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passing drill DRILLS
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Continuous passing drill

Groups 9+ Ball Cones This could be perfect fro a warm up drill. Player with the ball runs to first cone and performs a pull back pass to the second receiver then onto the 3rd. When the ball reaches the third the 3rd reciver runs to the cone and performs a pull back pass back inside the the 2nd reciver in the next line. This is continuus and should be short and fast pase.

Handling

Kamikaze Passing

Passing drill under pressure. Set up a grid roughly 20m x 15m, with lines of 4 players facing each other across the grid. Each line of 4 needs a ball. The first line on each side of the grid starts running to the other side of the grid while passing the ball along the line. When those teams reach the half way point (white cones) the other two teams begin. When teams approach eachother they need to avoid running into eachother/dropping the ball but will need to continue to pass the ball along the line.

Passing

Right Angled Passing Drill

Drill to practice passing. Set up a right angle (L-shape) with lines of 4 players on each side (see diagram) The ball starts at one of the outer ends and the players pass it down the line, when it reaches the end of the line the fourth player passes the ball off to the first player in the next line (see diagram). They then pass the ball down the line and pass it off to the first player in the next line, and the drill repeats. After completing their pass players should run through and join the back of the next line.

Passing

L-Shaped Passing Sevens - Rugb...

Lets get the ball and the players moving with lateral passing through the hands. Each training area only needs one ball, and that ball should start with the any of the two players at the very ends of the L. Tell players to move forward, passing the ball down the line. When the ball gets to the last receiver, that player will pass it to the first receiver in the next line that is waiting to go. They should advance right away. Allow the players to simply move the ball down the line.

General

2 v 1 Passing - Rugby Drills, ...

This is a simple 2 v 1. The two players have to get past the one defender without being touched, that's it. The defender will start 10 meters back, and can move anywhere inside the box. The attack must remain inside the box and all pass msut be legal. Don't forget to change the defender.

General

Pull Back Passing Passing - Ru...

Passing in groups of 4.Have two lines set up parallel about 3-5m apart: in this case Yellow and Orange.Have players stand on yellow (back) lines in rows of 4.The first player in the row has a ball. They jog up the orange (front) line and pass back to the next player on yellow line, who then jogs forwards to the orange line and passes back etc. The passer re-organises back to the yellow line ready to receive a pass when the direction changes. When they reach the end of the row, do the same in the other direction.

General

Spin Passing Passing - Rugby D...

Give each training area one ball to start with and 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. When you feel that the players are executing the short pass to your satisfaction - add in more pressure by having two opposite lines run at once.

General

Continuous Passing Square 1 Pa...

Set up 4 cones in a square, and get the players to form equal lines behind each cone.The ball starts with a player on one cone who runs towards the cone to his right and passes the ball across the square to a player from the next cone running onto the ball. He catches the ball and continues his run, passing the ball to someone from the next cone running onto the ball.Change the direction which the ball is goingProgressions:Get the players to change direction on your command (shout/whistle)Multiple balls at a timeAs a group must complete 10 successful passes before the session can move on, every time a ball is dropped the whole group does an exercise (e.g. 10 press ups).

General

Passing Along The Line Passing...

Simple hand drill that can be progressed onto many simple backline movements. 1 ball, 4 players, area of 20-30m by 20m 1st player starts with the ball who commences the sequence by running, 2nd player run from depth and receive the ball then pass to 3rd player who will do the same to the 4th. From this point the order will reverse to get another repetition through everyone's hands so you can score at the end of the grid.

General

3 v 1 Grid Passing - Rugby Dri...

6x6m Grid Ball Players line up in 3s opposite sides of the grid. Simply pass the ball along the line. 1 defender is in the middle of the grid putting pressure on all ball carriers.Once hand completed the next line starts immediately. Defender swaps out when there is a mistake or when he touches someone with the ball. Progression: add another defender, make the passes wider.

General

Static Flat Pass Passing - Rug...

The aim of the drill is to develop a short push pass.

General

Passing circle Passing - Rugby...

Tell your players the following..... There will be 4 players on the outside of the circle, starting at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock positions. There will be one player in the middle. The players on the outside of the circle jog around the circle. The player in the middle will have a ball, and will pass the ball to one of the runners - for them to run onto it. The new ball carrier will pass the ball back to the static player in the middle of the circle. And the same happens again, but the passer cannot bass to the same player twice. Players will have to respond to the calls: SLOW JOG, FAST JOG, FASTER, CHANGE DIRECTION, TOUCH THE GROUD WITH YOUR RIGHT HAND, TOUCH THE GROUND WITH YOUR LEFT HAND, etc. Don't forget to change the static player.

