Rugby | Handling Drills

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. 

This drill will develop your players ability to regather difficult balls and make offloads.  Working in groups of three, one player is practicing the skill at a time.  The practicing player throws the ball to two other players who are holding balls. These two players bounce the ball back and the practicing player has to gather the ball without knocking it on. Progression   Now the practicing player holds two balls. He has to offload and then regather the ball with one hand.

Groups 9+  Ball Cones This could be perfect fro a warm up drill.  Player with the ball runs to first cone and performs a pull back pass to the second receiver then onto the 3rd. When the ball reaches the third the 3rd reciver runs to the cone and performs a pull back pass back inside the the 2nd reciver in the next line.  This is continuus and should be short and fast pase.

This drill is designed to work on the loop; on of the simplest and most effective ways to create your own overlap/space out wide Start with three attackers and three defenders using tackle bags in front of them. Attacker 1 passes to attacker 2 and begins to loop around. Player 1 should then receive the ball back and his next aim is to fix the third defender. Attacker three should make his way out to the edge where the space has been created. Attacker 1 then passes to attacker 3 who has space to get around the defence. Using this drill will develop your players handling under pressure and their attacking vision and ability to create space

Highlights the importance of attacking from depth and letting the ball do the work in attack. Team of four attackers versus three defenders. The teams line up opposite each other face to face. On the shout of GO, each team retreats a few yards and the ball is passed to the nearest attacking player. The attackers then quickly pass the ball along to the next teammate in the line as they step up. The defenders try to get close down the attackers.

Players run in any direction in the grid trying to avoid contact by running into space. When the teacher calls stop, all players must be at least 1m from the next nearest player. Pass the ball around your back at the same time. Option : throw the ball in the air and catch as you run around

Groups of 15 Ball  Bags   Groups of 3 on all sides of the grid, with 2 defenders in the middle. Players attack 2 defenders trying to beat them with fixing them and footwork.  Offload when got through to any of other teams.  Continuous drill to score as many tries as possibel in 1 min.   

Groups 10+  Balls  Cones  Sausages. 1. Chanel Fix  Groups of 5.  Attack sausages lined up one behind eachother.  They must use footwork to step to a side of the sausage and then give a pass before running into/past it. 2. Passing Grid - Static Defenders  Normal 3 man passing grid, however with sausages placed in the middle. Players run forward use footwork to beat the bag and give the pass back inside. (pass before the sausage). 3. Passing Grid - Moving defenders.  Same as above but instead of sausages, use moving defenders with bags. 4. Passing Grid - Starting on corners. Groups of 4 start on each corner with 2 defenders in the middle.  The attacking line must get around the corner and square up to beat the 2 defenders.  At other end give to next group and start again.  Continuous.  5. Final Game  Groups of 3 on all sides of the grid, with 2 defenders in the middle. Continuous drill to score as many tries as possibel in 1 min.  Focus on all skills above. 

Groups 16+  Cones  Attackers and defender line up at the start of the grid.  The grid is 3 chanels all of differnt widths.  attackers set off one way aorund the cone, defenders set off the other way. (2v1 or 3v2)  They must go up and down each channel (3 of them)  completing there passes, fixing the defenders.  Defenders must be passive or it will ruin drill. 

A quick drill to focus the players before going into a session or at the start of a match day warm up. The aim of the drill is to develop early hand-catch, quick and accurate transfer of the ball to a support player. Set 4 cones 3-5 meters apart on the 5 meter line. This will mark the starting point for your players. Set up cones opposite on the try line Ask your players to line up behind each cone. The ball carrier runs out to the cone opposite and passes to the next player Once the player on the end receives the ball, the drill changes direction and the ball goes back in the direction it came from

6 players +  Balls Players stand around a coach holding ball. The players then throw a second ball at the coach, he uses his ball to defelct the bal in differnt directions back at the players  The players must try and catch the ball.  If the players drop it they go to the bottom of the line. Winner is the one who finishes at the top.

1) Run out (2 steps) turn and pop ball to a support player. 2) Run out (2 steps) turn and let support player take it out of your hands. 3) Run out - go to floor (facing support runner). Chest pass up to support. Progression: Support player tells person in front which of the above he wants.

Here are two games to improve your players grip on the ball: 1. Simple grip battle (0.00-0.14) Two players have one ball between them. This is a grip battle where the players are trying to take the ball from each other.  Tell your players to focus on how they are gripping the ball and using grip strength rather than by moving their feet or hips. 2. Competitive grip game (0.14-1.04) Set up an area with cones and give half of the players a ball. The players without the ball are trying to knock the ball out of their hands. The players with the balls are trying to stop that happening. Either play that when all the balls go down the defence wins. Or play when a ball goes down those two players swap roles. (1.04) Have players work on the hand off and ball transfer in pairs and then play again and see the difference.

The player with the ball keeps it secured under one of his arms. The opposition player then works hard for ten seconds, trying to reach and get the ball from the opponent, who is holding onto the front of their shirt with a strong arm.

Players line up on the left hand side of each gate and they start in a line, 5m down from the first gate. The player on the left starts to run with the ball and as he passes the gate, must pass through the agility poles to the receiver. The receiver collect and runs straight and does the same.

On GO, the ball carrier sprint across the grid with ball in two hands and pass to front player of opposite group.

These drills are perfect for players to work on there handling skills before a session starts. The key is to challenge eachother and have fun.  Each Game involves a game that will improve you handling and reaction time.   

1) Run outside cone with ball (either side) and on to other group. 2) First three people in each group with a ball - six people on the move. 3) No contact

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

On the coach's call players run through the slalom. As they pass each cone they have to pass the ball around their waists.