Rugby: Everyone Gets A Second Chance ? Touch Variation

• Be brief when telling the players the laws of this game, it's important to get them moving quickly.
• This is not a contact game.
• Break your players into two teams, giving each team their own colour of bibs if necessary.
• One team goes to attack, and one to defence.
• Nominate a Scrum Half for each team.
• There is no kicking in this game.
• Normal laws of rugby apply e.g. a forward pass will result in the ball being turned over to the opposition.
• If an attacking player is touched: they must go to ground, present the ball, two of their teammates ruck over (staying over the ball), and the Scrum Half moves the ball for the next phase of attack.
• When you start playing this game make sure that the defence is employing your defensive pattern around the ruck. As the game develops consider telling the defenders that they must have one or more players at the back of the ruck, if they are not fast enough to do this - push them back 10 meters.
• It’s important that defenders are employing their defensive pattern behind the primary defensive line.
• Have attacking players do what they normally would at the ruck.
• Depending on your goals decide on the number of touches you wish to allow e.g. unlimited is not a bad option as mistakes will be made!
• When you feel the time is appropriate, usually during a ruck, blow you whistle and should FLIP IT – kicking in or throwing in a second ball to the back 3/2 defenders on the team currently in defence OR just kick it behind the defenders. The defensive team goes, without hesitation, into attack. The team that was attacking goes into defence and you or an assistant coach remove the other ball from play when you can. Ideally you might have two balls with different markings.
• Don't hesitate to shape the game to focus on your session goals, and let us and other coaches know what worked for you!

The following are the laws for this game:

• Equal number of defenders and attackers. Use bibs to identify both teams.
• Normal laws of rugby apply; a knock on etc. results in a turn over.
• The attacking team gets 8 touches before the ball has to be turned over. Change this to suit your training goals. It would be ok to have unlimited touches, changing the defence and attack after a set period of time.
• A player is touched only when two defenders have all four hands on them, if this is not the case - the attacker can play on.
• Defenders cannot hold the attacker, nor can the attacker use significant force to push through defenders.
• If a player is touched: they stop, set the ball down, stand over it, and the scrum half is allowed to move the ball again to restart the attack.
• The defence must remain onside following a touch.
• Only when the support player passes the ball out can the defence press up on the attack.
• If the defence goes offside or operates illegally, the attack gains 10 meters.
• Don't forget to switch the teams around.
• There is no kicking.

The following are the laws for this game:

• Normal laws of rugby apply; a knock on etc. results in a turn over.
• The attacking team gets 8 touches before the ball has to be turned over. Change this to suit your training goals. It would be ok to have unlimited touches, changing the defence and attack after a set period of time.
• A player is touched only when the defender has made a two handed touch, you can change this to one hand if you wish.
• Defenders cannot hold the attacker, nor can the attacker use significant force to push through defenders.
• Defenders who make a touch run to the furthest in goal area and back before being back to re-join the defensive line. You will find that several defenders will be making their way forward and back at any given time.
• If an attacking player is touched while in posession of the ball: they stop, set the ball down, stand over it, and the scrum half is allowed to move the ball again to restart the attack.
• The defence must remain onside following a touch.
• Only when the support player passes the ball out can the defence press up on the attack.
• If the defence goes offside or operates illegally, the attack gains 10 meters. Don't forget to switch the teams around.
• Tries only, no conversions - keep the game tempo high.
• There is no kicking.

• Within each group of 10, there should be 4 attackers and 6 defenders.
• The defenders should be in the outer grid and the attackers will be in the inner grid.
• The defenders cannot enter the inner grid.
• The players can pass the ball in any direction inside the inner grid, and can move around as much as they like.
• When they attack outside the inner grid, they can only use non forward passes.
• The aim of the game is for the attackers to touch the ball down outside the outer grid, without getting touched.
• If the attacker gets touch, they swap places with the defender that touched them - they become a defended and the defender now becomes an attacker.
• Decide on two handed or one handed touch, it's your call.
• You might also decide to give your four attackers a period of time and unlimited touches before switching defensive and attacking players.
• Don't forget to give everyone a chance in attack and defence.