How to use Smart Sessions Print off the session and take it to training. It should take you less than five minutes to read the instructions, set up the session, and then you are ready to communicate what happens to your players. Tackling and tag The majority of Smart Sessions are suitable to both tackling and tag groups. However, some sessions will concentrate on tackle technique and contact skills. These can be used when your players move onto tackling or adapted easily if you are making the transition. Overall, the sessions reflect the fact that the majority of skills needed at these levels aim to avoid contact (handling, footwork, decision making, defensive organisation). Timings The timings are for a 20 minute session, but it can be expanded or reduced to meet your needs. It s your call. As a rule of thumb 10 minutes would be enough time for a well executed first drill, development and feedback. Any shorter and you have not explored the full skill range or asked enough questions of the players. Longer is fine as long as you feel the session is developing. The game related element adds another 10 minutes. Equipment The equipment used is simple. A set of cones (or trainers or tops) as markers and a couple of balls. You can add in tackle bags, suits and rucking shields where you feel you need them we just assume that you don t have them because sometimes the shed is locked or another coach is using them. Training area The size of the training area is left for you to decide. Smaller players need a smaller area, but the session will never need more than a 20 metres x 20 metres box for initial drills. The smaller the area the more intense the training. Standard and age groups Smart Sessions are based on the core skills of rugby. They will challenge any standard because a player can always perform the core better. The development ideas can be used to differentiate between the different standards of your players; the think about section can challenge the more advanced; the game related situations can change the contact situations the teams face. Numbers Age group coaches often face two problems with numbers: too many or not enough. Each Smart Session is flexible to allow both circumstances to be catered for. If you find there are queues of players then split the group into two and run the session simultaneously. Better more activity and less coach input, than bored players. Too few, then reduce the numbers accordingly. No Smart Session requires an exact number. Everything You Need to Know for Coaching Rugby Coaching Rugby is designed to help you build your players techniques, skills and understanding of the whole game from ages 8 to 16. Click here to order. Find out more at www.rugby-coach.com/coachingrugby 1
Elements of the session What to tell your players the session is about This is your introduction and outlines the objectives of the session. Just read this out. The players then have an objective. Return to this at the end of the session to see if you have achieved your objectives. players to do This is how you want your players to achieve the objectives. You can tell the players straight away how to achieve the objectives, or you can tease it out of them as the session goes on. What you get your players to do This shows you how the session is going to work. Depending on what is going to be achieved, it sets out what actions the players are going to take. There are no exact measurements, or complicated patterns the approach is simple, stupid, successful. Slow motion the first few patterns get the drill right and the skill right first before speeding up. Use the What to shout prompts to keep the players focused. Use the What to look for to keep your eye on why the players might be failing. No session is worth doing unless there is some form of progression. Normally there will be an increase in pressure, say by adding more defenders, or by restricting the time available. Other areas for you to think about are: Where do I stand as coach? Do I throw the ball into the box? All the elements of the session are geared to the game, but this section puts the session one step away from a full game, with attack, defence and a goal line. What to call out Have the words handy, because apart from the usual words of encouragement, it is good to shout the key factors to players. Of course you can hold some of these call outs back and ask the players to identify how they can improve. What to look for You need to keep your eyes open for best practice. This section helps you identify quickly where players might go wrong so you can quickly put them right. What to think about Here you have the chance to challenge the players and situation, either by using feedback or just asking yourself the questions. It is a little more advanced and might not be appropriate for your players. To help you file and order our coaching we have given you the core areas of individual and team skills that the session covers. 2
Time for passing Players work in pairs in a 10 metre square. They move around passing the ball between them (in any direction) without dropping it. Change the pace of movement with your whistle: two slow blasts to slow down, two quick blasts to speed up. Stop every 30 seconds to ask the players for ideas on how to improve their passing. players 1 Get your players thinking about when to pass. 2 Make sure your support players are finding space. 1 Be aware of the players around them, attackers and defenders. 2 Always support the ball carrier by moving into space. 3 Make sure passes are accurate. To the ball carrier: l Look for your support. To the support players: l Shout for the ball l Get into space l Keep moving never stand still. l The ball carriers getting caught in two minds about when to pass and ending up holding the ball for too long. l Your players not communicating when they are supporting. l Lazy support players not making the effort to get into space. What skills do your players use when trying to find space? Does it become easier or harder for them if you tell your players not to communicate with each other? 1 Reduce the size of the square as the players improve less space makes it harder for them to find space. 2 Vary the type of pass pop, pop off the ground, overhead, and knee height. 3 Get your players working in 3 s or 4 s. The ball carrier then will have options and must make decisions. The 5-pass game Split your players into two equal teams, with one team starting with the ball. Each team must make 5 passes between them to win a point. Passes can be in any direction and at any height. The ball carriers must freeze as soon as they catch the ball. The defending team must stay at least one metre away from the ball carrier. Defenders have to intercept or knock down the ball. Possession changes sides if the ball is dropped, intercepted or knocked down. 1 All passes must be below shoulder height. 2 No spin passes or all spin passes. 3 The ball carrier can move around but can only hold the ball for three seconds (reduce this to two seconds to speed up the passing). 4 The defenders can put pressure on the ball carrier and interfere with the pass (but there must be no contact). Player skills: Passing & handling / Decision making / Support play Tactical skills: Attack patterns 3
