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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 11/12/2008 15:27:11
Posts: 176,
Visits: 468
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I attach a tread from an RL forum in the subject for your interest.
Owen Dalkeith of the Penrith Panthers coaching panel writes:
"I believe communication is vital to success in rugby league and I am
always looking for new ideas in communication. I would love to hear
from you guys on-
1. how you instruct your players to communicate.
2. what language/codes you use.
3. Who talks and what are their responsibilities.
It would be great to hears some new ideas..."
How do you approach these questions with your players/club? It would be very interesting to find out how you all approach this important area.
To set the ball rolling... Rick Campbell provides an interesting response:
"Owen,
From our point of view (what works for us in OUR environment), we have set out guidelines for a club "speak". This means that the beginning of a new season the staff will gather together & formulate the way that we will speak to the players about the various (and there are lots of them) areas of the game once training begins. This way everyone is on the same page from the teaching perspective.
Then once we hit into the training the players are encouraged to follow the same pattern so that misunderstandings are minimised & we are speaking about the same subjects using the same language. Progressing on from here is to place the players in scenarios (defensive & offensive) where they have to interact with each other under fatigue (physical) or under manufactured stress (you have 4 tackles to hold out team X inside your 20m area OR you have to get a positive result from three more tackles inside their 30m area).
This is where you de-construct the sets being played out & take a look at outcomes - then speak to individuals about their personal thought patterns, in-drill reactions, & option taking.
A couple of tips - make sure anything that they say they back it up, all words to be used in-game are of a single syllable (for obvious reasons), & make sure the players have some sort of say in all this (it'll help with the "buy-in" factor)
An interesting thing the [Sydney] Roosters used to do was stop game-like sessions & ask different players - what are you thinking, where should you be (right now in this drill), & what could you be doing now? (something like that, to get them to analyse their internal processes under game stress)
Rick"
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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 11/12/2008 15:27:11
Posts: 176,
Visits: 468
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This reply on the RL forum is worth reading:
"Good question Owen. My experience has been coaching mainly junior & mini ages, the following is what I ask players to do. It can take a while for them to get these things though; the smarter ones get there sooner, but some only get part of the way ;-) - Either way gradually getting them talking, and keeping them talking where needed, is the key.
1. how you instruct your players to communicate
- All players: get used to calling to other players, even if not quite right, talk it up.. especially in defence.
- Keep the talk positive! Even when things aren't going well...
- Keep it really simple, clear and short (most young players struggle to make themselves understood through a mouth guard in any case)
- For juniors a basic playcard with diagrammes can help this process.
- Most importantly start learning to read the body language used by players: e.g one handed ball carries often dictate which side players are intending to run to (opposite hand to fend) or short kicks, grubbers and punts are all weighted differently (watch the position of body over ball/ and position of ball in hands).
2. what language/codes you use.
Halves/ball players
Generally: talk early, talk loud. When attacking talk to the hooker first then the runners, remind backs to find shape, remind forwards to stay in support or offer decoys in back line calls.
'Early hands' - reminder to each other to get their hands up and out for the catches. (best said BEFORE someone puts it down ;-))
'Find shape' - balls going wide, stagger the line spacing depth as options for longer/cut out passes. (older juniors)
'Options' - variety of runners options off drag lines or switches (can be a good one for minis too)
'Tails' - decoy behind ball
'Heads' - decoy face ball
'Tip' - tip-on/2 pass play
'X' - scissors/drop off
'Double X' - double switch/scissors
'Cut' - unders line 2 v 2 (older juniors)
'Jockey' - unders line 2 v 2 with 3rd runner behind BC and into the gap (older juniors)
Runners
'Heads' & 'Tails' for face-ball & behind-ball
'Red' - short for 'red ball' - a late call used by runners (Used with options plays - switches, drop offs), meaning they have a gap to hit (i.e. red = hot)
'Blue' - short for 'blue ball' as above, but they are covered by the defence, so passing to them isn't a good option (i.e blue = cold) they become a decoy runner.
'Punch left' & 'Punch right' - calls to the hooker for one up drives either side of ruck.
Kicks (called by the kicker)
'Blue' as in up in the sky i.e. Bomb
'Green' as in grass i.e. along the ground/grubber
'Downtown' i.e. a clearing punt - also signals kick-chase
(Also 'A' 'B' 'C' calls - i.e the third of field kicked towards, left/middle/right - pretty rare to get this working with juniors...)
Defence
'Reload' for the PTB retreat, reminder to each other, especially defenders near the ruck
'Sticky tackles' - reminder to make their tackles stick to defenders, especially ball to upper body
'Set & In' - on PTB (juniors) or pass/run (minis)
'Ball's mine' - I've got the ball carrier, if one on one. Or the ball carrying side if two on one.
Markers (depends on the system you use)
1st - always left hand up 'got left'
2nd - always right hand up 'got right'
(some use this as open and short sides, left and right is simpler)
3. Who talks and what are their responsibilities.
Attack
Pack leader - usually 13, reminds/encourages the forwards to go forward! Often leads from the front.
Halves - talk all the time, boss the game.
Defence
All! - remind each other, talk to inside man looking towards the ball.
Full-back calls the line together, reminds wings to drop/close etc.
Wingers responsible for calling outside backs up, and telling their centres when they drop back to cover kicks.
Anybody got any others?
Dave"
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Forum Newbie
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 15/12/2007 07:31:57
Posts: 4,
Visits: 21
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| Hi , For the last three seasons I have coached junior rugby and communication has been one of my headaches . During practice I find you can't shut the boys up but come game day they step over that sideline and they are like mice . I have read several articles from different codes on the subject to try and find communication drills that will encourage them to talk but most often come up with a blank .It seem to be a commom problem amongst most sports. There seems to be some common Ideas that keep coming up. Most you have already mentioned . One thing I noticed with Juniors they seem to spend more time trying to keep mouthguards in . Next season I will make a suggestion to get fitted mouthguards from the dentist ( A more expensive option for some parents). I have attached an article I read on the net from Gordon Williams who has had similiar problem. The two drills he has mentioned I will try next season. Thanks Gordon
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