Strategies, Tactics and Tips

Your players may have mastered every rugby skill, but without effective tactics they will struggle to win matches. The articles in this section look at the strategies and tactics to get the best out of your players in particular situations. They will help you develop tactical awareness throughout the team and give you a deeper understanding of the role of strategy in the game.

Make a difference on match days - Tips to help you control the game from the dug out.

Coaching tips for lineout lifting - The rugby lineout is a key part of the game. Coaching your jumpers and lifters to work together is vital.

Managing the half time huddle - This is a vital time for the coach. It must be carefully thought out to leave the players revitalised and prepared for the second half.

How to create pressure from your kick offs - It's not enough to simply kick long or short from kick offs. The following tips and tactics look at how players can create pressure from their kick offs.

Tips to make the most of your game breakers - Some players are dynamic when faced with a broken defence and yet thrown by an organised defence. The following tips can help get them into the game.

Tips and tactics to disrupt a maul - The maul is a potent attacking weapon. It saps the defence's energy and spirit, while giving attackers space and scoring opportunities. See the following tips for what can and can't be done.

Tips on what not to tell your players - Shouting negative comments or empty threats may damage your team's morale and obstruct their best performance. Avoid the following pitfalls and use these tips to criticise your team in a positive and constructive way.

Tips for tactical substitutions - Tactical substitutions are a common feature of modern rugby. Peter Tann has some tips to make the best use of these players.

Tips and techniques to analyse your game - Top sides have analysts to break down every phase of the game. Here's how you can adapt some of their techniques for your team.

Wrong footing the lineout tail gunner - Study their last man at your lineout and you may find yourself changing your strategy early on.

Tips for a chip and chase kick - Make kicking a first phase attacking option.

Tips to devise effective coaching strategies - Follow these tips to focus your planning and coaching and make the best use of your time, resources and players' skills.

Tips to improve your kicking game - The kicking game is too often left to chance and the whim of the fly half. Here are some tips and tactics to broaden your options.

Acceleration tips for defenders - Give your team a defensive boost with the techniques and skills used by sprinters.

Rugby coaching tips for kicking into the wind - Windy days can make kicking a lottery, but the following tips can help you use the wind to your advantage, even if it is against you.

Rugby tactics for kicking with a cross wind - Kicking under pressure with a cross wind is a common situation for rugby players. Here are some good tips to maximise your kicking skills in these conditions.

Rugby coaching tips to improve game planning - Better Rugby Coaching offers some tried and tested tips for improving your winning chances with careful planning and tactical play.

How to prepare for last minute team changes - How do you cope when your team is set, but one of the 15 drops out with less than an hour to go? The following tips will help rugby coaches be prepared.

How to coach a decoy runner - The following rugby coaching tips will help integrate slow players into the wide ball game.

Rugby coaching tips for helpful half time huddles - How to maximise the five minutes you have at half time to reinforce, maybe even reshuffle, your team's strategies and tactics.

Rugby coaching tips for pre match warm up drills - Effective pre-match warm up drills can make all the difference to your team's performance. Use the following tips and strategies to maximise mental and physical preparation.

Tackling technique tips to stop tries - The offload near the goal line is one of the key factors in many tries, says Paul Tyler. Use the following rugby coaching tips to improve your players' tackling skills and save tries.

Coaching tips to help when kicking for pressure - We challenge teams to think beyond the adage of "don't let the ball bounce" and change their attacking tactics.

Returning kicks - An aspect of the game that does not always get the same emphasis as tactical kicking and chasing.

The role of the fly half - Coaching tips and tactics you can adopt to create space, and therefore time, not just for the fly half, but for all your backs.

More coaching tips to create space for your fly half - Following on from The role of the fly half, this article offers further rugby coaching tips to help your fly half create space.

Coaching tips to train your back row - Rugby coaching tips and tactics to help improve your back row's performance.

The inside centre's role - A guide to the essential skills and the extra roles required from those playing number 12.

