GAME DEVELOPMENT COACH EDUCATION VOLUME TWO CONTENTS 1.0 COACHING - WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT 2 2.0 SKILL DEVELOPMENT PROCESS 4 3.0 PRINCIPLES OF DEFENCE 6 4.0 PRINCIPLES OF ATTACK 7 5.0 SPECIFIC PLAYER REQUIREMENTS 9 6.0 NATIONAL CODE OF CONDUCT 11 7.0 NATIONAL PLAY SAFE CODE 12 8.0 COACHING ACCREDITATION 12 9.0 MINI, MOD & INTERNATIONAL RULES 13 10.0 GAME DEVELOPMENT STAFF 13 1 Coach Education Game Development 1.0 COACHING - WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT Rugby League experiences a participant churn rate (participants who leave the game) of over 30% (Pathways Review 2010-2015) on an annual basis, this is more than double the national sporting average. Evidence has now proven that a participant’s experience with their club, and in particular their coach, plays a pivotal role in their future involvement in Rugby League. The main issue negatively impacting on the game’s retention rate is the experience a participant and their parents have with their coach. A clubs culture and level of professionalism also play a significant role in a Clubs ability to retain players from one year to the next. Coaching is not about the winning. Period. It’s about creating a positive environment and teaching players how to achieve success. It’s about being in the game, striving to be your best and using every moment as an opportunity to optimize the potential of your players. It’s about making your players better people. Want your team to execute? Then teach them the process. Teach them to never give up, teach them how to get stronger/faster/fitter, teach them the technical skills that they will require to compete. Teach them about the importance of respect, commitment and punctuality…. It’s the process that is important, not the result. An easy process for all coaches to follow is - ENJOY, DEVELOP, COMPETE. These three areas of coaching are the foundation of why people play sport and ultimately it is YOU, the coach that controls this process for the player. ENJOY- You control the one thing your players love to do, play Rugby League. Your players must enjoy the experience from the moment they arrive at training to the time they finish playing on the weekend. This environment is created through variation at training, communication, games and being with their friends. Fun & enjoyment should be the main motivation to play, when they stop enjoying the experience, they will stop playing the sport. DEVELOP- Players want to develop and improve their skills. For them to do this, you will require knowledge. This will enable them to get better at the game they are playing and will also increases their confidence. Another motivating factor that keeps them playing sport. The coach should also be assisting with the development of the player’s character off the field as well. The coach controls the one thing that the player loves to do, play sport. If you control the team, then you can control behaviour. COMPETE- Teach your players to always give their best effort, regardless of their ability and the result on the scoreboard. Teach them to compete, this will give them the best chance of reaching their potential and also teach them about work ethic and the importance of perseverance and overcoming setbacks. Coach Education Game Development 2 Challenging players to actualise their full potential and providing them with the knowledge and skill set to achieve this, is vitally important. Very few players will ever get the opportunity to have a career playing sport, so we must use sport as the vehicle to teach players the process of how to succeed. If we teach them this process, it is more likely to translate into other areas of their life, whether that’s playing in the NRL or gaining employment in another field. Success comes to those who have a Dream, Believe that they can achieve it, Learn the Process and Work Hard. It’s that simple. Process will always be the primary ingredient to coaching, it is what drives many of our games most respected coaches and ultimately should underpin your philosophy as a Coach. SUCCESS IS THAT PEACE OF “ MIND, WHICH IS THE DIRECT RESULT OF KNOWING THAT YOU DID YOUR BEST TO BECOME THE BEST THAT YOU ARE CAPABLE OF BECOMING “ JOHN WOODEN 3 Coach Education Game Development 2.0 SKILL DEVELOPMENT PROCESS Coach Education Game Development 4 5 Coach Education Game Development 3.0 PRINCIPLES OF DEFENCE 3.1 SETTING UP THE DEFENSIVE LINE 1. Ball carrier on the ground 2. Markers 3. Tight spots 4. Set short side numbers 5. Organise long side 6. Line speed and direction 3.2 DEFENSIVE TECHNIQUE • Technique - How good is your tackle technique? Learn it and practice • The space between you & the person on your inside is your Domain • Off line square – forward straight ahead off the line, outside foot up from Play The Ball (PTB) • Dominance in the tackle – know your roles?