Rugby: Passing Race

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.

Each group forms a circle with players about 1m apart. First practise passing and catch around the circle. Next, the first player to pass runs around the outside of the circle. The player races against the ball to return to his/her start position.

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.

• Brief your players one what you would like them to do.
• Start the activity by having all players pass the ball around the grid in any direction, they should moving around the grid as they do so. The only restriction is that they must pass in order 1 - 2, 2 - 3, 3 - 4, 4 - 5, 5 - 1 and so.
• Progress this exercise by having player 1 become a defender. The other players move the ball to avoid being touched by the defender. So in this example the ball would move in the following sequence: 2, 3, 4, 5, 2, 3, 4, 5.
• After some time, change the defender. Player 2 should now be the defender, the passing sequence changes to: 1, 3, 4, 5, 1, 3, 4, 5 etc.
• Progress this exercise further by choosing random defenders, attackers will quickly need to work out the passing sequence.
• If attackers get the passing sequence wrong, they do 1, 2, 3 etc. press ups - the defender does not.