Summer 2026 · Week 2 of 8

Ball Carrying — Running Lines, Evasion & Ball Security

NON-CONTACTJuly 2026Heat & hard ground adaptedNon-contact60 mins
Home/Sessions/Summer 2026/Week 2
0–5 mins
WARM-UP · On Arrival · 5 mins
Rugby League Tag — Arrival Game

One 20m × 15m grid set up before players arrive, on the shadiest part of the pitch. Two bib sets on cones. Water bottles lined up on the shaded touchline. Game is live from the 3rd player onwards.

Key coaching cues
Game live from the 3rd player — no waiting, no lines
Every player drinks on arrival before joining — club spare bottles for anyone without. Nobody trains without water
Active
Attack vs defence from rep one. HR rising immediately.
Purposeful
Primes the Principles of Play before the session formally begins.
Enjoyable
Players arrive into action.
Safe
Touch only. Open grid. Hydration station ready before rep one.
Organisation
  • 3rd player arrives: 2v1, game live immediately
  • 4th–6th: teams build to 3v3. 7th+: 4v3, 4v4. Open a second grid at 12+
  • Two-handed touch below the waist = tackle. Two steps then pass within 2 seconds
  • Six touches then turnover — defending team becomes the attack
  • Score by grounding over the far try line
5–13 mins
ACTIVATE · 8 mins
RFU Activate Kids — U11/U12 Programme

Official RFU Activate Kids U11–U12 exercises. Sequence adapted for firm ground this week — repeated jump landings removed, low-impact alternatives selected.

Key coaching cues
Quality over quantity — controlled movement, correct form throughout
Static Neck Contractions: player controls own resistance — never apply external force
Correct posture errors immediately — this is skill rehearsal as well as physical prep
Active
Progressive load at reduced volume for the heat. HR rises systematically.
Purposeful
Official RFU Activate Kids exercises. Jump-landing impact swapped out for the hard ground.
Enjoyable
Dynamic, game-like challenges. Age-appropriate.
Safe
Player-controlled resistance. Low-impact selections. No external force applied.
Organisation
  • Part A (Whole Body): Unplanned Plant & Cut — jog freely; on the signal, plant off one foot and cut sharply. Controlled landing, knee over toe. Shorter bursts in the heat: 15–20 secs work, equal rest
  • Part A (Whole Body): Tag the Tail — bib in back of shorts, two hands to grab (simulates arm wrap), no fending. Reactive movement and tackle-awareness in a safe format
  • Part B (Upper Body): Bear Crawl Hold & Shoulder Taps — hips low, knees off the ground; tap the opposite shoulder without the hips swaying
  • Part B (Upper Body): Static Neck Contractions — hands against head (front, back, left, right), 3-second holds. Non-negotiable contact preparation
  • Part C (Lower Body): Walking Lunges with Reach — chest up, knee tracks over toe, slow and controlled. Replaces Pogo Jumps this week: repeated jump landings on baked ground are unnecessary impact
13–25 minsINTRODUCE
SKILL ZONE · INTRODUCE · 11 mins + drinks
Gate Drill — Power Position Carry & Immediate Offload

8–10 gates (pairs of cones, 1m wide) scattered randomly in a 20m × 20m grid. Pairs: carrier + support runner. The carrier attacks a gate in a power position; the moment they are through, they must pass / offload to their support runner before any other gate is attacked. Support becomes the new carrier — a continuous carry-and-offload chain. Each gate passed through = one point for the team.

