Rugby | Tackling Drills

Groups of 2  Tackle Bags  Cones 1. Warm up light contact Players line up opposite eachother and run to meet each other in the middle. When the coach says so, the coach will leave it late to hold an arm out for the attackers to step too. The Defenders will make a late decision to tackle on either left or right shoulder.  2. Progress to adding bags & defenders turning. This minimalises the time for defenders to make decision and increaces the intensity.  3. Progress on to full live tackle.   Increace the intensity and make sure the players back track back to starting point before starting next set. 

Lay a sausage pad flat on the floor. Working player take a couple of steps in close, sinks their hips and drives the tackle pad forward.

In pairs. Each player grabs one end of the tackle pad. The players wrestle to grab the tackle pad from the other players grasp. Repeat a couple of times.

Close down the space quickly, make yourself big. Keep moving forward with short steps, stay balanced, take contact, grip tight.

Teams of 3 one team with ball. Start with both teams on their own goal line. Team with ball attempts to score Defending team allowed 1 on 1 tackles. When tackled, both players get to feet and ball carrier restarts game with free pass. Knock on, forward pass, in touch all result in turnover ball and free pass Change attacking team after each score.

1. Tracking  Create a V shaoped conned area.  Defender at one end, attacker at the other end.  Attacker attempts to score using footwork, defender has to track them and try stop them by gettign a shoulder on contact to there hips. (50% intensity) 2. 1v1 Track and Tackle In a grid an attacker is positioned on one end and a defender at the other end.  Defender passes to the attacker who attempts to score against the defender within the grid.  3. 1v1 Tackle Channel  Players line up in two lines adjacent to the coned area. Coach shouts go and the front two players run round their end to end up facing each other. The coach passes the ball to the attacker who runs at the defender, and the defender tries to take them down. 4. 2v2 Track and Tackle  10m wide channel, 2 attackers start with the ball while 2 defenders atart at the other end. when instructed the attackers attempt to score agaisnt them. Do continuous reps. 

Step 1:  Both the attacking and defending players complete 2 chop tackles on the tackle sausages.    Step 2: The attacking player picks up the ball, and attackes the opposing corner where the defender is coming from. 

Start with this simple tackling drill with no resistance to the tackle to get your players warmed up and used to contact.

Groups of 2  Tackle bag  An attacker holds a bag 2m away from a defender. Defender hold hands behind his back, while bagholder stands in split stance.  The Defender then does continuous steps and shoulder impacts off each shoulder one after the other.   

Groups of 2  Tackle Bag    An attacker holds a bag 2m away from a defender. Defender hold hands behind his back, while bagholder stands in split stance.  The Defender then does continuous steps and shoulder impacts off each shoulder one after the other.     

Groups of 2  Tackle Bag    An attacker holds a bag 2m away from a defender. Defender hold hands behind his back, while bagholder stands in split stance.  The Defender then does continuous steps and shoulder impacts off each shoulder one after the other.     

Groups of 2  Ball  Hands and arms are introduced.  The attacker holds hands behind his back with the ball.  The Defender does a shoulder hit, and starts to drive his legs (previous 2 stages). Then there arms from being in tight to there chest (boxer) explode around the attacker, aiming to dislodge the ball.  This will add impact and explosivenesss to the hit.     

Groups 2 ball More use of thre hands After the Arms have wrapped around the attacker. Grab onto shorts, shirt anything you can to keep your grip  Stick to the tackle.

Groups of 2  Players get in partners and stand opposite eahcother.  They use footwork to get within eahcother  the aim of the game is to get a hook under the opposingplayers arms and lift them off the floor. 

2 Teams  Ball  Bibs  Tackle touch is a contact game that focuses on technique rather than the power of the contact.  The game is a normal game of touch, however when a touch is made, both ball carrier and defender put their chests to the floor.  They then bounce back up, for the defender to make a low chop tackle.  This takes out alot of the power of the colision and means the defender can focus more on technique. 

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. 

Tackler to stand in a squat position. Player with ball standing (static). Tackler hitting the player with the ball low with their shoulder and driving through. The player with the ball thinking about their own body position, landing on their back and presenting the ball.