Simple rugby tactics for returning kick offs - Receiving the kick off is both an opportunity and a threat. A poor kick off reception can mean a lost psychological advantage. A solid take can give your team a lift. These three tactics are designed to give you options for what happens next.

Rugby drills to improve communication skills in attack situations - The best rugby players at any level are never quiet in attack or defence and this is essential to team success. Use these rugby coaching tips and drills to boost your players' communications skills.

Rugby drills to help defenders communicate - Communication skills in attack and defence are crucial. The principles are the same for both but these drills and tips are aimed at helping defenders communicate when they're under pressure.

Rugby drill to exploit the skills of a fast winger - Essential rugby coaching tips, drills and tactics to get your fast winger into the game.

Rugby tactics for kick off reception - The following rugby coaching tips look at the basic tactics and skills to improve the kick off reception.

Touch rugby top tips - Playing touch rugby can pay dividends when it comes to full contact matches.

Muddy pitch tactics - Rugby coaching tips on how to change your game plan when the pitch is extremely muddy.

The role of the blindside flanker - You need to blend the talents of three players to produce a back row unit whose whole is greater than the sum of its parts, says Peter Tann.

Pre-season rugby coaching tips - In all the excitement of pre-season rugby training, it is possible to forget some of the principles of preparing your team for the first game, or indeed the whole season.

Rocket ball rugby drill for contact - This rugby drill is ideal for training players to drive through contact situations

Backs move inspired by Lomu - A backs move inspired by Jonah Lomu, which is great for scoring tries.

Rugby coaching tips for training in the rain - Use the following rugby coaching tips to make the most of your training session when it's raining.

How to use the smashmouth bullies tactic - A simple offensive tactic to bully your opponents.

How and when to use shortened lineouts - The when, where, how, tactics and options of shortened lineouts.

Rugby coaching tips to help players develop an offensive move - What to do when your opponents won't be "bullied" by the Smashmouth tactics outlined in the article How to use the smashmouth bullies tactic.

Never say never in your own 22 - Innovation in the way your team plays can be held back by one crucial factor - you.

Seven key factors to an intense defence - Getting your team working together in defence can pay big dividends over the course of the season. Use the following checklist to organise your players.

Overload attack game - Challenge your players' individual and unit defensive abilities with this fun rugby skills game.

The best attacking options from lineouts - It's vital you make best use of possession, says Jim Love, head coach of Viadana in Italy.

How to position your full back in defence - With kicking being such a feature of the modern rugby game, the positioning of your full back in defence can be critical.

Rugby tactics to beat opponents' defence - Rugby coaching tips to help you identify your opponent's defensive tactics and refine your attacking strategy.

Rugby defensive tactics when wingers are standing back - If your winger is standing back, there are ways to identify your opponent's defensive tactics and refine your rugby players' attacking strategy.

Pop Cycles - A full session to boost your team's short passing skills.

Rugby coaching tips to improve your teams go forward - Use the following rugby coaching tips to improve your team's go forward.

Coaching key continuity skills - Rugby coaching tips to help teach key continuity skills to your players.

3 Man, Sweeper, Chain and Arc for 7s Defence - Colin Hillman, former Welsh Sevens coach, describes ways to set up your sevens defence.

3 Proven Kicking Tactics to Win More Games - Inexperience and youth are not the only reasons why teams kick badly.

The Dangers of the Offload - An offload is a ball that is passed after the ball carrier goes into the contact. Most commonly a player is tackled and, as they fall over, they "flip up" the ball to a player in support.

Coaching youth rugby moves and plays - Youth rugby has a number of differences from the adult version and requires different strategies. In this article I look at moves and plays.

A Great Short Lineout - Having less than seven players in lineouts can have lots of benefit.

Restart Strategies to Reclaim the Ball - Even a simple kick off strategy can enhance your team's prospects of winning the ball back.

Attack Strategies - A Simple Way to Create Space - A practice to improve inexperienced players' ability to attract defenders and free up space for team mates.

