Rugby: Lateral Pass

Set out the targets for the season and develop your players handling skills after an intense physical pre-season. Put the final touches to your game with this session.

Attack the space! Develop your players' speed, reaction and decision making to improve their ability to get through holes in defences.

Fast hands = Fast Passing. Get your team passing at speed to change the point of attack and attack the space!

Tell the players the following:

• Lets just get the ball moving down the line. Give the player at the start of one of the lines a ball, tell the line to advance using lateral passing - with the last player in each line passing the ball to the first player in the opposite line.
• Players should change positions in the line following each attack.
• Focus on the coaching points - the drill is only a means to an end. No spin passing.
• When you feel that the players are executing the short pass to your satisfaction - add in more pressure by have two opposite lines run at once.
• Once the teams have master that - lets get all four units running at one. The firt two groups go, when they each the mid-way point - the second two groups go. This will mean that all four gourps will be working at one.
• The groups keep moving unit you tell them to stop.
• Devlop this by alowing players to attack and be creative in their attack e.g. loop, M1, etc.
• There will be lots of traffic, they need to stay on their toes and work hard to keep the attack and the ball alive.

Tell your players the following......

1. The ball carrier (A) runs straight in a line and makes a normal lateral pass to the supporting player (B)
2. After passing the ball A runs towards and behind B
3. After B catches the pass they angle their run towards the direction the pass has come from and so create space
4. A runs around B and straightens as they receive the pass
5. In effect you want the players to loop around the new ball carrier after they make their pass.

Tell your players the following......

1. There will be one ball to each group, any player can be the ball carrier.
2. Each group will have one defender, the defenfer will not have to go around the cone.
3. On GO, the group moves towards the closest cone.At the cone, the players spread out and attack the line at pace and with width.
4. They should realign following the attack left, to attack again right.
5. When the second groups sees the first group complete their first set of passes, they should begin without waiting.
6. The defender should swap with another player in their group.

Variations:

1. Make the training area small to force quick hands.
2. Make the training area wider to increase the length of the pass.
3. Allow players to be creative in attack.

• Using just one hand they should pass the ball to each other.
• The pass should come from on, or behind the hip.
• They should make 10 passes on one hand, and then 10 passes on the opposite hand.
• That's it, lets get going - it's a race. 
• Any dropped balls - and your group has to start again.
• That's it, get working.