General

Lateral Passing Passing - Rugb...

Drill to practice passing laterally.Set up a diamond roughly 10m wide and 5m long (see diagram).Two players position themselves at either end and one player is in the middle.The player in the middle is running shuttles across the diamond, each time he runs a shuttle he must catch a pass from one feeder, and pass it to the other one before completing the shuttle.Players should do twenty repetitions each and then swap positions.

General

SH Passing Reps Sevens - Rugby...

The sequence of passing on this exercise is as following...... P2 passes to P1, who passes to P4 using a pass from the ground. As the same time P3 passes to P2 who passes to P1, who passes to P3, from the ground. and so the exercise continues. There should be no delay in passes.

General

Crossover Relay Passing - Rugb...

Keep your player briefing short. You may consider having a demonstration group. Give two players opposite each other, one ball each. On your call they will come forward, towards each other, sidestepping to avoid contact before passing the ball either left or right. There should be no forward passes and the players need to communicate to avoid both balls going in the same direction. When the receivers collect their pass - they do the same as the first set of ball carriers. Players that have completed their run and pass within the grid should join the end of the opposite line. Players should seek opportunity to pass off both their left and right hands.

General

Closed Leg Pass Passing - Rugb...

The aim of the exercise is to develop 1 Step Closed leg pass to encourage the attacker to keep square.

General

Passing 1 Step Passing - Rugby...

The aim of the drill is to develop players speed of pass.

General

Switch Drill Passing - Rugby D...

Drill to practice inside running lines (switches) in attack.Set up a 10m x 10m square (green cones) with two attackers (blue) on one side of the square, and one defender (red) on the other side of the square on the left hand side (see diagram).The attacker with the ball runs forward, then diagonally across the square towards the diagonally opposite cone, to get the defender to chase him.The second attacker also runs forward, then switches back across the square towards where the defender has come form.The ball carrier turns towards his outside and passes to the other attacker who is running a switch. They then score over the try-line marked by the green cones.If the defender holds for the switching player, the ball carrier should continue running and score over the try-line marked by the green cones.

General

Short Passing Passing - Rugby ...

Give each training area one ball to start with and 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.

General

Vary the distance Passing - Ru...

In groups of 4 - 1 ball straight hands across. on the other side pass the ball to the next group. Start with 2 close passes and on pass 3 and 4 vary the distance. Players should try to introduce some oni scissors/ behind the ball

General

Passing Box Passing - Rugby Dr...

Tell your players the following....... There should be one group of 4 players between each cone on the four sides of the grid. The ball carrying group will advance - passing the ball down the line. When the ball gets to the last receiver in the attacking line, they will pass the ball to the first receiver in the next attacking line. Simple as that - they should keep going. All four groups must go, in any one cycle of attacks - a cycle is 4 attacks. Progression: Add in one or two defenders, have them work from side to side - rather than closing down space and - don't forget to change the defenders into attack after some time in defence.

General

Passing under pressure Passing...

4 players line up next to each other about 5 meters apart. A defender with a shield is standing 10 meters from the 1st man (ball carrier).The ball carrier runs in a straight line towards the bag, and passes just before the bag touches him. The receiving player needs to keep his depth, as the player with the pad will move across to his line of running, and he will need time and space to pass the ball on to the next receiver.The defender must not press up, only move across, in a straight line.

General

Soft Hands Passing - Rugby Dri...

The aim of the drill is to develop players awareness and passing.

General

Zig Zag Relay Passing - Rugby ...

Tell the players to do the following...... The player with the ball passes to the next player and follows the direction of the ball. The chasing or support player must touch the cone of the player they passed to. The player who receives the ball does the same and so on to the last player who receives the ball and runs around the group to the first cone and restarts the drill. The player returning to their cone, must backstep their way to their starting location.

General

Clapping Game Passing - Rugby ...