The Best Sevens Attack in the World - "Score off scrums, stretch the defence from lineouts and breakdowns, then score", says Mike Friday, the highly successful former sevens coach.

How to Play with a Small Pack - Strategies you can use to deal with the challenges of having a small set of forwards, to play the most exciting rugby in the league.

Winning - The Stats that Matter - Let the statistics shape your season and your plans for every game.

Eight Tips to Scoring More Tries - Bored of using the same old moves and plays? Then develop some imaginative new moves!

Exeter - A Great Backs Move - A move for the opposition half, but not too close to their line.

An Aggressive Lineout Defence - Defending against the lineout maul remains a vital part of the game.

Space – The Final Frontier - Players who are able to recognise and then exploit space effectively are highly valuable, but rare.

An Easy Move to Score Tries - A well-executed move can win a match. But this doesn't mean the move in itself has to be complex.

Unstoppable Tries - Can you plan for interceptions?

Seven Ways to Conquer a Better Team - The tactics and strategies to beat the best team in your league.

Beating Defensive Drift - Exploiting gaps in your opponent's defensive line.

Mauling with the ELVs - The ELVs (experimental law variations) are experimental no more. One of the laws causing most controversy concerns the maul.

Scrummaging with the ELVs - The ELVs (experimental law variations) came into force on August 1st. You will have to adapt your coaching, or your team will struggle.

The Scrum Half and the ELVs - How scrum halves have to adapt their defensive duties at scrums under the ELVs (experimental law variations).

The ELVs and Lineouts - The ELVs have resulted in a number of changes to the lineout laws.

Kicking from Your 22 Under the ELVs - When the whistle blows in your next match you'd better be prepared.

Inside or Outside Shoulder Defence - An alternative to the J curve or inside shoulder defence.

3 Tips for Better Match Day Tackling - How to get new players tackling and experienced players tackling better.

Turn Your Kicking Game into Tactical Gold - Here's my "ready reckoner" guide to the kicking tactics to earn your players the "order of the boot".

Covering the Kick Off Pressure Triangle - A guide to the tactics you can use when receiving the kick off.

Lessons from the Masters - There were two key elements to the way the legendary Jim Joseph coached: a simple game plan and a happy environment.

Red Zone Madness - Training players to score more tries.

Four Golden Rules of Slow Ruck Ball - All teams have to contend with "slow ball" at the tackle area. It's how you deal with it that matters.

Clearing and Parking - A great way to retain possession in contact.

New and Old Ways to Beat an Aggressive Defence - Tactics to put the defence on the back foot.

Attack Doors Not Walls - Avoiding contact can be the key to rugby success.

Turnover Ball - Making the most of the attacking opportunities and limiting the opposition's threat.

Kick and Keep Possession - Kicking the ball away and having it too!

5 Secrets of the Front Row - The current techniques used by front rows at the top of the game, from Andrew Millward.

Periodization Training Plan - An example training plan for the first four mesocycles of the season.

Le Crunch to Compete for Turnover Ball - The breakdown contest is a key part of the game. Getting your players to adopt the right stance to win these contests is crucial.

No more missed tackles, bad decisions or bad technique - Use Colin Ireland's "T for Tackle" exercise to help your players learn the best tackle to use.

Five Defensive Lessons from 2008 Six Nations - Learn how Welsh Coach Shaun Edwards transformed his team's defence.

Aggressive Defence, Decisive Attack - How South Africa won the Rugby World Cup in 2007.

Don't Just Recycle the Ball, Recycle Your Players - Getting your players to recognise that they don't stop contributing until the ball goes dead.

Creating Depth from a Flat Line - A problem based approach by Colin Ireland to help players create depth in situations where they start off in a flat line.

The Rabbit in the Blitz - Creating the pressure needed for a blitz defence by Jim Love.

Continuous Defence - A great Ford Academy training tip. Please search the site for more clips of coaching drills in action.

