Not only does it give the illusion of width, it also creates some exciting outcomes.

First, it reduces the congestion around the free pass.

Second, since a ball carrier tends to run to the edges, it gives an immediate support player.

Third, the ball carrier has a sense of the edges of the pitch because they have a touchline terror guarding it, albeit in attack!

Swap the touchline terrors every couple of minutes.