- Make the tackle • Ground work: Learn how to peel ( legs off first ) correctly controlling the speed of the ruck • Looking in Front – most players only concentrate on the PTB • Have them look up in-front & adjust. The PTB doesn’t move… 3.3 MARKER DEFENCE THE CORE (B to B DEFENCE) 1. Plug / Secure the middle or the Ruck 2. Tie in – Solid line 3. Work rate – Double 4. Kick pressure – 5th Tackle pressure CALL ( 1st Marker & “A” pressure the kicker ) 3.4 FIRST MARKER • To predict the direction of the ball (verbal & pointing) • First movement lateral, don’t move until the ball has left • If the ball goes the other way tie-in & talk to the other marker 3.5 SECOND MARKER • Take a small step to cover other side of ruck • Then moves to tie-in/plug the inside of the first marker • Talk to first Markers back “I’m tie-ing in” Coach Education Game Development 6 3.6 MARKER DEFENCE • Communicate from ground up – BE VERBAL • When MARKERS are set ( second M push the rump of first M) • Keep your distance – do not engage physically or verbally • Do not go past the ball – keep it on your outside • Tie in with A defenders / do not cross over • “A” defender ( tight ) no wider than two metres from PTB 3.7 THE CORE (B to B DEFENCE) • Straight line always – up as quick as slowest person • Communicate • Don’t go up past inside defender unless you can stop the ball • Don’t go past the ball. Always keep the ball in front & inside you • When defending on your line, must get off quickly…. • When on back foot up & hold e.g. Quick PTB or Man Down • After a break stand & wait • After offload, hold line at the advantage line 4.0 PRINCIPLES OF ATTACK KEEP IT SIMPLE 4.1 CORE SKILL Attacking in Rugby League at any level requires it’s players to be competent in the Fundamental Core Skills such as GRIP, CATCH & PASS and DRAW & PASS (two-v-one) (two-vtwo). It is these skills that will give your players the ability to execute more advanced structures under pressure and Attacking Principles cannot be introduced until your players have a solid grounding in these fundamentals. 4.2 POSSESSION A key focus for every Rugby League team is possession of the ball, as without it, a team cannot attack, compete or score points. Coaches and Teams need to focus on these key principles; Winning The Ball - (Defence & Pressure) Defence - Line Speed, Contact, Controlling the Ruck, 5th Tackle Pressure. Pressure - Disciplined execution (quality not quantity), keep applying pressure through Support Play, Repeat Sets, Turnovers. You don’t have to score on every play. Keeping The Ball - You can’t compete without the ball. An ability to execute basic skills and understand the rules. Using The Ball - Understanding the importance of Possession, Shape and Structure. 4.3 FIELD POSITION Key sections of the field that the attacking teams can execute its plays from; Example: Left – Always Our Left (O/L) 10m corridor about halfway way between corner post & centre of goal posts. Right – Always Our Right (O/R) Similar corridor on our RIGHT (O/R) Middle – Middle of the Field The Area between the Goal Posts 7 Coach Education Game Development 4.4 MOMENTUM Quick Play The Balls - Attack up Tempo, Effect the oppositions Defence and Communication. Direct - Getting the 9 up on the advantage line as much as possible, last movements straight. 4.5 SHAPE/STRUCTURE Shape and Structure are critical for a team’s ability to attack, so teaching your players to understanding these key components, will ultimately improve your team’s effectiveness to attack and your individual player’s ability to execute attacking sets under pressure. Coaches should use their own initiative and feel a freedom to coach what they feel works with Shape and Structure but effectively Shape/Structure is teaching your players where to stand in anticipation of the next movement or play after each Play the Ball (PTB) and also what lines to run when attacking down the field. (Ruck Plays, Attacking sets at the try line, second phase play, etc.) 4.6 SUPPORT Players - Playing with width and pushing up on the ball in support, in order to spread defence. Off the Ball - Good off the ball width and running, makes it very difficult for defence to commit numbers to each tackle. 4.7 LAST TACKLE OPTIONS Finishing your sets positively, to mount pressure or score points. • Good Ball - attacking the line When to run or kick? So that the result is try, repeat set or turnover close to the tryline.