Men's - Standard restart with good catch 2
Women's - Standard restart with good catch
Junior - Standard restart with good catch
A well organised re start with one main attacker challenging for the ball with support both in front and behind him, if the ball is knocked either side of the main catcher the ball will be gathered by his teammates. Great leg drive to continue the attack and a very long pass to complete the scoring. Key factors : Accurate kick - Focus on the ball - Sideways jump - Catch ball above head - Structured support
Seven's is about creating chances and then taking them. In this clip the Blue team take the ball up the middle of the pitch to draw in defenders, after recycling the ball they have a 2 v 1 opportunity, a straight line of running and a flat wide pass creates the try. Key factors : Call early - Run straight - Wide spin pass - Catch and swerve to score
Players can strike from any location on the pitch, in this clip the Red team relax thinking they have the attackers behind their own posts, however a strong scrum, good pass and great step create the gap to go through, the next 95 metres is all about speed and fitnes. Key factors : Space beetween attackers - Good pass - Side step - Speed - Stamina
Sevens - Full Lineout 2
A turnover from a strong tackle and quick "Jackle" where the defender uses the momentum of the attacking player to swimg up onto his feet and contest the ball, this results in a line break. Key factors : Tackle technique - Urgency to get up to feet - Core strength - Speed
Sevens - Lineout catch & maul drive
Women's - Good contact body position/ball presentation 2
Men's - Lineout maul good defence 2
Men's - Good body position in contact & ball presentation 2
Re - starts are as numerous as scrums in seven's and coaches should put as much emphasis on the kick off as any other facet of the game. Possession is crucial in seven's and an effective re - start strategy can win not only matches but tournaments for teams. You must posses players who can kick and contest the ball in the air becasue if not you will be competing without the ball for long periods of the match. Listen to the top coaches on how important they think the kick offs are
An example of setting up a maul after a catch and drive at a lineout
A variety of passes create a 2 v 1 which is executed perfectly for the outside attacker to score. Key factors : Different angles of running and support - Comunication - Ball presentation - Effective clearing of defenders at the breakdown - Accurate wide passes - Attack the inside shoulder of the last defender - Flat spin pass
Scrums are a great platform to attack from in seven's, notice the fly half (2nd reciever) is directly behind the scrum and can choose which way to attack. Key factors : Work as a unit - Strong core - Tight binding - Leg drive
Having identified a 2 v 1 situation, the RGS Guildford player decides not to give an early pass from the breakdown, but instead to run and commit the defender before giving a pass to his teammate. Key factors: Timing - communication - accurate passing
To execute an offload you need to have support players in the right area, here the ball carrier knows he has support and is able to take a risk and offload out of the back of the tackle. Prior to the offload the ball carrier works hard to stay on his feet. Key factor : Leg drive - Twist and work the body in contact - Control ball one handed - Communication from support players
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
Sevens expert Russell Earnshaw talks through his coaching philosophy and approach to drills, exercises and games
A good progression for developing difficulty from a standard drill, look at carrying the ball and moving the defender so that you can ride the tackle
Accurate skills are the key to lineouts in seven's, a combination of movement, lifting and throw combine to make an effective restart for the attacking team. The shape of the attacking side is pre planned to create a mis - match with a faster player v a slower one. key factors : Pre call the move - Fast feet - Strong core for jumper - Support from both players to lift the jumper - Jumper to jump - Accurate throw - Support he jumper to the ground - Offload pass to scrum half
Level 2 - Scrum Body Positions
This footage outlines the importance of "decision making" in seven's. The top sides have players with a variety of skills but to be consistent performers teams require a playmaker who has the vision and tactical acumen to manage team tactics "On the move" and the ability to create opportunities out of nothing
Sevens - Uncovered - The Sevens Referee
Sevens Unccovered
A progression from the 1 v 1 drill this exercise adds extra players to make the decision making process more realistic. The coaches can vary the delivery of the ball and the width of the area to put different conditions to the players
Running straight & fixing defenders is a skill that all players must learn and learn at an early age. The top players regularly practise this skill to maintain accuracy. This is the building block to scoring tries
Good body posture is essential and applicable to all players regardless of age and gender
This posture transfers to the tackle, ruck, maul and in a vertical plain the lineout, so it is important that all players are coached to adopt good posture in contact
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
Here are good examples of catch and pass to assist you in your coaching process
A good example of phase play to create a 2 v 1 attacking platform. The initial deep pass then creates an overlap and the defender drifts to allow the attacker to run through easily.
