Rugby: Collecting and Catching Difficult Balls

The realignment and depth hands drill is a quick drill to focus the players in sharpening their alignment and depth before a session. You can spend as long or as short on this drill as you need. The aim of the drill is to develop the speed at which players realign themselves, to support their early hand-catch, quick and accurate transfer of the ball to a support player. Set a 5 cones 1.5 meter apart in straight line. This will mark where the players will start the drill from Set 4 cones at a diagonal in line with the starting cones from one edge. This will be the cones that the defending players need to retreat to before coming up to pressure the attacking players. The first attacking player needs to step back 1 meter and will receive the ball from the first defending player who has also stepped back 1 meter to his designated cone Divide the group into 4 attacking player and 5 defending players, there should be a free attacking player The ball starts with the defending player On the coaches call, all defending players need to work back to their designated cone and then come forward in a straight line to their opposite attacking player The attacking players set their own depth to ensure they have time to catch and pass effectively On the coaches call, the first defending player will move back to their cone, once they get to the cone they pass the ball to the first attacking player, and then the first defending player tries to put pressure on the first attacking player The attacking players try to get the ball to the 5th player without being ‘touched’ by a defending player

3 vs 1 vs 1 Ball Carrier passes the ball into the post player and runs across the front of him and receives the ball back. His 2 supporting players then react to his body language and execute 2 x 3 vs 1.

Simple handling drill working on catching, passing and straight line running. Line up in lines of three or four. The feeder plays the ball to the first receiver and player transfer the ball along the line of players.

Coach or feeder standing on the touchline. Player A start five metres away and player B on the five metre channel. Once the coach has fed the ball in the players must complete a simple 2 on 1. If the feeder drifts across the player dummies and runs through.

Two lines of four stand back to back with the ball on the right hand side of each line. On go they both sprint 15m whilst passing down the line and then turn to run back whilst returning down the line to the player who started with the ball.

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. 

Players stand on a blue cone. On Go, the player passes the ball and sprints out to the nearest cone in the middle then back steps back to the next blue cone in line.

Set up a large square with a cone in each corner. Three attacking players start along one side of the square with two defenders in the middle. You can increase the number of attackers or defenders as you wish. Attacker always try to attack across the square. Once the attackers reach the other side of the square they pop the ball to the attackers on the side of the square and not in front of them.

Groups of 6+  Balls Sausages/Bags Cones  Players line up opposite the trinagle of cones set up on the floor with ball in hand.  Player runs at the black cone, as the player runs the coach shouts either yellow or red (cones).  The player with ball then reactes to the colour called and steps to attack that cone.  When reached trhe cone the player must perform a pass back the direction they came to player waiting to recieve. 

Description 3 Sausages Ball    Players work in 4s. A ball is balance donator of the sausage.  The first player does a low chop tackle on the sausage. The second supporting player must try catch the ball before hitting the floor.  Then pass the ball down the line to supporting players. 

Keep your player briefing, brief! Tell your players the folloiwng......... Players should be moving, staying around 5 meters part - running with the ball and attacking space. Players make 10 passes and then: Make figure 8 between legs. Partner does the same after another 10 passes. 10 passes then throw ball up and make a 360 degree turn to catch it before it hits the floor. 10 passes then throw ball overhead and catch it behind back. You might consider asking players to pass the ball with just one hand, off their hip

Simple quick hands down the line. Players line up in fours. A coach or player feeds the ball in and players must hold their depth and use quick hands along the line.