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Rugby: L-Shaped Passing

Sportplan rugby has played a large role in my team's love for the...

Heather, Rugby Coach

DESCRIPTION

Lets get the ball and the players moving with lateral passing through the hands. Each training area only needs one ball, and that ball should start with the any of the two players at the very ends of the L.

Tell players to move forward, passing the ball down the line. When the ball gets to the last receiver, that player will pass it to the first receiver in the next line that is waiting to go.
They should advance right away. Allow the players to simply move the ball down the line.

COACHING POINTS

Don't feel that you have to focus on all of the following coaching points, you may have your own. Select the points that most closely match your overall training and session goals.

Players should work to keep the tempo of the session high.
Receivers hands should be out, presenting a target.
Ball carriers carry the ball in two hands.
The pass is weighted in terms of distance, speed, and accuracy.
The pass is only complete when caught.
Players do not spin the ball over short distances and their pass should be sympathetic to the receiver.
Ball carriers pass to where the receiver is going to be, not where they are.
Ball carriers provide a flat ball or a ball that the receiver can run onto.
The receiver attacks at pace, receiving the ball while moving forward at pace.
Players demonstrate good communication . Communication should be efficient, effective, and encouraging. Receivers should identify themselves, their location etc. Ball carriers should verbally seek out support.
Mistakes will be made, allow your players the freedom to make mistakes without feeling a failure.
Passing should be off both hands. There is no weak or strong hand, just hands that need a little more work. Work is the key, not talent.
The ball should be held on either side with both hands, with; fingers spread, the passing hand should be slightly lower, the opposite hand is the guiding hand, raise the elbow on the passing hand, draw the pass across the body with the passing hand raising and progressing over the top of the ball to create the spin, push through the pass with both hands finishing in the direction of the target, keep the point of the ball slightly up and use the wrists to generate more power.
Be careful not to give the players too much to think about e.g. if they are worrying about foot position etc - it may impact on their ability to - just pass the ball. With respect to foot position, the opposite foot to the direction of the pass should be forward (this opens up the hips) - but this won't always be possible in the game.
As this point we have a bigger training area with more distance between the players, so we do want to spin the pass.
We spin the pass to have it cut through the air quicker, moving faster over distance.
Allow players to discover, question - try not to tell.
Speed, Speed, Speed - get the attack to the point where they move/attack at pace.
Have fun!

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OFTEN USED WITH...

2 on 1 Attack and Defence Drill:

Set a narrow grid to attack. Defenders and attackers begin on the touchline in the centre. Both leave at the same time and run around appointed cones, ball carrier should accelerate up towards inside shoulder of defender to draw in and then pass to the support runner coming from depth who can run in and score.

Passing

3 on 1 Attack and Defence Drill:

Set a grid to attack. Defenders and attackers begin on the touchline in the centre. Both leave at the same time and run around appointed cones, ball carrier should accelerate up towards defender channeling them however they want realising that they have two other support runners for different options to run in and score.

Passing

Agility Slalom - Race:

Start with 2 players on the centre cone, each with a ball, and facing each other.

On the shout "GO", they both run backwards to the first cone
They then side step up the grid to the second cone
Next players run through the slalom cones back to the start where the ball is passed to the next players
Next players can only go when each player has received a ball (to ensure each race is fair).

Agility & Running Skills

Beat the defence:

Offensive players (blue), line out in one deep line while the defence (red) line up opposite in a straight line, slightly inside player from the player that they are marking.

The offence will attempt to pass the ball across the line at speed.

Defenders will move up to stop them but do not tackle, simply press. This teachers the attackers to pass under pressure, as they try to pass across the line without making any mistakes.

Passing

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