Tell your players the following. Lets just get the ball moving clockwise for a while, just to get the ball moving through the hands. After a minute or two, lets switch the direction of the ball. After another minute, tell them the ball can go in any direction, but...... The receiver must clap once before catching the ball - and the passing player must move the ball within 5 seconds. The passer can dummy, and if a receiver claps they must do one or more press-ups. If the receiver doesn't clap and receives a ball - they must do one or more press-ups following their pass. You can also play this game using a word like RUGBY. Each time a play makes a mistake they get a letter. The loser is the first player to get all the letters that spell RUGBY. Some teams and coaches have more interesting and colorful words to spell - I'll leave this to you. Have fun with this!

General

Pass and run Passing - Rugby D...

Tell the players the following.... Player 1 starts with the ball. Player 1 passes the ball to player 2 and then quickly moves off their cone and runs to the cone where player 2 is and back to their cone. Player 2 then passes to player 3, follows the pass to the position of player 3 and back to their starting position. Change your passing hand each time The aim is to for the players to be back in their starting position before the ball returns back, but main thing is that they provide a good pass to the receiving player.

General

Star Wars Passing - Rugby Dril...

The rest of the players are told to stand at one end of the field (they are the Space Pirates). The space police want to try and blow up the space pirates ship as they pass using their space bombs (I know - lots of childish terms there - but adjust the terminology to suit your players - they will enjoy it). Explain to the space police that they are to attempt to pass the ball at the space pirates and attempt to hit them below the shoulders. It won't be a completed pass as the pirates are just trying to avoid getting hit. The space police can move sideways along the edge of space, however, cannot move forward into space. (Police can only enter the space zone and get balls but cannot shoot until they are outside the rectangle). The space pirates can attack when they like, and if hit they can be out - or have more than one life. When an space pirate makes it through space successfully, with out being directly hit by a pass, they wait at the other end till all the other prates make it. You can change the police and pirates around or.... Note: Some younger players will love this game, and some may not! So think carefully about having different groupings that take into account players passing ability (in terms of speed), and if you have a group of players that might not like this game - have them attend a special pass development clinic with another coach.

General

Rugby Baseball Passing - Rugby...

Split your team into two teams. One team will be up to bat/kick and the other team will field. The fielding team should take up positions that they feel will be advantageous to their game plan - don't worry too much about over coaching this - players can learn as they play. The fielding team should have a pitcher/thrower of the ball. It is his job to stand on the pitching mound and to throw the ball as hard as he can toward the hitter/kicker. The idea is to force the hitter/kicker to struggle to catch the ball. A bad throw is considered wide and three bad throws means the hitter/kicker gets to walk to first base. However, three good throws that are dropped will be considered three strikes and the hitter/kicker will then be out. So the pitcher throws the ball, as hard as he can, to the kicker/hitter -who if they catch it can make a kick to space. The kick must land on the pitch, but can bounce into touch. If the kick is caught then the hitter/kicker is out. If not then they can start running. They need to get from 1st to 2nd to 3rd to 4th and then back to where they started in order to score a home run. They can stop at any base and be considered safe. However, runners can be called out when running between bases if the fielders manage to get the ball grounded at any of the two bases they are between.

General

Traffic Passing Warm Up - Rugb...

This passing exercise will keep large groups of players busy passing, running onto, and moving the ball in traffic without the need to spend large amounts of time standing around and doing very little. It's a little confusing to start with, but when the players get going - it's great fun and very busy. Create a large box, the size is up to you and can be varied depending on your coaching goals. Each side of the box should have 4/5 players, more or less if you wish, standing in an attacking passing line - ready to go. You'll need two balls, give one ball to the first player on one of the lines, and the other to the last player on the line opposite. The lines advance passing the ball down the line as they go - they will pass through one another. When the ball gets to the end of the line, the last ball holder passes the ball to the first receiver of the line closest to them - and that line advances. There should be two lines active at any one time, and two lines getting ready to go. I hope that makes sense!

General

Wave After Wave Passing - Rugb...

Keep your player briefing, brief! Tell the players the following or have a demonstration group..... We have 1 scrum half, 4 runners and 3 defenders with tackle/ruck shields. The scrum half starts the attacking line by passing a ball from the ground at the first cone, to the first receiver in the attacking line. The defenders start 10 meters back and press up on the first 3 attackers, leaving the 4th attacker free. The attackers use quick hands to move the ball down the line, before the next cone. The last receiver sets the ball down, the attack line will have realigned, and the scrum half will now be on the second cone of the opposite side of the grid ready to restart the attack. The defenders rush 10 meters back and and once again press up on the first 3 attackers, leaving the 4th attacker free. They keep going until the end of the grid, turn around - and do the same working down the grid. Don't forget to change the defenders.

