5. Support - Kneeling one handed power pass

Isolated technical practice

Courtesy of the SRU

9. Support - One Handed power pass

Isolated technical practice

Courtesy of the SRU

One handed passing touch

Here the aim is for the player to pass the ball one-handed to support once they are touched.

One handed passing down channel holding 2 balls

This drill allows you to develop control over the ball and the ability to pass one handed if needed to

Passing and Support Lines

This clip shows the classic passing process but with a significant twist in what players can do post the pass

One handed offload out of the tackle

Develop a players ability to make an effective pass under pressure with support players trailing

7. 5 Pass Game

7. 5 Pass Game

Using Games to Develop Passing and Support

Using games to coach is how most Premiership coaches improve skills and especially decision making. In this clip Jon Curry uses some clever rules to encourage supporting lines to help keep the ball alive

Tackling 5 - 'Boxer Hands' and Arms

L2 - Support Line Breaks

Skill Practice Description • The objective is to increase the commitment to supporting a line break. • The teams play continuous touch, grip or tackle. • Stage 1: when a score is made all attacking players must touch the try line within 3 seconds or the try is disallowed and a turn over is awarded. • Stage 2: when a try is scored all attacking players must touch the ball on the ground within 5 seconds or the try is disallowed and a turnover is awarded. • Play starts again direct from the try line. • The coach may split the defence so cover defenders can challenge the effect of support play once the first line has been breached. Key Coaching Points • Encourage supporting players to angle toward the line break and not stay wide and lateral. • Encourage all attacking players to react and support a line break. • Speed of reaction. • Communication and team work

Tackle bag drill one hit & support

support has to read whch bag is being tackled and get to be in support by reading the situation

Step 5 - Introducing the 3 v 3 Scrum

Pulling the pass back off left hand

Pulling the ball back off both hands is essential to being able to attack at pace

Touch rugby with an immediate pass to support

A game for developing understanding of space and support.

Rucking - Live With 5

A clever and competitive practise using 5 players that involves passing, tackling and then making the crucial decision of what to do at the breakdown. This can be done from Under 12's upwards

L2 - Support Line Breaks & Offloads

Skill Practice Description • The game begins with touch tackles. • Once tackled the ball carrier is allowed to step beyond the tackle line and the support from either side run toward (or attack) the ball. • The pass must be delivered behind the tackle line and not put back in front of the defence, so speed and decision making is vitally important. • Develop the game to grip tackles below the rib cage so the ball can be off loaded. • Progress to full tackles and the ball carrier must fight to keep the ball available. • The support must be aggressive in attacking the ball and getting between and beyond defenders. • When in full contact and the ball carrier cannot off load immediately, rucks and mauls may be played. Key Coaching Points • The game relies on good support play in all areas. This game illustrates the need for consistent and aggressive support. • The supporting players need to work for the ball carrier and attack the ball, getting in behind the defence for an off load. • Once the tackle line has been breached the attack must not allow the defence time to reorganise. • When progressed to full contact, the demand on decision making increases

Coaching the spin pass

Saracens academy coach Rory Teague explains the basic principles of the spin pass including the exercises and progressions that can be used to help players improve their techniques and accuracy

Improve Spin Passing at Home

Here are few exercises to help players of all ages improve their spin passing at home, even if there's no one else to practice with! As always, try to train your weaker hand so you have better options on the field.

5-a-side Touch

To put the passing and support drills into practice, end with a game of 5 v 5 touch. Few players on each team will mean more time with the ball for each.

Passing Game with Two Balls

Another game to play at home. This time use two balls and four players. Anyone can join in! Three players have a simple task involving just one ball, but the central player has to juggle both balls and work on his/her concentration and hand-eye co-ordination!

L2 - Penetrating Defence Game

Skill Practice Description • The playing area is marked out in 5m channels. • When defending, players must stay within their channel throughout the game. • The attack must look to penetrate the defence by creating and preserving space. • The defence must use a two handed touch. • There is a 5 tackle turnover rule and once possession is turned over, the defence must get into a channel as the opposition can attack immediately. Key Coaching Points • Support players to hold their opposite number as long as possible before cutting a line to take the pass. • The defender can close the space as far as the edge of their own channel. • If the support player cuts too early or the ball carrier does not move their defender enough, the support player will be touched/tackled. Relevance to the Game • This game will help develop the footwork and running lines to effectively move defenders in order to penetrate the tackle line.

