Receiving kick offs

What to do when your receivers "aren't working".

After his team's victory against Biarritz in the European Cup in May 2006, Munster hooker Jerry Flannery said that he was disappointed that his team didn't have the kick off at the start of the game. He bemoaned the fact that they were on the back from the start and were a try down in the first five minutes.
The Munster kick off receivers had failed to do their job.

The basics

Here we look at the basic tactics and skills of the kick off reception.

1. Best catchers, not just the tallest

The tallest players do have an advantage. However, as a general principle you must get your best catchers to take kick off catches and not just the locks.

2. Support and communicate

The supporting players must communicate to the catcher. They need to warn them of the pressure coming from the opposition and be there to bind once the ball has been caught.

3. Shoulders square

The catcher should have their shoulders square to the reception of the ball. These has two key benefits:

• A dropped catch goes backwards.

• Once the ball is caught, the catcher presents a strong body position to the oncoming opposition players.

4. Position and psychology

The catch has two elements which make it particularly difficult.
The first is getting the catcher properly positioned, when the ball could be caught by a number of players. A confident call is required as the catcher quickly moves into position.
If a potential catcher has to move backwards, towards their own touch line, then another potential catcher behind them must take responsibility.
The second element is in the mind. Players bearing down on you make you more uncomfortable and you are more likely to take your eye off the ball. My advice, relish the hit!
If you show no fear, take the hit and still have the ball, it's an amazing feeling. It also means the opposition will feel less inclined to land the ball on you again. This is a psychological victory scored.

5. Full back knows best

Any decent full back will tell you how to take the catch, but do you practice these skills with your kick off catchers?

• Concentrate on finding the manufacturer's name as the ball comes towards you. Don't take your eye of this until the ball is into your hands.

• Have your hands high to receive the ball. Make the catch, then bring the ball down to the body with the elbows in.

6. Kick offs usually come to you from the left

A normal kick off comes from the left, as the defenders face it. Therefore it is predominantly taken by the left arm/hand of the player as they face towards the kick.
Consequently, practice one hand high ball catches with the left arm/hand only.
The ball is best thrown high by a team member for this practice rather than kicked.

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Kicking practice

Kicking practice can be a fun addition to your coaching repertoire. Here's my "do and don't" summary for kicking.

Do...

• Let all your players practice. This season's prop could be your U18 fly half).

• Introduce a variety of kicks (punt, drop, grubber, and chip).

• Concentrate on technique and accuracy rather than distance.

• Introduce kicking games, so your players can have fun practising their kicking skills in various scenarios.

Don't...

• Let your players get away with poor technique.

• Demonstrate a technique first, unless you are sure how to do it, and then only if it's a good example for your players.

Kicking decision making

Decision making for kicking is best developed through training games and during rugby matches, where players can quickly learning from their successes and mistakes.
Always give your players feedback on their kicking after a match or practice to help them learn.
During games, you can set limits on kicking. For instance, only allow your players to kick when they're in their own 22, only allow kicking for the first five minutes of each half, or only allow certain players to kick.

Kicking tennis - a training game

• Mark out two equally sized squares, set about 10 metres apart. Place a team of three or four players in each square.

• The teams take it in turns to kick a ball back and forth, trying to land it in the opposition's square. Encourage the players to catch the ball using good technique.

• If the ball misses the opposition's square, the kicking team loses a point. If the ball lands in the opposition's square, the kicking team wins a point.

• Play up to five points, then change the teams around and start again.

• Lengthen the gap between the squares as your players' kicking skills develop.

Kick off for pressure

It's not enough to simply kick long or short from kick offs. These are the basic tactics of creating pressure from your kick offs.

There are three possible outcomes you want from a good kick off:

• You give yourself a chance to win the ball back straight from the restart.

• You put the opposition under enough pressure to make a mistake.

• You control the actions of the opposition. For instance, you make them play the ball into a strong position for you, such as kicking out for your lineout.

The most difficult of the three outcomes is to win the ball back. It is, however, a possible outcome of pressurising your opponents into making a mistake or kicking to touch. Consequently, it's usually best to focus on these options first.

1. Put the opposition under pressure to make a mistake

A high hanging kick

The drop kick needs to be performed on a hard surface so the ball bounces up from the drop. Do not expect this to happen on a wet day or when the grass is long. The half way line whitewash is a good place to drop the ball.
The kicker needs to generate elevation. The best tip here is to cup the foot upwards to get under the ball like a pitching wedge in golf, and then to follow through like a normal kick.

The landing area

This is where the kicker feels they can land the ball most of the time. For maximum pressure, the kick should be just beyond the 10m line.

Kick right

Some coaches say that it is better to kick right from the kick off, even if the kicker is right footed. This is because most players are right handed, therefore making it easier for your chasers to challenge for the ball with their stronger hand.
Correspondingly, the opposition will receive the ball on the left. Therefore, they are more likely to be hindered with their kicks for touch and with their long passes away from this part of the field.

2. Control the actions of the opposition

A common strategy is to kick the ball long and force the opposition to kick for a lineout. How is this best achieved?

A long kick into the "soft area"

Most teams line up with most of their forwards between the 22m and the 10m lines. The "soft area" is behind the 22m line, where the number 8 and the scrum half (9) normally stand.
Their catcher here is probably more isolated than for a shorter kick, with his supporters having to come in from the wrong side.

Kick low A low kick travels further, especially on a windy day. The tactic leaves the catcher more likely to be isolated, and reaching for a ball travelling at a greater velocity. The catcher will, therefore, have less time to make decisions before catching the ball, but more time once they have it. Kick high A high kick gives your chasers more chance of closing down the catcher. Ideally, you want your kicker to be able to vary the length, height and type of their kick restarts, and your chasers always to be able to pressurise your opponents regardless of the strategy you adopt.

Two waves of chasers

Different coaches have different names for the two waves, but the tactics are the same.

• The first wave challenges for the ball. This wave will contain the best jumpers, probably the locks and the number 8.

• The second wave clears up knock downs by either team. They spread themselves around the landing area, some ahead of the ball and some behind it.

Angles of run

The first wave starts wide and comes in towards the landing area, so they can "eyeball" the opposition and the ball as much as possible.
The second wave spreads out evenly between the touchline and the kicker, and runs towards the landing area.

Different roles for kick chasers

Chasers have different roles. Either winger should play an important part, trying their best to meet the opposition catcher as he receives the ball. A couple of other players should also be designated in this role.
The second wave must come up in a line, so as to reduce your opponent's options to break out.
A centre (12 or 13) or both centres should charge up the middle. Their target is to close down their fly half (10) to prevent the counter attack.

Defensive runner/counter attacker

Two players should hang back to collect a miss-hit touch finder or "up and under". This is normally the scrum half (9) and the team's best forward runner.

Pre-determined lineout strategy

Given that the plan may be to force the opposition to kick to touch, the lineout call should already have been made s before the restart.