Rugby: Mistakes Cost – Touch Variation

Tell the players: The player in possession of the ball when the coach blows their whistle has to run around the cone at the end of the grid to try and run the full length of the grid to score a try. The player from the opposition in line with the player that is running can try to stop the player scoring by running around the cone and tagging the runner before they reach the line.

• For tag rugby players, provide all players with tags. In other variations decide on touch or contact, depending on how warm the players are - and your training goals.
• Provide coaching on the go with encouraging feedback.

• 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, but there will be some light contact.
• 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, it will be their job to move the ball from the back of the maul and out to an attacking line.
• 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 stop and turn, a maul is then built based on how you have trained your players to Maul. Only four players should be in the maul - but every player should be able to maul - including the backs!
• When you start playing this game make sure that the defence is employing your defensive pattern around the maul. They will commit 4 players, but will not do anything more than provide light resistance.
• Once formed the maul can take four steps before moving the ball. If there is a delay in creating the maul, or the quality of the maul is poor - the ball can be turned over.
• 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!
• If a team has been in possession for a long time, don't forget to turn the ball over to give the opposition a run.
• Don't hesitate to shape the game to focus on your session goals, and let us and other coaches know what worked for you.

Players lie flat on their back and bend their knees together and press them against the floor.

Slowly move the knees left and then right on the ground.

• The players behind start running around the circle in a clockwise direction.
• When the coach shouts ATTACK, each player must get back to their partner - staying outside the circle and moving clockwise.
• They must get through their partners legs before getting to the center of the circle and steeling a ball, then carrying it back and passing it to their partner.
• The team/group that does not get a ball is LEFT OUT!
• Make sure that you have something for the players that are out of the main game to do.
• Have the players return their ball to the center of the circle, but reduce the number of ball in the center of the circle by one. So if there are 7 groups left, there should only be 6 balls. The players swap roles in their groups, so the previous runner is now static.
• Start the game again.
• Experiment with the number of balls in the center of the circle - to make the game harder or easier.