Expert Passing

Elite Sixth form players showcase that good passing technique is essential to become a good rugby player. The pass has some simple but very important components that need to be practised

Farrell & Ford - Spin Passes

The quality of passes from Ford and Farrell to enable Elliot Daley to slide past his defender was the difference in the Wales V England match. The skills required to perfect these passes were honed on the training ground over several years. See what type of drills they did and still do

7. Support - No Back Lift bench passes

Isolated technical practice

Courtesy of the SRU

2. Support - Chase the pass

Isolated technical practice

Courtesy of the SRU

8. Support - Off the Ground reaction pass

Isolated technical practice

Courtesy of the SRU

Ball Control & Passing

Controlling the ball is a fundamental skill, it may be simple but it is very important. Practise is important and is the foundation to passing and the ability to control and vary your pass

Timing the Pass

This exercise looks to develop the decision-making around the timing of a pass, and highlights running at pace and holding depth.

Scrum half pass with Lee Dickson

Lee Dickson leads a passing session at the Northampton saints summer training camp. The focus is on doing the simple things well and progressing the practises to make things more challenging

Catching is the First Skill of Passing

Being able to catch is fundamental to rugby and the majority of sports. Catching in rugby is slightly different due to the shape of the ball and understanding the technical points of "How to catch" is a very important area for all young players. This clip explains some of the finer points and why a good catch is the basis of a good pass

Fitness - Jumps for power

The best way to increase your power without expensive equipment is to integrate power-jumps into your training programme. S&C coach Jack Crehan explains how certain jumps can increase your power and how and when do do them

Practice Accurate passing

This clip reinforces the importance of passing and especially accurate passing. The coaches use a variety of practises to test the players skills and help them progress

Three Channel Passing Challenge

Adding pressure to key skills is crucial to improve your players and to practise like you play. This exercise covers a variety of skills but essentially is about accurate passing and fixing defenders

Quins - Developing An Accurate Pass

Coaching players to pass with variety and accuracy is one of the most important challenges a coach faces. The Harlequins academy players are presented with some very challenging exercises to help this process

Passing challenge

A great fun practice using five players. One player works with the the other four players trying to catch him out using speed of pass rather than just throwing the ball at him. Very good for hand / eye co ordination

Skills at home - Quick hands game

"Quick hands" is a term used regularly in rugby and relates to a players ability to move the ball quickly. This fun exercise pressures one player to move two balls in different directions

A Deep Look Into Simple Passing

Here we take a look at a simple drill and Graham Steadman discusses the importance of getting the basics right. If every player can do this well your attacking speed will really improve.

Coach the Scrum Half Pass

This clip outlines some of the fundamental techniques required to become a good passer of the ball from the ground, an essential skill for scrum half's. Simple and easy instructions for both coaches and players to benefit from

QBE - Support Line Breaks & Offloads

Support Line Breaks & Offloads

Skills at home - Learning to spin pass

Learning to spin pass is one of the first things young players want to do, it takes hours of practice and older / elite players continue practising throughout their careers. This video shows some simple exercises to do at home

Training for Power

Power is essential for performance on the rugby field, and should be a part of every rugby player's physical training. Here are some 'power jump' exercises that you can include in your personal S&C programmes.

Passing and Attacking Lines

Northampton Saints Academy coaches introduce a conditioned exercise to help develop attacking skills.

Passing in 2s

Working in pairs, the key point of this passing drill is for the support runner to be deep and taking the ball at pace.

Passing - Basic principles

Working in waves of three, break down the components to catch and pass technique.

Support

Teaching minis to pass backwards - full session

Learning to pass backwards is fundamental to rugby newcomers. This session brings minis out of a game for a few minutes to focus on that key skill, before taking them back into the game. Note the emphasis on questioning, development and how feedback changes depending on the ability of the child.

QBE - Support Line Breaks

2 v 1 Passing

Adding a live defender helps to encourage players to hold their depth in support, so a good pass can be completed.