4 v 3 Moving Defenders - A great Ford Academy training tip. Please search the site for more clips of coaching drills in action.

Cleanout Demo - A great Ford Academy training tip. Please search the site for more clips of coaching drills in action.

Forward Charge - Defence as an attacking weapon at the ruck by Colin Ireland.

How to Coach a Spread Defence - A spread defence fills the pitch laterally. Its objective is to prevent the opposition from going around the defensive line.

How to Win 3 v 2 Situations - Letting your players work things out for themselves is an excellent variation of coaching. Sometimes it works better to give your players the chance to show you what they can do.

Keeping Your Defensive Line Straight - Straight, straighter, straightest

The Big Hit Trick - More and more sides are employing this move to create holes in the defensive line. It works by playing on the natural instinct of defenders. That is, the desire to make a "big hit" on the big runner.

Lineout Throws - A great Ford Academy training tip. Please search the site for more clips of coaching drills in action.

Continuous Defence and Tackle Technique - A great Western Force Drill of the Week. Please search the site for more clips of coaching drills in action.

The Latch and Drive Training Drill - A great Western Force Drill of the Week. Please search the site for more clips of coaching drills in action.

The Kitchen Sink Training Drill - A great Western Force Drill of the Week. Please search the site for more clips of coaching drills in action.

Up 'n' Backs Contact Training Drill - A great Western Force Drill of the Week. Please search the site for more clips of coaching drills in action

Horizontal scoring techniques - Training suggestions to help players score tries in the corner.

Back line alignments - Rearranging the set up of your backs at scrums can give you a distinct advantage over the opposition. Here's how.

How to trick opponents with a deceptive ploy - Deception is a key element of successful attacking rugby. Looking as though you are going to attack one area, while actually attacking another can cause the defending team to allocate their resources to the wrong place.

Trick to break open your defence - This move works by playing on the natural instinct of defenders: the desire to make a "big hit" on the big runner.
The key is to trick the defender into making the tackle on a player who is not going to receive the ball. Instead, you work the ball into the gap left by the defender, so creating the space to release your quick winger through the defensive line.

Coping with last-minute team changes - These tips will help you cope if your game plan changes at the last minute, for instance, if your team is set but one of the 15 drops out with less than an hour to go.

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).

Decoy and deception rugby drills - Turn your predictable planned moves into defence-splitting game breakers with rugby training drills using simple variations to the classic scissors move.

Skill set training drill - Rugby games involve a wide variety of skills and plays used in frequently changing situations. Here is a great all-in-one training drill session to test and improve your players’ core skills and techniques.

Draw and pass rugby training drill - Creating and completing a 2v1 situation is a fundamental skill in rugby. Paul Tyler has a drill to help the ball carrier and supporting player win these situations more often.

Drills to improve contact skills - Rugby drills and tips to boost your players' contact skills on the pitch.

Support play options - Make support play more than just about chasing after the ball carrier. Colin Ireland has some rugby drills, skills and tips to highlight the many roles a player may take to support team mates more effectively.

Coaching a circle ball play - Circle ball is a simple play to organise, which can integrate forwards and backs.

Drills to tackle bunching problems - Rugby is a game about space, finding it and exploiting it. Use these training drills to solve the common problem of young players bunching.

Coaching deceptive moves using wingers - Drill your players to use convincing deception ploys to fool the opposition.

Corner ball rugby training game - This rugby coaching game is a real brain teaser, which will appeal to your players while helping improve vital skills.

Rugby moves to create a system for attack -
Players need to know what sequence of different moves are being run. This makes it easier to run the right support lines and break down defences over a series of phases.
This advanced skills rugby coaching session runs a sequence of plays to attack close to the initial point of contact then wide out.

Defensive rugby drill to combat attacks from wingers - Some teams are blessed with quick wingers. However, whether you have quick players or not, you should always make time to work out a defensive system to combat direct attacks from speedy wingers.

