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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The aim of the drill is to develop a high ball over head catch

The aim of the drill is to develop basic high ball catching skills.

Groups of 8 Ball  Cones 2 sets of 4 players line up back to back. Cones are places 3m apart and 3 in fornt of both set of players. When the coach says go the players must complete 4 passes before reaching the far cones.  Then they must turn and do the same off coming back. (1 rep)  Its a race agaisnt the opposing attackers to compelete the the reps given. 

Groups of 8 Ball  Cones 2 sets of 4 players line up back to back. Cones are places 3m apart and 3 in fornt of both set of players. When the coach says go the players must complete 4 passes before reaching the far cones.  Then they must turn and do the same off coming back. (1 rep)  Its a race agaisnt the opposing attackers to compelete the the reps given. 

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