WARM-UP DRILLS These drills can be used as part of any team warm-up protocol at the start of training. Let the team have 2-5mins on their own warming up, then perform a quick dynamic warm-up (leg swings forward and lateral, 10ea way each leg in pairs, sumo squatsx12). Then perform the drills in about 3mins segments before stopping the team and performing some more dynamic warm-up drills (high knee hug into a forward or lateral lunge with lean back, jogging quad stretch, quick feet into straight legged hamstring, on back knees at 90degs for rotations, and then into straight legged , 1 leg at a time, rotations, hamstring prehab and flick ups (lying on back, 1 leg straight, 1 leg bent, for prehab, using only the heel of the foot of the bent leg, drive opposite straight leg to the sky rising hips in the air, then flick ups, straight leg dynamically and controlled goes up for a stretch, raising butt off the ground if necessary, dynamic glute stretch (in push-up position, take right leg and rotate hips so right leg goes as far across to the left as possible, then straight into the left leg). The whole drill with dynamic warm-up should take no longer than 15mins.

Defensive tracking Aim is to get players both attacking and defending to square hips, stepping off the outside foot, coming around the poles, using footwork and tackling technique.

Attackers, 2 lines

Defenders, 2 lines

Key – = run, not shuffle, = agility pole, = cone Attacking places initiate the drill, as soon as they go, the defenders can start, you can work on the push tackle to work on footwork first, and then have the attackers hold pads, so defenders can hit the pad. Then hand pad off to defender so each player performs 1 attack, 1 defense, and so on.

Fingers Aim is to get attackers to square hips and shoulders, work on receiving and giving a pass under pressure with a defender trying to intercept.

Source of ball

Defender Sprints to intercept ball, and sprints through cones

Key as above, but = ball movement

This drill can be repeated off both hands, so you can have 2 drills going at once, for more player involvement. First receiver calls for the ball and initiates the pass in front of the poles, defender can not go until ball is passed. Scrum half must run 3-5m forwards and backwards after a pass is made.

For progressions, you can add in an agility component to the 2nd receiver, when he catches the ball, he/she runs straight to a coach who gives the player a direction to cut. You can also add in another attacker and another defender. Hands

D D D D

A A

A A A A

This drill is performed right by the posts, and the posts act as a tackle contest (TC) area. The first D (defender) is set up appropriately off the TC, a coach standing at the base of the post, feeds the first A (attacker) the ball, he squares shoulders and attacks the first D, the 2nd D makes a definite decision to run at 1 attacker, and then that dictates what pass the first A passes, either short or long, he then must follow his pass for support. The outside A must call this.

For progressions you can add in a 3rd D behind, so all players must support the ball carrier for another 2v1 situation. 2v1

A A

D D

A simple 2v1 drill. Set the drill up in 2 columns about 5m in width, attackers attack down channel 1, and then loop around and then attack in the opposite direction down channel 2.

Defenders can be passive to start with, and then if a defender intercepts or stops the attackers from scoring, then the defender becomes an attacker and one of the attackers becomes a defender, and a coach call this.

This drill can be expanded for a simple 3v2 drill as well, just by making the channels wider.

You can have multiple channels set up over the pitch so everyone gets involved and has to make decisions at the start of training. And the players practice key skills that they perform on the pitch regularly.