Rugby drill to work on catching a high ball - Most players in the team will have to catch a high ball at some stage, whether from a kick and chase, kick off or drop out restart. If they are not involved in the direct catch, they alternatively may have to support the catcher.

So, although it's primarily aimed at the back three, this rugby drill has benefits for all players.

Rugby coaching tips to train the back row - What do you expect of your back row? An effective back row blends three players whose abilities complement one another. So, a rugby coach needs to be clear about the roles to be played by each member of the unit.

Rugby coaching tips to build a coordinated attacking pattern - One-on-one, your players may use a change of pace or a sidestep to beat a defender. But when there are two or more attackers facing a similar number of defenders, a more coordinated attacking pattern is needed. Use these rugby coaching tips and plays to build moves that suit your team's strengths.

Rugby coaching drills to improve aggressive tackling - This is an intensive tackling session that rugby coaches can use to improve a team's poor defensive performance. The rugby drills involved concentrate on three main types of tackle.

Rugby drills to boost core ruck skills - The following rugby drills aim to improve your players' ability to drive out opponents from the ruck. The objective is to secure quicker, better quality ball for your scrum half.

Ruck tackle turning drills - "Pick and go," the act of a forward scooping up the ball at the back of ruck and attacking the nearest defender, is becoming more common. In return, defences are becoming more sophisticated in dealing with this type of manoeuvre. Use these drills and coaching tips to advance your players' skills.

Decision-making rugby drill for forwards - Despite what the press might say, forwards need to be thinkers. They can't just run into any ruck or maul. They need to consider when and where to add their weight. The following rugby drill is designed to help them build up some rhythm to make better decisions.

Rugby footwork drill for a good step into contact - If the ball carrier is powerful in the contact area, they can offload or maintain possession more effectively but less experienced and younger players have a tendency to fall over or crumple unless they practise good body positions and use a strong step into contact. The following "big step" rugby drill concentrates on improving these footwork skills.

Rugby coaching tips for a dynamic power step - In this version of the power step, the ball carrier must first fix the defender and attack the space to one side of them. The ball carrier's next step is to get their inside foot outside the defender.

Rugby set plays using gates to add match pressure - Unopposed practice drills can lead to poor outcomes. This system, devised by Mark Calverley, an IRB Level 4 coach working in school and club rugby in New Zealand, closely mirrors rugby matches. It forces players to take good options and be accurate in their play.

Drill to make the most of attacks close to the try line - When your players have the ball near the try line you want them to make the most of the position, to score over the line. Which is just what this drill session is all about. It's also a great way to teach your defenders about protecting the try line from the opposition.

Rugby drill to help players be lethal at the ruck - If your team wins quick ruck ball, there is very little time to weigh up the options, make a decision, then execute the correct one. If players delay too long, the defence will have re-organised and the opportunity will have gone. Use the following rugby drill session to give your team three set options and the triggers to look for when decision making.

Rugby drills for defending at the back of the scrum - With defences and attacks now set five metres back from the scrum, the need for a cohesive defensive strategy between your back row and scrum half is vital. Use the following rugby drills to work on these skills.

Rugby coaching drill for kick offs -
You are guaranteed at least one kick off chase and one receipt in every game. Since they can define the way the game is going to proceed, kick offs are an important aspect to spend time on during your training drills.
Use the following rugby coaching tips to organise and run a 30 minute training drill session focusing on the kick off.

Rugby drill tips for the two-man tackle - If you can get two tacklers in the tackle, you will increase your chances of winning turnover ball. You're both more likely to win the contact contest and more able to compete for the ball. Use the following drills and coaching tips to help advance your players' skills.

Lineout 3v3 rugby drill - To help you build better coordination in your lineout pods, try the following rugby training drill, working on attack and defence.

Rugby drill to coach hit and spin technique - Attack rugby is about attacking the space. However, in close-quarter situations it is not always possible to find space. Instead, attacking players need to make themselves hard to tackle and ensure they can keep the ball alive. Coach the following rugby drill to teach hit and spin skills.