Simple Passing Exercises & Games

The Wasps coaches use a mixture of games and drills to develop the passing skills of young players. Players are encouraged to respond to questions. Games are used to improve the learning experience

Home Training - Passing with Dad

A range of simple drills that can also be progressed to really test hand eye skills. All of these practises can be done with more people. Set targets to increase the fun

Passing Progressions with defenders

Use progressions to change the pressure points so that players are taken "Out of their comfort zone" and experience more match related situations. Rugby is about creating a 2 v 1 opportunity so fixing defenders is one of the most important skills to learn

Scrum Half Passing with Chris Cusiter - Wrist Warm-Up

Sale Sharks and Scotland scrum half Chris Cusiter leads a session on passing from the base of a scrum or ruck. In this first video, Chris addresses basic technique in a couple of exercises that warm up the wrists and arms.

The MIss Pass - coaching tips

To develop the Miss Pass

Quins - Accurate passing

Harlequins Academy go through a few exercises designed to improve passing accuracy. Premier members can log in now to see full sessions from Harlequins and other Premiership clubs.

Advanced Passing Skills

Passing skills are a high priority for most coaches and teachers. This video features a "Grip Game" to test the offloading skills and ball control of players

Improve your passing

Harlequins pride themselves on their attacking play and the foundation to this philosophy is the quality of their passing. Attack coach Colin Osbourne runs skills session on passing accuracy.

Safety 1st With The Tower of Power

The "Tower of Power" is integral to coaching all contact with safety as the main priority

Quins - Attacking lines of support

Harlequins academy players are coached to be accurate in their passing and use lines of running and footwork to create space for other players

Using Games to Improve Support Play

Great tries are often the result of great support play. Coaches are now using more games in their training with set constraints put in to dictate what the coach wants to work on

CCRU Game - Passing Pairs

Aim of the game: In pairs, walk, jog or run around the grid, passing to their partner only when they call for the ball. Other players will be obstructing their vision and the flight of the pass, so decisions on when to pass will need to be developed

12. Kneel Touch

Home Training - Passing Challenges

Have some fun at home with some challenges passing games

Home Training - Fun Catching & Passing Games

A variety of drills and games to practice and improve your catching & passing

2 v 1 Draw and Pass

A basic 2 v 1 drill that encourages players to time their pass after they have drawn a defender, and for the supporting player to hold their depth.

Fun Passing Games

Children are naturally competitive and will engage more in training exercises that include a competitive edge. This challenges their skills under pressure and creates excitement and fun

Catch & Pass Progressions

Passing progressions are based upon the ability of players to fix defenders. Always insure your exercises reflect match situations and refrain from just doing drills because they look good

Quins - Accurate Passing

Mini age groups - Passing Skills

This clip provides some simple guidelines on coaching catch & pass for young players. The coach progresses to a conditioned game to help the learning process

Scrum-half Passing Exercises

Some useful exercises for scrum-halves to develop their passing skills.

L2 - Attacking a Condensed Defence

Skill Practice Description • Two teams play normal touch rules. • 5 touch turnover. • When a touch is made, the game pauses and all defenders need to close in and place a hand on the shoulder of another defender. So all the defenders are bunched and in contact with each other. • The coach calls ‘play’ and the attack restarts. • The progression may be to leave one defender out of the bunch, which may provide a different challenge to the attack. • Then leave two defenders out of the bunch and slowly release the conditions to see if the attack can consistently identify opportunities to outflank or penetrate the defence. Key Coaching Points • Peripheral vision and general awareness. • Intuitive decision making. • Communication • Support and team work. Relevance to the Game • This game is designed to challenge the observation and decision making ability of the attack. • For the defence, it challenges the ability to cover quickly with both drift and sweeping defenders

Catch and Pass Basics

Northampton saints academy manager Ross Stewart outlines why the basics are so important and runs through some simple techniques

Tower of power

The "tower of power" is the most important fundamental for coaching children contact skills. It is the basis of a players body position prior to and during contact and is one of the first techniques that should be coached

Passing Warm-up Game

A passing game that encourages quick hands to catch out team-mates. Include press-ups to include a bit of upper body warm-up as well.

L2 - Back Line Attack from Set Piece

Skill Practice Description • The objective of this game is to score from first phase. • The defence start on the try line and can only advance to the five metre line (gain line). • The attack must start from the 5 metre line if simulating a scrum and vary the starting points i.e. centre field. • If simulating a lineout start, use the 10 metre line to half way. • If the attack can score from the set piece they are awarded five points. • If they score after one phase they are awarded four points. • If they score after two phases they get awarded three points and so on. • If the attack fails to score after four phases they turn around and defend. • Kicking options may be introduced. • Five attacks each team. Key Coaching Points • Appropriate passing (short, long, flat, deep etc.) • Appropriate running lines; decoy / option / creating spaces / accelerating into space. • Support and reaction. • Look-Think -Do Process • Allow the players to self correct before intervention from the coach Relevance to the Game • Accuracy in decision making scanning and decoy / option running lines

'Around the world' Passing Game

Here's a fun game you can play at home with several players and a ball each. Excellent for hand-eye co-ordination and multi-tasking.

