Please choose one of the following but I would recommend that you read over evrything even what you know already, This way will insure that you fully understand what you're doing.

• Attack for beginners
• Driving Patterns
• 2 Man Drive (train/buddy)
• 3 Man Drive (Stepup Move)  
• Defense 1 
• Making the touch
• Squeeze Defence

Catching a ball

            Passing a ball

            Dumping a ball

Scooping a ball

Positions in touch

Downtime

Where to stand

            Catching a ball:

·        The player catching the ball must have their hands up, facing each other, fingers spread and positioned between the pectorals and the mouth point toward the ball carrier.

·        The player catching the ball should call the passers name before it is passed.

            Passing the ball:

·        The player passing the ball should hold it in two hands, with fingers spread, holding it along the long end of the ball.

·        The ball should be positioned between the pectorals and the mouth.

·        The player should swing their arms across their body maintaining the ball at the same position as above.

·        The player releases the ball when hands point to catcher.

·        Once the player has passed the ball they need to realign (take two steps backward) to be in a position behind the new ball carrier to receive the potential next pass.

            Dumping the ball (for a driving pattern):

·        Aim to run in between two defensive players to get to the side of a defender.

·        Initiate the touch by placing one arm in front of you, touch the opposing player on the side of their body

·        Place the ball as far in front of you as possible to gain as much ground as possible.

·        When placing the ball, make sure the long side of the ball is parallel to the try line.

·        Continue to run over the ball so the dummy half can pick the ball up with ease.

            Dumping the ball (to prepare for an attack):

·        As above but instead of placing the ball well in front of you, place the ball directly below you.

·        Your dummy half should call you to move to the side (left or right) unless a move has been called, as the ball touch’s the floor move to the side immediately so you can receive the ball again. (N.B) we will see variations of this at a later date.

            Scooping the ball:

·        As the ball is dumped by one of your team mates, time your run so one leg (i.e Left) can be placed in front of the ball, this should be a longer stride than normal.

·        Bend down as you run and slightly lean to the ball.

·        Pick the ball up from the floor with your opposing arm (i.e right) with a scooping motion.

·        As you pick up the ball, almost immediately use your other arm to stabilize the ball.

·        Now you can either Pass immediately (advisable in a drive pattern) or carry on running as dummy half (usually advisable on final touch but not compulsory)

       Positions:

      As with all other sports there are names given to certain positions on the field.

      Which are positioned accordingly

       W       L        M          M        L       W

       Downtime:

      Downtime is an expression which determines how long the ball is on the floor between the ball being dumped and a dummy half picking the ball  up, it is imperitive to reduce this time to a minimum. This can be achieved by running infront of a potential dummy half and dumping in front of them.

      Where to stand:

      In attack it is vital that you give your side as much width as possible so if you are a wing, literally stand on the wing, thus pulling the defense wide, it is also vital to stand as deep as possible which means standing behind the person with the ball. The deeper you stand the better.

      Defensive positioning will be dealt with at a later stage.

1.         2 man drive (Train/Buddy)

A train (or buddy) is basically a two man drive/rucking pattern, it is most effective when your opponents have implemented rotational defense and opt to send flyers towards your attacking runners, and it is usually used on the first touch. Note that this drive pattern is effectively in a straight line.  

a)    The ball is dumped by X1 and scooped by the dummy half X2,

b)    X1 moves sideways to position X1b and simultaneously realigning (two steps back) to receive the ball from the dummy half X2b,

c)    X1 then runs into the area in front of the dummy half and dumps the ball in front of the original dumping position.

Once you have implemented this move you are free to initiate another drive pattern or repeat the same drive pattern.

2.         3 Man Drive (stepup move)

This is the most popular method of driving and probably one of the most effective. Click HERE! To see how it is implemented and select stepup move, note how the ball is again dumped in front of the original dumping position in front of the dummy half. One of the main points that many experienced players still forget is the importance of movement before you recieve a ball, In every set play the person without the ball is attempting to creat a gap, note how the reciever of the ball moves sideways first, this is to pull the defender away from the ruck area, a gap is created for the runner to run back into.

You should also note how players rotate their positions.

Dummy half becomes runner becomes dumper

Runner becomes dumper becomes dummy half

Dumper becomes dummy half becomes runner

There are numerous ways to use this drive pattern, it is extremely useful after an initial two man drive (train) but can be implemented immediately if no flyers are sent by the opposition. Some people have tactics on exactly where to drive but this depends on exactly what you want to achieve from the drive.

It is also important to think about subbing whilst this drive pattern is being implemented, it can be used to your advantage. I.e. driving towards your sub box or subbing players who aren’t involved.

          MAKING THE TOUCH

          Before we get to the main principles you must first know how to make a touch effectively, the

          rules state that only one hand is neded to make a touch on a player, tactically however you

          try to touch an attacker with two hands. The attacker will try to get to your side but you must

          try to get infront of the player and use two hands and push off the attackers shoulders, you

          can use this to push yourself back to 5 metres. You should try and stay on the attacking side

          of  the player, if you run past the attacker then you will be no use in the next passage of

          defence. 

          So to recap:

·        Stand directly in front of the attacking player.

·        Use two hands.

SQUEEZE DEFENCE

The main  defensive policy is Squeeze defence, this policy is used by all top sides, the main principle is to imagine there is only five opponents instead of 6, there is no point marking a winger if the ball is on the other side of the pitch, How many players can launch a ball from one side to another?

With this technique you minimise the gap between defensive players, leaving no room for the attacking side, all players move along the pitch as the ball is passed. It is imperitive to keep communicating with each other.

You will find that the middles are defending the hardest, it is usual that a mixed side would place two men in this position.

A= attacking player                  D=defensive player

            A                     A                     A                     A                     A                     A 

           
            D            D            D               D              D              D

As the ball moves left to right all D players move right.

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