The magic extra player In groups of three, get your players to shuttle across a five metre by five metre box, passing the ball down the line and popping it on to the next group. Then get your players to perform a simple loop during each shuttle. players 1 Get your players thinking about how to create an extra attacker. 2 Get your players to run straight to fix defenders and create an overlap. 1 Ball carriers run straight to fix defenders. 2 Support players run simple loops to create extra players. 1 Increase the width of the box so your players have to pass further. 2 Decrease the width of the box to put more pressure on your players and to encourage soft hands. 3 Introduce a miss pass-loop. l Pass with soft hands l Support players run quickly into the loop l Ball carrier run straight at the defender l The ball carrier running sideways and using up the space. l Your players not shouting when they are in supporting positions. l Lazy support players not making the effort to run onto the pass at pace. Are there other ways you can create space in attack? What should the support players do if the ball carrier does start running sideways? One over Four players defend the line, they can only move sideways. A tackle is a two handed touch on the chest. Four attackers have one minute to score as many times as they can. Each time they score, get touched or drop the ball they have to start that attack again. Encourage attackers to use loops and miss passes to create an extra player, and beat the defenders. Player skills: Footwork & evasion / Support play Tactical skills: Attack patterns 4
Swoop and scoop players 1 Speeding up your game from tackle and ruck situations. 2 A session based on dynamic go forward driving play. 1 Go forward onto the ball and keep going forward. 2 Get into a low driving position before you pick up the ball. Swoop in and scoop the ball up (pick the ball up while on the move). l Stay low and move quickly onto the ball l Scoop the ball up while still moving forward l Support players bind onto the scooper. l Put one hand behind the ball to scoop, and scoop upwards l Players that run too tall. A poor body position (not in a low driving position) leads to a less dynamic skill. Use a cane or pole held out horizontally just in front of the ball. The players will have to get into a low position to get under the pole and pick up the ball or support the lead player. l Players that stop or slow down to pick the ball up. Use relay races that involve picking up the ball and placing it down to improve this skill. How would you use this in a match situation? How many times would you want to swoop and scoop in a Should all the forwards be good swoopers and scoopers? Can your players pick up the ball from both sides, right and left and what type of footwork do they use so that they keep continual forward movement? Main practice: Players work in groups of seven and in two pods (groups). The ball carrier runs five metres and stops, the first two support players bind on and the ball is put down and driven over as in a ruck. It is immediately picked up (swoop and scoop) by the fourth player who runs forward and repeats the practice with player five and six supporting. This continues for twenty metres. DIRECTION OF RUN GROUND COVERED 1 Have the ball carrier fall as though they have been tackled with the support players driving over them. 2 Once the player has swooped and scooped they must make a pass to the next support player who then takes the ball forward before being supported. This will create more width. 3 Add defenders with contact shields to make the practice more game-like. 4 Add defenders that can tackle but condition it so that they cannot touch the ball. Set up a narrow pitch with little space between the defenders. Condition the game so that the attacking team can only move the ball to each other by placing it on the ground. This will lead to a game of mini rucks with lots of swooping in and scooping up. Develop this by adding in a condition where the attacking team can only make one pass before contact. This will give the attackers a few more options and therefore ask more questions of the defence. Player skills: Rucking / Tackle situation Tactical skills: Attack patterns 5
Patterns of play players 1 Developing simple patterns of play which can be used in games. 2 Learning to communicate and re-organise during phases of play. 1 Work as a team to execute set phases of play. 2 Get into your position quickly and accurately ready for the next phase of play. 3 Squeeze the game by attacking close to the breakdown. 4 Stretch the game by attacking far from the breakdown. Players work in groups of five or six for three or four phases at a time. Start on one touchline and attack a line on the pitch (either the halfway or 22 metre lines). The players start in the formation of your choosing. You give the players the pattern of attack you want them to follow, depending on the type of game plan you are trying to develop with your team. For example: squeeze, squeeze, stretch. This means the players hit the ball up tight for two phases and then pass it wide. At the end of each phase the ball is placed on the original line. The players then realign for the next phase. One player acts as scrum half to get the next phase started. PHASE 2 STRETCH PHASE 1 SQUEEZE l Attack the line l Get the ball through the hands l Pass then move into position l Players not sure where they need to be for the next phase. l Players holding the ball for too long before passing. l Players who don t understand the patterns of play or who struggle to communicate them effectively. When in a game would you use these set patterns of play? What other simple patterns of play could you use? 1 Introduce the switch to the players, that is moves to change the direction of the attack. 2 Introduce imaginary rucks. Every time the ball is put down the nearest player must step over it as if clearing a ruck. Set up two equal teams to play touch rugby. One team starts on the 22 metre line at one of the touchlines and attacks the try line. The other team defends. When a touch is made, the ball must be placed on the ground and the defenders must get on side. Set a scoring zone for the attacking team (marked with cones) and challenge them to score in the zone in a set number of phases. The attacking players need to work out the pattern of attack they are going to use to score in the zone. The defending team can only have one defender directly in front of the scoring zone. The scoring player must run straight to get to the scoring zone they can t run sideways into the zone. Player skills: Passing & handling / Support play Tactical skills: Attack patterns 6