2 v 1 with withd & flat pass

These are core skill drills for youngsters to learn the game. As a coach you can alter the width and depth of the supporting players

Lateral passing & miss pass with follow in 3s

handling progression for developing lines of running and support

Tower Of Power; Holding Shape

Passing Warm-up in 3s

A simple pass-along-the-line warm up. Work in lines of 3 and ensure you pass off both hands. There's no need to do this for too long, but it is useful to get players switched on to passing.

Passing Basics

This exercise is used by most coaches to identify a players passing and catching accuracy. The Northampton Saints coaches break down the skills required to ensure that "Simple things" are done well

Key factors of the lateral pass

An introduction to coaching the lateral pass

Learning to pass deep

Players must pass through gate before passing to supporting player before they reach the gate. This helps to ensure supporting players hold their depth and maintain a straight running line.

Learning to spin pass 1

Stand side-on to progress towards the lateral pass. Push the ball rather than swinging so your hand is pointing to the target after the ball has been passed. Maintain soft hands when catching the ball

Three player passing challenge

A simple passing game that is fun and competitive. You can add more players in and vary the distance to make this harder or easier. Different balls could be used as well. Dad's can do this at home as a fun game

Home Training - Solo Passing

Practicing rugby skills at home can be difficult if there are no others to play with. But there are still things you can do by yourself if you have a ball handy. This exercise requires passing against a wall, developing accuracy, hand-eye co-ordination and problem solving. Also, check out our other videos on developing grip.

Quins - Support Touch Game

The coaches use games to teach techniques and allow players to experiment in game situations. The coach can set the parameters for the game dependent on the skill sets of the players

Passing Under Pressure

Being able to pass under pressure is how players perform in games. This exercise challenges players to react to multiple prompts and is great for all junior and senior players

Passing in pairs

To get young players used to passing and catching the ball. This is best suited to a warm up exercise and get the players moving and active quickly

Passing - 3 v 2 Live Defenders

Gradually progress from 2 static defenders, to 3 v 2 roaming defenders. The first two players must draw their defenders before giving the pass.

The Loop Pass - coaching points

To develop and progress the loop pass

Most popular passing drill

This practice is repeated at every level of rugby to repeat the most important fundamental of the game. Coaches can change the conditions to make this exercise easier or harder

Fun passing game

Round the world passing challenge. Each player has a ball and they try and reach Ten passes of each hand. You can progress this by doing 1 pass to the left and then 1 to the right, then two to the left and so on until you get to 10, this is tough!!

Teaching minis to pass backwards

Learning to pass backwards is fundamental to rugby newcomers. This session brings minis out of a game for a few minutes to focus on that key skill, before taking them back into the game. Note the emphasis on questioning, development and how feedback changes depending on the ability of the child.

Improving support play

Decision making is a tricky skill to coach. Danny Wild the Leeds coach uses conditioned games with breakout technical sessions to improve this process as well as working on some groundwork skills

Tackle technique 5

Tackle technique 5

Quick Fire Passing Grid

Use as either part of your warm up or as a breakout, this exercise is a high intensity passing challenge. Encourage your players to take ownership of this grid and manage the intensity themselves. Should create lots of fun

Core skills Miss Pass intro

To develop the core passing skills

Stress Passing Challenge

Test the middle player with a circle of players who feed two balls in. The passing players MUST call the middle persons name and give a good pass otherwise this exercise will fail. This is great fun if managed properly and excellent for hand / eye

Lateral passing in 4s

An essential drill for new players, or a simple but relevant one for experienced players. New players should make sure their passes are not forward and are targeted in front of their teammate's chest. More experienced players can focus on speed of pass and footwork. In this example, a large group is split into two adjacent drills to ensure players aren't stationary for too long.

Lateral passing in 3s (SM)

A simple lateral passing exercise for all standards. These basic skills are fundamental to rugby and should be repeated using a number of different practises. Key factors : Communication - Present a target with your hands - Run straight - Pass the ball across your body - Realign to repeat