Key factors : Quick ball at breakdown - Straight lines of running - Deep pass - straight lines of running again - Loud communication
Here are some examples of good use of the restart in attack to help you in your coaching process
Two even packs compete at the scrum, good technique creates a good and safe contest. The black team use the platform from the scrum to score a try wide out. Key factors : 8 players working as a unit - Calling - Strong body position - Hips, back and head all facing forward - Accurate binding
The breakdown has become a significant area for coaches and players to focus on. All players now need the technical skills and the intensity to compete at the tackle area and if players are poor in this area teams will be exposed. Some teams will select a specialist in this area and combine his skills with tackle technique from other players so that they work in units to turn over possesion
A good progression from the 2 v 1 drill
Adding a live defender helps to encourage players to hold their depth in support, so a good pass can be completed.
The leading international coaches explain why defence is so important and how much emphasis they put on it. This clip features a variety of tackles and techniques and post good defence the opportunity to turn the ball over. Most coaches will use a system for their defence and here are some insights
A good decision-making exercise which requires players to practice their basic running and passing skills
Good tackle technique when chasing a player from behind. The defender gets to his feet quickly to contest the ball. Key factors : Head to one side - Arms around attackers waist and slide down - Keep your arms around the attackers legs - Use momentum to get back to your feet
Gradually progress from 2 static defenders, to 3 v 2 roaming defenders. The first two players must draw their defenders before giving the pass.
Retaining possession in Seven's wins matches, it's that simple but these days you need to improve your contact skills. Phil Greening provides a few tips and some insight into some of the USA's training drills
Tackling 20 - 2 man Tackle
Northampton saints academy manager Ross Stewart outlines why the basics are so important and runs through some simple techniques
A simple but effective attack from a scrum. Three good passes provides the winger to run past his defender to score. Notice how the first reciever is directly behind the scrum and not to the side, (This makes the pass from the scrum easier when under pressure). Key factors : Position of 1st reciever - Run straigh and wide spin pass - Speed of the runner
Progress to working in 3s against two static defenders. The pressure is on the middle player to hold their depth and perform a quick pass.
A good foundation exercise for technical development of practicing lifting with a tackle bag. You could use a contact pad or a tyre if you do not have a tackle bag. Key factors : Strong body position - Fast feet - Straigh back - Lock out the arms - Use momentum of both players
A variety of drills and games to practice and improve your catching & passing
Some of the latest ideas around tackle technique and what defenders are trying to achieve. This session provides the technical progressions needed to teach the choke / catch tackle
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.
Working in units and working through phases is crucial to modern day sevens and in this clip the White team show great technique and patience to work their way up the field to score. Key factors : Ball retention - Communication - Work in units - Accurate passing - Patience - Stamina
7s training
Developing the skills into decision making down a channel
What is the role of the coach. In this clip some of the top 7's coaches give some thoughts on what they do and how they see themselves in the make up of the modern 7's squad
Every player should be able to perform these movements well! Mastering these will carry over to preventing injuries, managing collisions and maximising power and speed. Check out the related videos for part 1.
Elite coaches discuss their attacking philosophies and this underpines the skills and techniques they will work on as coaches and the type of trainign sessions they will plan. As a coach how do you coach the skills that the Fijian players possess or the patience the Welsh side had to win the last 7's world cup. Does the team represent the ideas and plans of the coach?
A development of the 2 v 1 and 3 v1 drills, the attackers now must beat 2 defenders. This requires more decision-making ability as the movements of the defenders could change every time. Players must communicate as well as continue to perform their handling and running skills.
A quick handling game to warm up. Handy if there's a few players standing around at the beginning of a session, waiting for others to turn up.
Perfect practise is about replicating match conditions in training. Phil Greening outlines his approach and provides some practical examples
Lineout catch and drive drill
There's often down time before a training session where you can't help butthrow a ball around. Why not try out these fun games that will work your core skills as well. They work great as a gentle introduction to a session to switch players on.
Junior - 2 v 1 2
A strong scrum can be a great weapon for attack in seven's, in this clip the Red scrum puts pressure on the defending loose head (Right hand prop) which wheels the scrum and allows the defending scrum half to disrupt the ball forcing a turnover. Key factors : Tight binding - Low body position - Leg drive - Working as a unit
Sevens - Offloads for continuity
Junior - Ball off the top from lineout 2
Sevens - Offloads 1
This practice develops communication in a three v three game format