Filed under: Dan Cottrell, Rugby Coaching, Rugby Fitness, Rugby Skills, Rugby Training, top tips | Tags: Better Rugby Coaching, coaching, handling, juggling, passing skills, using tennis balls
August 7
Improve your handling in pre season. Easy question?
Er…do all you fitness training with a ball? Is that enough?
No!
Here are five pre season tips to improve your handling:
1. Play touch rugby where the type of ball changes after every try. Rotate with a tennis ball, golf ball, basketball, soccer ball, flat rugby ball, wet rugby ball (bucket needed), over pumped rugby ball.
2. Play “hot potato” rugby netball where a player can only hold the ball for three seconds.
3. Drop balls punishment: juggling tennis balls. If a player drops a ball in the game, he has to go to the side and juggle three tennis balls for five rotations. If he cannot juggle then he has the bounce a ball two tennis balls on the ground at the same time and catch them, repeating that five times.
4. Wrap a sock around the palm of the dominant hand. Now go into passing exercises and games.
5. Pass blindfolded. Get the feel of the ball.
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, Rugby Coaching, Rugby Skills | Tags: coaching u9s, coaching under 10s, handling skills, passing skills, rugby good practice, rugby templates
What you see is what you correct.
You need to know what is right, and right for the players you are coaching. Expectations must be managed.
This picture, taken from one of my Under 9 training sessions, shows a great template. I would like to think it happens all the time, but it doesn’t!
What is good:
1. The passer is balanced, hips towards the intended target with both hands on the ball.
2. The passer is looking at the target.
3. The receiver is making a target with his hands.
4. There is a support player coming at pace, and calling for the ball.
5. One of the defenders is moving forward to close down space.
What could be improved:
1. The receiver could be generating more pace onto the ball.
2. The support player could be deeper.
3. The inside tackler could be closing down the space.
We could take more pictures and video at training. There are plenty of other pictures from this session which show why Under 9s tackle poorly. Being used to tag, they don’t engage with the shoulder. I need to help my players work on that.
