Sevens - Good contact body position/ball presentation 2

Men's - Good body position in contact & ball presentation 2

Men's - Good body position in contact & ball presentation 2

Women's - Good contact body position/ball presentation 2

Women's - Good contact body position/ball presentation 2

Sevens - Good contact body position/ball presentation 3

Sevens - Good contact body position/ball presentation 1

Junior - Good contact body position/ball presentation 2

Women's - Good contact body position/ball presentation 1

Women's - Good contact body position/ball presentation 1

Men's - Good body position in contact & ball presentation 1

Men's - Good body position in contact & ball presentation 1

Junior - Good contact body position/ball presentation 1

Junior - Good contact body position/ball presentation 1

Junior - Good contact body position/ball presentation 3

Sevens - Standard restart with good catch 2

Sevens - Offloads 2

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

USA Sevens - Techniques For Contact

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

Level 2 - Scrum Body Positions

Level 2 - Scrum Body Positions

Sevens - Strike Moves 2

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 - 2 v 1

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

Scrum Factory - 2. Tower of Power Demonstration

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

Sevens - Full Lineout 2

Sevens - Full Lineout 2

5v5 Semi-contact (2)

The sides are now even and the players can tackle, but not attempt to steal the ball. Again, the defence must retreat 5m, giving the attackers opportunities.

Sevens - Turnovers and move the ball 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 - 2 v 1 2

2-man lifting practice with pad

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

Men's - Lineout maul good defence 2

Men's - Lineout maul good defence 2

Men's - Standard restart with good catch 2

Men's - Standard restart with good catch 2

Sevens - 2 v 1

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

Contact Skills for Young Players

Leeds academy coaches cover the fundamentals skills for the contact area. This is a useful session for young players to focus on body position and key techinques.

Good Practice - Segment 2

Sevens - 2 v 1

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

Sevens - Straight Scrums 2

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

Managing the Contact Area

Concentrating on the actions of the tackler and the support player in the moments after a tackle. It's important to practice the correct body position and technique so that the right decision can be made on the pitch.

Coaching Contact Skills With Games - U 11's

Using games to coach can be a challenge for junior coaches. In this clip the Sale sharks community coach delivers a session to develop contact skills at the breakdown by using games, questioning and challenging the players. This can be used for all Junior age groups

Sevens - Patterns of Play 2

Sevens - Standard restart with attack winning ball 2

Sevens - Standard restart with good catch 5

Sevens - Standard restart with good catch 4

Sevens - Standard restart with good catch 3

Sevens - Standard restart with good catch 1

Sevens - Ref awarding penalty at scrum 2

Sevens - Wheeled Scrums 2

Sevens - Accurate clearing of players 2

Sevens - Body Management

Sevens - Classic Tackle 2

Sevens - Wrap Tackle 2

Sevens - Short Restart 2

Sevens - Uncovered - The Support Staff

Junior - Straight Scrums 2

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

Upper body / torso stretch

Developing good body shape is key in the warm up, especially prior to any contact or scrum work

Bouncing - The key to contact skills

Encouraging players to improve their "Floor" skills is the key to improving contact skills such as tackling, rucking and competing for the ball. It might be simple but it is effective

Contact Conditioning Intervals

Get your players ready for contact with these exercises, warming up the body for a season of collisions. Start with 1 minute on 1 minute off and play about with the intervals!

Tips for Coaching Sevens Rugby

Sevens expert Russell Earnshaw talks through his coaching philosophy and approach to drills, exercises and games

11. 6 v 2 v 2 v 2

Quick Ball Presentation Drills

Use these quick and competitive games to practice good and strong ball presentation. Practice with high standards and it will come naturally in the games!

Games for coaching Contact

The coaches use a variety of conditions for both the attackers and defenders to reinforce the coaching points. Small sided games enable players to learn in a live environment similar to actual match conditions

Contact Preparation

To prevent injury, it's important to ensure your players have done some upper body / contact exercises before doing any tackling drills.

Quick Ball Presentation Drills

Use these quick and competitive games to practice good and strong ball presentation. Practice with high standards and it will come naturally in the games!

Functional Movement Warm Up Part 2

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.

Fitness - Body circuits are crucial

All elite fitness coaches will recommend body circuits for all rugby players. No player should be using weights unless they have followed a good core body weight program. This body circuit can be applied to junior players and senior players. We have other video clips that show the techniques in more detail

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.

Sevens - Uncovered - The Breakdown Specialists

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

Upper Body Warm-up

Some basic wrestling exercises to get the upper body ready for contact.