Key coaching cues
Through the gate in a power position: body height dropped, short punchy steps, ball in two hands, elbows in
"Attack the gate" — run at the gap between the cones, not at the cones
Exit and lift: head and eyes come up out of the gate — find your support runner FIRST
Active
Carrier and support both working every rep. Short bursts, pairs alternating for rest in the heat.
Purposeful
Chains the session's two core skills — ball security through the gate and immediate distribution to support. Every point needs two players: team-first, not hero-running.
Enjoyable
Team score — beat the other pair, then beat your own total.
Safe
No contact. Wide-open space. Short work bursts, shaded rest.
Organisation
  • Groups of 4: one pair working, one pair resting and counting — pairs alternate 20-second rounds
  • Ball in two hands through the gate — the gate doesn't count if the ball drops to one hand
  • Offload immediately on exiting the gate, before the next gate is attacked — dropped or forward pass = no point
  • Coach calls one technique cue before each round; rotate pairs after every round
  • 24–25: DRINKS BREAK — shaded touchline, full drink while the coach resets Skill Zone 2
Additional Coaching Cues
  • Offload quality: soft hands, ball shown early, passed into the support runner's lane at chest height
  • Support runner: talk constantly ("with you!"), hold a line 2–3m behind and to the side — never flat, never hidden behind the carrier
  • ASK: "Where was your support when you came out of the gate?" DEMO: use a pair doing it well
STEPS Variations
Space
Widen the spread of gates — support has to work harder to stay connected to the carrier
Task
No repeat gates — the pair may not score through the same gate twice in a round
Equipment
Vary ball size (size 3 vs size 4)
People
Groups of 3 with two support runners — carrier chooses the better option; or add a passive defender who can block two gates
Speed
20-second countdown with scores announced each round; or offload within 1 second of exiting the gate
25–36 minsDEVELOP
SKILL ZONE · DEVELOP · 10 mins + drinks
Shoulder Tag & Parachute Fall — Simulated Contact

Pairs. The week's contact learning delivered with zero contact: shoulder tag teaches the legal contact zone and arm wrap; the parachute fall is rehearsed self-paced so going to ground can be loaded safely when contact begins in August.

Key coaching cues
Tagger: head up and behind the carrier — cheek to cheek, never in front
Shoulder on, arms wrap and squeeze — feel the shape of a real tackle without the collision
Carrier: stay low, ball in two hands, body between ball and the tagger
Active
Continuous paired reps with clear rotation.
Purposeful
The tackle picture — zone, wrap, fall, present — learned now with zero collision, loaded in August. Directly serves Continuity and Contest Possession.
Enjoyable
"Tag!" competition between pairs. New skill, quick wins.
Safe
No hit, no drive, nobody taken to ground. Falls self-paced. Coach checks every fall before pace increases.
Organisation
  • Stage 1 (4 mins) — Parachute fall: from kneeling first, then standing at walking pace. Sequence: knees — hips — shoulders. Chin tucked. NO hands to the floor. Ball stays in two hands; finish every fall with a two-handed ball placement
  • Stage 2 (6 mins) — Shoulder tag: carrier jogs a 10m channel; tagger tracks from the side and places their shoulder in the legal contact zone (shorts to sternum) with both arms wrapping — no hit, no drive, carrier stays on their feet. A clear "Tag!" call completes the tackle
  • Combine: two strides after the tag, the carrier simulates going to ground with a parachute fall and presents. The tagger does NOT follow to ground
  • HARD GROUND: falls are self-paced from stationary or walking pace only. If the ground is unyielding, cap falls at kneeling height or run demo-and-shadow only. Never add speed or external force this month
  • 35–36: DRINKS BREAK — shaded touchline, full drink, coach sets up the Game Zone channel
Additional Coaching Cues
  • Ball placed back with two hands towards support — one-handed placement = turnover in the game
  • TELL at this stage — technique is new. Show, correct, repeat. One point at a time
STEPS Variations
Space
Lengthen the channel — tagger must track the carrier for longer before tagging
Task
Support player arrives on the presented ball — rehearses Contest Possession arrival
Equipment
Two cones on a post or bag mark the contact zone height as a visual reference
People
Rotate tagger → carrier → support every rep so everyone gets equal reps
Speed
Walk → jog for the carrier only — the tag itself always stays controlled
36–50 minsINTRODUCE → DEVELOP
GAME ZONE · INTRODUCE → DEVELOP · 13 mins + drinks
2v1 Touch → Shoulder-Tag Decision Game

20m × 15m channel. Two attackers vs one defender. Ball carrier must decide: beat the defender, pass to support, or — once shoulder-tagged — simulate going to ground and present. Entirely non-contact.

