Second touches: a key essential of support

’Second touches’ is a term that describes the action of a player working off the ball after a pass to receive the ball again.

This is generally from a loop or run around, where the ball carrier passes the ball and then moves around a second attacker to receive it again.

It also describes the action of players working to support the ball carrier, looking to provide offload support post-contact. 

Having a team with players looking for second-touch opportunities gives the ball carriers the confidence to try to get their arms free to look for offloads.

These types of attacking options are a great way to add another attacker into the line while checking the defensive press. 

It is an attacking option that can work against both types of defences, checking and holding a drift defence or getting inside and through a blitz defence.

Against drift defences, the second attacker can square up and sit down their defender, stopping them drifting onto the next attacker. The looper can then attack around the corner of the second attacker. This creates an extra attacker to utilise.

Against blitz defences, the loop player (the first attacker) must attack inside the third defender. That means running at the space between the second and third defender.

The third defender will be racing up at the third attacker in the line, so the looping player takes a pass from the second attacker running at that space.

To be successful, it requires the receiver to hold, check or commit the second defender, by running at their inside shoulder. 

If the defender follows the ball carrier, then the loop-pass back to the second attacker will work. 

If the defender starts to move off the ball carrier, towards the loop player, then the ball carrier can look to dummy pass and accelerate through the gap. 

It is important when coaching this move that the players understand the body cues the defence give off and react to them.

JARGON BUSTER

• Sit down: make the defender plant their feet to make a tackle

   

• Square up: make the defender face forward, not drift across

   

• The corner: the space in the attacking line next to another attacker

Activity for second touches