Grid tips for rugby coaching sessions

Whatever age groups you coach, there are always occasions when there are too many players, not enough coaches and it's difficult to see what half your players are doing. A good solution is to organise your rugby coaching session into a grid of squares, with you in the middle to oversee the drills, and to get your players coaching, too!

Work in a grid 30m x 30m, divided into 10m x 10m squares (see the picture below). The central box is reserved for the coach. With this you can work in small groups of four to five players inside each square, while you observe from a central point.

You can also have four channels, with groups starting outside the grid, working down a channel, turning through 180 degrees and returning.

Finally the 30m x 30m grid can be used for practice rugby games. This allows for high work rate and close supervision during your rugby coaching session.

Divide the pitch into grids to supervise players in small groups

Player power rugby drill

You can also get players to help organise their rugby coaching drills. Players taking responsibility for their own development is a powerful learning tool and one the whole team can benefit from. Enhance this opportunity by having players act as surrogate rugby coaches.

You demonstrate the rugby drill and draw out three key coaching points.
The "player-coaches" go and help the other players perform the rugby skill, observing and reiterating the key coaching points.
You can circulate around the rugby drills but only intervene briefly.
At the end, bring the players together and feedback the outcomes.

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