Two v one continuous rugby drill -
One of the staple drills for many rugby coaches is the "round-the-corner" drill, where two attackers run back to a cone each, turn and attack into a box as a defender runs in the opposite direction before turning to defend. But a more effective drill is suggested here to get attackers and defenders working on decision-making skills.

Ruck through the phases with patterns of play - This rugby training drill session is designed to develop your team's play through the phases and improve your players' footwork. It's such a straight forward session to set up that you will be using it time and again.

Rugby drill for jackknife control of the ball - The "jackknife" is a method of presenting the ball when tackled. It involves a fast, dynamic movement designed to get the ball back towards your own team and away from the defenders. The following rugby drill illustrates the move.

Rugby drill to work on awareness and vision of the scrum half - Before passing the ball from the back of a ruck, the scrum half has to be able to weigh up the options and make the right decision. He needs to be alert to everything going on around him, including the whereabouts of his team mates, the opposition and the ball. These rugby drills will improve his awareness and decision-making by working on his peripheral vision.

Rugby drill to coach head-on tackles - Coach players to make head-on tackles on players running straight at them with the help of these rugby drills and games. The key requirement for this type of tackle is to prevent the opponent breaking through the defensive line.

Rush defence rugby drill - So many teams think they know how the rush defence ("blitz") works and yet it is more than just a fast rush up. This rugby training drill session looks at one version of the system, with your players asked to make more than one decision about their defensive roles.

Rugby drills to open up defences - Often the most effective ways of creating space are the simplest. "Ins" and "outs" are two great ways to give your players a chance to open up even the tightest defences.

Rugby drills to help players create pace on the ball - Using a one-element rugby drill session is a good solution for an area of the game you have identified as a problem. These drills focus on putting more pace on the ball.

Rugby drill to coach simple loops - Loops are a great way to create an "extra" man in attack. Here's a rugby drill session to help you coach the technique.

Rugby coaching session to develop an aggressive defence - An aggressive defence can often be the start of an attack. If your defenders hit quick and hit hard, they can catch an attacking team off-guard. The best way to do this is known as the blitz defence. Use the following rugby coaching session to show your players how.

Rugby coaching drill tips to build a defensive system - As a rugby coach you need a defensive system that you and your players are comfortable with. It needs to be simple to set up and run and must cover the two challenges of broken play, when there's no time to organise, and set pieces.

Rugby coaching tips for defenders' body positions - As well as coaching defensive tactics and plays with your team, players must also know how to shape up when facing big, powerful attackers. The players must be in a position where they can see what's happening in front of them and react to the situation. Here are three tips to help your players' body positions when they're in defence.

Rugby coaching tips for avoiding contact -
Rugby is a contact sport and there are some tactics used to break down a defence for which contact is essential. However, for many teams, the winning difference is the opposite - to avoid contact.

Rugby drill to get players attacking from a penalty - Plays direct from penalties and free kicks are more important than ever. Use the following rugby coaching drill to get your players practising this move.

Rugby coaching tips for jumping - Use the following rugby coaching tips to improve the vertical distance your players can achieve with their jumps.

Rugby drills to prepare the back line - Use the following rugby coaching drills and tips to work on moves for your back line. Ignore the gentle handling moves up and down the pitch and cut straight to the pressure situations your team will face. A key rugby coaching tip is knowing when to turn up the pressure.

Rugby warm up drill for backs - Your backs need to work through their preferred moves before a match. Use these rugby drills and moves for warming up. But check out the state of the ground before you warm up.

Throwers and jumpers rugby drill - If you warm up your players so they are ready to time their jumps and win the ball from the first lineout to the last, you may be making the "winning difference" for your team. This rugby drill is a good warm-up for your thrower and jumpers.

Punch runner tactic - A number of sides are employing the so-called "punch runner" to give the back line more space. This is a great rugby tactic to use with Two waves tactic. Here's my take on it.

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