General

Loop (L1,L2,L3) Passing - Rugb...

Keep your player briefing, brief! It's important to get your players working as quickly as possible. Lets get the ball and the players moving with lateral passing through the hands. Each training area only needs one ball, and that ball should start with the any of the two players at the very ends of the L. Tell players to move forward, passing the ball down the line. When the ball gets to the last receiver, that player will pass it to the first receiver in the next line that is waiting to go. They should advance right away. Allow the players to simply move the ball down the lines, don't mention the Miss Pass. After you feel the players are comfortable, tell them...... Any player can now call an L1,L2,L3,L4 - depending on their position in the attacking line. This means that they can pass and loop round the back of the rest of the attack to collect the ball and continue the attack. An example of this would be: L2, player passes, loops around two other players, and collects the ball in attack. Allow the players to discover, though questioning, the best possible way of executing and calling the (L) move. Players should change position in the line after each run.

General

passing drill DRILL CATEGORIES
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Rugby Fitness Drills and Games

Fitness is a vital part of getting to the line for the full 80. Work on your teams skills and technique whilst putting them under fatigue with a gruelling fitness session.

Decision making under pressure

Test how your players respond to finding space and passing under pressure, as we move forward with the Rugby season.
passing drill ANSWERS
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what does catching the ball between the legs acheive for the players

Archived User Coach

can anyone recommend a good drill for practising the missed pass, besides just passing along a line?

Ask a question and have it answered by Coaches from around the world and IRB Educators.

Archived User Coach

how do i coach the miss pass in rugby?

how do i coach the miss pass in rugby?

Archived User Coach

HOW CAN I IMPROVE PLAYERS ABILITY TO PERFORM THE LATERAL?

HOW CAN I IMPROVE PLAYERS ABILITY TO PERFORM THE LATERAL PASS ?

dean Coach, England

What drill can I use to get U8s to retreat to an onside?

What drill can I use to get U8s to retreat to an onside position after the tag and line up defensively

Rupert Armitage Coach, England

First time coaching U9 and U10s - anyone got any backline coaching tips?

Hi im a first time coach and is still getting the hang of how the technical details of the game works the back line is my department and whould like any help i can get to know what drills to do and anything helpfull in the backline im currently coaching for the under 9 and 10

Archived User Coach

How do I get the back line running straight and fast?

Our back line is very sluggish and drift ,any ideas for simple plan to get them moving straight and fast?

Michael Strain Coach, Wales

Warm up ideas before a game

What are the best warm up drills to do before a game Asked using Sportplan Mobile App

Liam Manley Coach, England

Ball retention skills

How can I improve my U15 ball retention skills? They keep getting stripped or lose the ball in contact.

Noel Hill Coach, England

Improving my 9s attack

How to improve my u9s attack, we very disjointed and 6-7 newbies in first season

Gary Ainley Coach, England

What shall i do for drills, 8-10 year olds

What kind of drills will be good for young player 8-10?

Taylor Suckling Coach, New Zealand

Adding Drills to My Folder

Hi, how do I add a practice from the Drills section to My Folders - e.g. a hockey passing drill into a Hockey folder in My Folders? Thank you.

Andy Kenward Coach, England

How can I train U10s to tackle and pass?

Tackling and Passing to help them out

Jack Murray Coach, Australia

triangle defense

how do you defend properly against triangle passing .. any drill suggestions

Brittany angelica Coach, United Arab Emirates

Tag Rugby Defence drills for kids

Hi, I'm coaching Tag rugby in Japan for ages 8-9yrs. Tryingto help kids stay in a defensive line and not group towards ball. Looking for drill ideas

James Hickling Coach, Japan

U8s crowding the ball

Hey all,Can anyone suggest some drills or tips to try and help my under 8s from crowding the ball carrier, We are finding that all of the team huddle around the ball carrier at Starts / Restarts. I dont want to keep stopping play to tell them that huddling around the ball carrier is not creating the space they need as i sound like a broken record.Any suggestions very welcome.Cheers

Matt Osborne Coach, England

Getting 9-10 year olds to spre...

Getting quite frustrated that my u10's are not using the space on the pitch and tend to bunch up. Despite various drills and game scenarios to force them to spread out and pass to someone in space they revert in any game to bunching up around the ball and taking it back into the thick of the opposition rather than looking left or right! Any ideas how to change their ways?

Ian G Coach, England

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