Filed under: Dan Cottrell, Rugby Coaching, Rugby Skills, Rugby Training | Tags: rugby body angles, Rugby Drills, rugby session planning, rugby tackling, tackling session
I have written over nine seasons worth of different sessions I worked out today.
Here is a sketch of a session that I made two weeks ago, which I expanded upon to make up part of three different sessions.
If anyone else wants to send in their sketches, it would be great to build up a gallery…
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, Rugby Coaching, Rugby Skills, Rugby Training | Tags: fast hands, rugby catching, Rugby Drills, rugby handling, Rugby Skills, Rugby Training
This week I was asked to come up with some fast hands rugby drills. As some of you know, I am not a great fan of the term “drill”, but it matters little in the end because it is what the players learn in training that counts.
Why fast hands
“Fast hands” means quick transference of the ball from one player to the next to the next. In other words, at least one quick pass in a series of two or more passes. Relating this to the game, it is unlikely that we need ”fast hands” for more than three passes.
Game related reasons
“Fast hands” are meaningless unless there is a good reason to pass the ball in the first place. The reason in this case is that the receiver and giver is under pressure in front of him and there is someone better placed to take the ball forward. Two sets of “fast hands” means that two players are under this pressure and so on.
Ultimately, my drill/exercise needs to get to the high pressure stage.
Constructing a drill
In a quick audit of the stuff I have published I find I have over 300 “sessions” to choose from (not all handling of course), plus another 40 odd in the pipeline till Christmas. But why not use a fresh idea.
Here are the three things I think about when constructing a rugby drill
1. Paint a picture of the game and can I isolate the technique?
2. What is the fewest number of players I need?
3. Where can I add value?
Point 3 is the crucial one. For fast hands, my answer was “its in the catching”.
Look out for my “drills” coming up soon.
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, Rugby Coaching, Rugby Skills, Rugby Training | Tags: Rugby Drills, rugby passing, Rugby Skills, rugby spin passing, rugby tackle, rugby techniques, rugby testing, spin pass
No commentary with these exercises, but they are taken from clips from the University of Queensland Rugby Academy. I think they are part of their testing process
There are some key factors to note:
1. Leg drive in contact - the “conqueroring” player is on his feet driving longer than the losing player in contact.
2. Narrow arms before contact, not spread.
3. In the passing sequence, the “whip” of the hands to accelerate the ball through to the target.
Interestingly the passes dip before they reach the receiver - what are the reasons for the dip? (I will post those soon…)
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, Rugby Skills, Rugby Training | Tags: 2nd row, academy, alun wyn jones, coaching kids, coaching skills, offiside, online drills, Ospreys, Rugby Coaching, rugby decision-making, Rugby Drills, rugby environment, rugby sessions, Swansea University, Welsh international
I watched three different rugby sessions today.
And I cheated.
All the sessions were all online. Two were from Youtube and one was from an email I got sent by a rugby coaching business. As you know, I am a magpie for all things to do with rugby coaching, so I looked at them carefully. I came to one unfortunate conclusion.
But before I tell what the conclusion is, I want to tell you about something I observed last night at another training session.
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, Rugby Skills, Rugby Team Management | Tags: 22m, back row moves, backs moves, corner flag, ELV, ELVs, hooker, kick and chase, lifting in the lineout, lineouts, quick throw in, RFU, Rugby Coaching, Rugby Drills, Rugby Tactics, rugby techniques
The ELVs will affect your rugby tactics and you need to decide how you will change your coaching and rugby drills.
Many of us have no firsthand experience of the new laws in action, so it is important to glean as much information from those who have. One way is to look some video footage to understand which rugby techniques you are going to adjust.
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, Rugby Skills, Rugby Training | Tags: rugby attack, rugby defence, Rugby Drills, rugby turnover, turnover ball
Here is an exercise I use to get rugby players to think quickly about changing roles, from defending to attacking or the other way round.