Key coaching cues
PRE — ASK: "Attack the space — where is the defender's weight?" before they go
DURING: carrier stays two-handed; support stays in the carrier's vision, hands ready
POST (Develop only): parachute fall, chin tucked, two-handed placement, body between ball and defence
Active
Continuous reps. Short rotation.
Purposeful
Bridges Skill Zone to Game Zone. Ball security and simulated presentation under decision-making pressure.
Enjoyable
Problem-solving. Small-group competition.
Safe
Shoulder tag only — no hit, no contest on the ground. Coach controls escalation.
Organisation
  • INTRODUCE (first 6 mins): 2v1 touch. Defender makes a two-handed touch — ball carrier must pass within 2 seconds. No going to ground
  • DEVELOP (second 7 mins): defender uses the shoulder tag (zone + wrap, no hit). Tagged carrier chooses: pass immediately OR simulate the tackle — parachute fall, two-handed placement — and support picks up. Defender cannot contest the ball
  • Groups of 3: rotate carrier → support → defender after every rep
  • 5 players: run two simultaneous groups. Coach monitors both
  • 49–50: DRINKS BREAK — shaded touchline, full drink before the final game
Additional Coaching Cues
  • Support: call early, arrive on the ball, play on quickly — Continuity
  • SELL: "If you present cleanly, what does that give us?" — quick recycle, Go Forward on the next phase
STEPS Variations
Space
Widen the channel — more space for the carrier to make a better decision
Task
Carrier MUST simulate the go-to-ground on every rep (Develop only) — forces presentation practice
Equipment
A third coloured cone marks the "decision zone" — carrier must reach it before choosing
People
Add a second support player — carrier now has two options
Speed
Defender starts jogging toward the carrier — decisions must come faster
50–57 minsSTRETCH
GAME ZONE · STRETCH · 7 mins
Shoulder-Tag Game with Presentation Rule

35m × 25m pitch. 4v4 or 3v3. Shoulder tag = tackle. Tagged carrier simulates going to ground and presents the ball (parachute fall, two-handed placement). Support picks up and plays on; defence must retreat level with the tag before competing again. Normal touch rules otherwise.

Key coaching cues
Observe: do the fall and the presentation hold up under game pressure?
Reward clean presentation loudly: "That's the technique — exactly what we practised"
Defence: everyone back level with the tag — up-and-back as a line
Active
Full game. Highest intensity of the session — kept to 7 minutes in the heat, rolling subs any time.
Purposeful
Session ball-security skills applied under real game conditions.
Enjoyable
Competitive game. Full involvement.
Safe
Simulated presentation only — no contests on the ground. Coach watching for heat fatigue throughout.
Organisation
  • 4v4 or 3v3 depending on numbers — rolling subs at any time in the heat
  • Defence must retreat level with the tag before competing again
  • STRETCH contingency: defender fully live in the channel — still non-contact
Additional Coaching Cues
  • If presentation breaks down under pressure: brief freeze, one reminder, restart immediately
  • DELEGATE: step back and let them problem-solve. Your job is the heat-and-safety watch
57–60 mins
COOL-DOWN · Review · 3 mins
Cool-Down & Player Reflection

Walk-based cool-down (no jog lap in this heat). Full drink. Players gather in a circle in the shade.

Key coaching cues
Walk-based only — no jog lap in this heat
Remind players: full bottle every week while this weather lasts
Active
Gentle walk-based movement — heart rate settles gradually.
Purposeful
Reflection embeds learning. Links to session aims.
Enjoyable
Players have a voice. Positive, energetic finish.
Safe
Walk-based cool-down in the heat. Hydration check before anyone leaves.
Organisation
  • ASK: "Show me the legal contact zone on your own body — where does the shoulder go?"
  • ASK: "What are the three checkpoints of the parachute fall?"
  • ASK: "When you were tagged, what told you whether to pass or go to ground?"
  • Team huddle: reinforce effort and progress. Name one thing the group did brilliantly
  • Preview: next week — support play and offloading, still non-contact in the heat. Today's tag-and-fall pictures carry straight into August, when the proper contact build-up begins
←
Week 1
Go Forward, Support & Continuity
Week 3
Support Play & Offloading
→