USA Sevens - Learn The Rules Of The Ruck

With less players the breakdown is much cleaner in Seven's and knowing the laws and being accurate in your skills wins matches. Mike Friday clarifies what can be a complex area and why many coaches focus on this facet of the game

Tackling 4 - Feet and Body Position

Tackling 4 - Feet and Body Position

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.

Continuity in Attack - Contact

Continuity in Attack - Contact

Sevens - Wheeled Scrums 1

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

Step 4 - Introducing the 2 v 2 Scrum

Sevens - Uncovered - Defence

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

Contact skills - Dad & siblings

A few fun exercises that many families have moved away from. Wrestling is great for experiencing contact

Improve Ball Presentation and Handling

This exercise from London Scottish works to maintain high levels of both ball presentation and handling skills at the same time.

Agility Games for contact warm up

Saracens community coach uses games and competitive activities to introduce the contact elements of rugby. This builds confidence in players prior to actual contact skills

Sevens - Turnovers and move the ball 4

From a turnover in contact the attackers pass the ball wide one way and then a deep wide pass back in the other direction to pull the defence out of shape and create an opportunity to attack. Key factors : Wide flat pass - Players support from depth - Deep wide pass - Running and swerving past the defender

Ground Work and Ball Presentation

It is important for players to practice working hard on the ground to get the ball presented back to their team. This session uses bodyweight exercises to practice the movement and enforces it with a conditioned game. Log in to see the full video.

Strong Body Position for Scrummaging - Full Session

Revisiting the finer techniques can help to build the overall strength of your set piece, and your attack. Before even getting to the scrum machine, you can develop your players strength through their body position.

Tackle Technique 2/5 - Body Height

This step concentrates on achieving a lower body position before making a tackle.

Safe Body Position For Scrummaging

From Under 10's up to senior's being safe in the scrummage is about good technique, regular practise and working on improving your body position. Wasps prop Phil Swainston outlines some of the key fundamentals

Sevens - Uncovered - The Sevens Referee

Sevens - Uncovered - The Sevens Referee

Ball Presentation Game

Use this game to practice great ball presentation. Ensure the tackling player is bouncing back to their feet so that this mentality carries over to game day.

Quins Defence - 2 v 2 tackling

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

England Sevens - Marcus Watson - Trunk Circuit

Sevens - Uncovered - Attack

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?

USA Sevens - Creating Habits Through Collision Conditioning

Perfect practise is about replicating match conditions in training. Phil Greening outlines his approach and provides some practical examples

Breakdown Skills for Mini age groups

Introducing contact and breakdown skills to younger players can be a challenge for many coaches, in this clip the Northampton saints community coaches explain some of the technical points and use some simple practises to help them learn

Warm Up - Upper Body Resistance

Various light resistance exercises to prepare the upper body for contact work.

3 v 2 in channel

A good progression from the 2 v 1 drill

2. Any Direction Touch

Men's - 2 v 1

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

Groundwork Skills

Improving some simple ball presentation skills can have a significant effect on the quality of your breakdown and the speed of the ball delivered from the contact area. This is a great technique that all players should learn

Attack 2 v 1

A good decision-making exercise which requires players to practice their basic running and passing skills

Ball Retention Techniques

Progressions are used to build the technical competency and the confidence of players learning to clear defenders away from the contact area. It is interesting to see that no contact shields are used

How to manage contact

Managing contact on your own terms is vital to most teams. The Saints academy manager explains and showcases some of the fundamental skills they work on

Sevens - Classic Tackle 1

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

Worcester Academy - Ball Presentation

Worcester Academy - Ball Presentation

Sevens - Uncovered - The Playmaker

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

Body Climbing

In this warm-up exercise, one player squats and holds up their partner, as they climb all the way around their body. Players must work together, and engage key muscle groups in their entire body.

Ball Presentation Touch Game

Ball Presentation Touch

Tackling 20 - 2-man Tackle

Tackling 20 - 2 man Tackle

Scrum Technique 1 v 2

This drill acts as a warm up for the single player, with the other two simply providing resistance. The single player must maintain a strong body position and push the other two backwards.

Turnover session - 2 Games

A full contact game, conditioned with channels on either side of the pitch. The attacking team must get the ball to both channels before they are allowed to score a try.

This is to spread the attack out, and create more opportunities for turnover ball to occur

Sevens - Strike Moves 1

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

Introduction to tackling - Step 2

The transition from practicing tackling on knees to tackling on feet starts with the tackler remaining on their knees and the ball-carrier walking past. Then progress to having both players on their feet, but still executing the tackle at a controlled, walking pace.