Player Skills | Catching

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Even the best international players drop the ball, so it is useful to remind ourselves what the key principles are. And we are not just talking about a normal catch and hold.

The principles and the core skills

It is important to get hold of the ball in a way so that it can be manipulated quickly for the next action by the player, be it contact, offloading, passing or receiving a pass to then kick for touch. These simple principles can help you identify problems and develop drills:

• Keep your eyes on the ball all the time
• Extend your arms, hands and fingers to receive the ball
• Use both hands to catch the ball whenever possible
• Keep the ball off or away from the chest when receiving it
• Only bring it to the chest if taking contact
• Do not expect the ball to go straight to hand. Be flexible enough to adjust (which follows the principle of keeping your eyes on the ball)
• Be prepared to receive a pass at any time. The ball has a nasty habit of leaping around, especially in close quarter situations.

Making catching skills even better

• Practice catching with one hand
• Practice catching bad passes
• Practice at pace, under pressure and in all conditions

Catching tip: "clap hands"

To help make your players put their hands in the right place, as well as encourage more accurate passing, try this piece of magic.

In a group of players, some of them carrying a ball, and without saying anything, look at one of the ball carrying players. Clap your hands towards him persistently. Lo and behold, the ball will be passed to you.

In practices, encourage your players to clap their hands towards the ball carrier. The hands will then be in the right place to receive the pass.

Rugby skills article by Sililo Martens in the Players Zone at www.pacificnationsrugby.com.