The video clip shows a fairly low intensity start to the rugby session, where is there is plenty of feedback on what to do and how to do it. I asked the players to offer the solutions, emphasising the need to push and pull defenders with angles and footwork before contact.
Also, when making the transition, the attacker should accelerate into the gaps, not waiting for supporters, otherwise the defence can quickly reorganise.
This was the first time these boys had used this exercise, but they were a skilful bunch of u18 club players. Subsequently, one has become an academy player (the Ospreys) and four have signed for local semi-professional sides. The rugby drill can be run for levels of player though and I have used it from u10 upwards.
Filed under: Better Rugby Blog Guests, Rugby Coaching, Rugby Skills, Rugby Team Management, Rugby Training | Tags: Jason Lewis, rugby coach educators, Rugby Drills, rugby session, rugby tips, UKCC rugby courses
Jason Lewis, one of the UKs most experienced rugby coach educators, challenges you to look at this video
clip and see what might be wrong with the delivery of this session.
Well, looking at this video, it could be argued this is good rugby session.
The coach taking the session is confident, active and enthusiastic. It seems that he is offering some good advice on demonstrations.
However look and listen more closely.
- How has he organised the group who he is presenting to?
- How much information is he offering?
- What sort of feedback do the watching rugby coaches give him?
On the UKCC rugby courses, we encourage coaches to ask questions and involve the audience. We want the people who are being coached to be involved in their learning because this is more powerful than just being told what to do. This should be done in a good learning environment.
Points of interest: arising from the video.
1. All the coaching was one way. There were no opportunities to think about what was being said or apply it.
2. Ironically he talks about feedback, but doesn’t give much opportunity for it.
3. In terms of the content, it could have been much stronger. For instance, the feedback he talked about is “often and immediate”, but maybe it could be little and delayed allowing greater player reflection and self learning.
4. Again in content terms, demonstrations should require players to “feel” what works and doesn’t work.
5. Did you notice at least one participant having to shade his eyes? He might have organised the setting better.
6. When you give a demonstration, it is better to not talk and demonstration yourself at the same time.
7. There was way too much information.
Whether you are going through some simple rugby drills or just giving out some top rugby tips, you still need to think about the learning experience.
Filed under: Dan Cottrell | Tags: Better Rugby Coaching, Rugby Coaching, Rugby Tutoring, Rugby Drills, Rugby Team, RFU community coaching
I have just sat down at my desk to organise my session and I have written down three things I must do
before I jot something down.
1. Write up my observation notes
I watched a coaching session last week and put some notes down on a piece of paper. I have hundreds of these scraps lying around with pictures of rugby drills. But they don’t always make sense in a few weeks time unless I put them into a document.
Of course coaches I observe know that there is good chance some of their ideas will find there way into the next Rugby Coach Newsletter. I remember attending a “Tutoring the Tutors” conference hosted by the RFU and the ever ebullient Gary Henderson, now the RFU community coaching supremo prefixing all his answers to me with “and remember gents, you can read this answer next week!” Joking he might have been, but some of his words did reach the readers next week.
It only takes me ten minutes to do. So as soon as I have finished this, I will get down to translating my scribbles.
2. Ask a new question
It is very easy to coach the same things week in week out, changing them to meet the needs of the team from last weekend. I could practise defence and passing with one of my team’s this week. But instead I am going to look at what we haven’t done for a long time.
And I am going to give myself two minutes (after doing the write up) to think about it and then action it.
3. Challenge a coach
We listen to others and learn from them. I read some useful thoughts in the papers the other day about the approach of Martin Johnson, England’s World Cup winning captain and new broom with the team. But the questions were someone else’s, not mine.
I am going to think of an area I want to learn more about and email a couple of guys. Okay I have access to some pretty hot emails, but I am also going to ask some of the coaches who are at grassroots level. They may not have the answer, but they might have a view.
A minute to think of a challenge. Five minutes to write the question (and check it), then a minutes to email it to ten coaches. I might even ring someone this afternoon.
There are my three tasks. You can email or put a comment on this post if you want to “challenge a coach”.
