Rugby: Catching a high ball

6x6m Grid  Ball  Players line up in 3s opposite sides of the grid.  Simply pass the ball along the line.  1 defender is in the middle of the grid putting pressure on all ball carriers. Once hand completed the next line starts immediately.  Defender swaps out when there is a mistake or when he touches someone with the ball.  Progression: add another defender, make the passes wider. 

3 players, 1 ball, 1 pad. Player with the ball throws up the ball for the player without the pad to run up to jump and catch while the player with the pad puts on the pressure.

Call for the ball! Head and eyes up looking at the ball, get in line with the ball. Quickly move to the ball's 'drop zone' Adjust position to get under ball, hands up and ready to take ball Turn the body to protect during contact and also to avoid a potential knock on if dropped ball Raise one knee to protect yourself from any potential contact (Note: it's illegal to be tackled in the air). As you land on your feet brace yourself for contact.

4 sausages  4 Bags  The sausages and bags are lined up alternately in a line. 8 defenders start lined up outside of the tackle grid. Whistle goes, the tacklers must shuffle across as a team (in a line) to line up opposite a bag or sausage before making a hit. 

8+ players  Ball  Players stand at equal distance away at differnt points along the grid. One working player runs in the middle of the channel.  The players on the outside pass the ball into the running player. The Working player must complete 2 sets of passing - 1 run off each hand. 

<p>• The aim of the drill is to develop reaction catching skills.</p>

Players take it in turns to throw a high pass to one another. 5 high catches each and then swap roles. The pass should be accurate and the focus here is on getting the technique right under the high catch.

Set up a 8 channels of cones 5 metres apart A group of 4 players start on the side line, and all players need to work around the nearest/corner cone. The first player with the ball will run into the nearest channel of cones (lane 1) and all the other players will work around the corner cone and filter into the proceeding channels The 1st player passes the ball as soon as the 2nd player gets into the 2nd channel. The ball is passed down the line of 4 players until the 4th players receives the ball. Once the 4th player receives the ball, the ball is placed down and all the players work around to get into their respective channel to repeat the process.

4 + groups  Balls  All players have a ball, start by passing the ball once left then twice right, then 3 times left etc.  if the ball goes down you start again.  Winning team is the team who competes the most amount of passes without the ball going down. 

2 players, 1 ball. The player with the ball throws the ball up and both player jump up to compete for the ball winner scores the point and throws up the next ball.

The aim of the drill is to develop a high ball over head catch with a support player behind to catch anything over head.

Drill to practice catching high kicks. Set up a grid roughly 15m long and 10m wide. Get a line of players on one side of the grid, and a coach or kicker on the other side. The coach kicks the ball high into the air, the player at the front of the line runs into the grid and tries to catch the kick. Once they have caught the kick they pass the ball back to the coach and join the back of the line. The coach then kicks the ball for the next player in line to catch. PROGRESSION: Encourage players to jump as they catch the ball Add in a defender to put pressure on the player catching the ball.

2 teams, 1 ball with 2 grids diagonally across from each other. Each team is made out of 3 pairs and one float support player. Each pair is a catcher and a support player. When the kick comes over the nearest pair with the floating support player have have to lift the player and catch the ball. After which they kick the ball into the oppositions grid. Points are scored when a team fails to have 2 players lifting the catcher to receive the ball.

in groups of 4 or 5 Player in the middle to support both sides. player with the ball throws or kicks the ball into the air for the player on the other side to be lifted by two players in order to catch the ball in the air. After which the practice is done the other way.

Split your players into two teams in an approx 20mx15m for 12 players. Change this according to numbers. Give every play a ball, they have to hold this in one hand the entire time whilst moving about the grid Work as a team to complete as many passes as possible without dropping the ball Catch and pass the ball in one hand without using the chest as support

Ball  Groups of 3+    2 attackers line up opposite a defender. The defender makes a low leg tackle on the atttacker.  The attacker being tackled tries to get arms free and perfom an offload to the supporting runner.

Players work in pairs with 1 ball. Players throw the ball in the air but over the top of the player that has to catch the ball so the player has to run back and track the ball to catch it.

Players stood close and next to each other on a line. On go player drop back to an attacking line, once ready first receiver calls for the ball and starts running. Player use quick hands down the line, end man puts ball down and they realign on the cones around the corner to go through the hands again. All players then realign off the other hand with the width of both previous hands so much wider passing.

In threes, 1 ball. 1 player throws the ball up for one of the other player s to catch and the third player to put on a little pressure.

Put four cones out to make a rectangle and square 10-15 metres apart. Put two players on each cone along with two players standing in between the cones to make a line of four. On the go the player with the ball runs forward and then its quick hands down the line. When the end player gets the ball they pop to the player on the cone at other end, this player runs forward. The two players in the middle have to turn and go again, working back and forth for ten lengths.