Preventing pest players stealing the ball
Strategies to derail "pest" players (the ones who always seem to steal the ball and stop your side producing quick and clean ball).
Key phrases
Key coaching phrases and core team vocabulary for winning your own breakdown:
- "ABC": – Agility before contact.
- "Snake On" or "Truck and Trailer": The support runner(s) latching on to the ball carrier and driving them forward immediately before or on contact (like a hammer driving a nail).
- "No T-Bone": Avoid running straight in to the defenders chest/core (an area of strength).
- "Fringe Running": Always trying to beat defenders by short stepping to beat or hit the weak shoulder. The tackler will aim to target the ball carrier with one shoulder. The other shoulder will be the weak shoulder.
- "Funnel": Support runners move from lateral deep support positions (the side) to close support lines with are directly behind the ball carrier.
- "Seal" or "Shift": The support runner bridging the ball to seal it off or shifting the defender(s) away from the ball carrier.
- "Proactive not Reactive": Instil the importance of players thinking what will happen and not what is happening. Practise drills where they will need to read the game and what is likely to happen.
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Player core roles
Each player, the ball carrier and the supporters, has a set of core roles before, during and after contact.
Ball carrier core roles before contact
- Uses good footwork and short agile steps into contact to keep the defender guessing and off balance ("ABC").
- Keeps the ball in two hands and tight to the tummy in imminent contact.
- Approaches contact in a low balanced position and looks forward, beyond the tackler ("No T-Bone").
- Makes his final step into and beyond contact explosive and past the tackler. He aims to hit the tackler's weak shoulder (the one they are not expecting to tackle with) and "No T-Bone" ("Fringe Running").
Ball carrier core roles during contact- On making contact, the ball carrier concentrates on moving forward in a low position. He will find that momentum is his friend.
- Protects the ball and keeps it tight.
The support runner's core roles before contact- Keeps the head up and tries to "read" when likely contact will occur ("Proactive not Reactive"). Players that rush into support tend to lose their feet, or miss time their efforts, reducing the efficiency of their support.
- Funnels in close behind the ball carrier as contact becomes imminent.
- Takes up a low dynamic body position and looks forward. A good practice is running under cargo nets or poles set at about hip height or just above.
- "Snakes On" to the ball carrier tightly and increases the total mass and momentum going into contact.
The support runner's core roles during contact- Aims to always keep the ball carrier moving forward – momentum is the ball carrier's friend.
- Another good aim is to send the ball carrier beyond the tackler. A break may still be possible.
This article is taken from the
Better Rugby Coaching e-newsletter.
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