Use the halfway line: An activity to use at training
A simple device that you can adapt for your team.
Try splitting the pitch and having different rules in each half.
This device is simple, but it allows you to test your players reactions and problem solving.
When designing a game, place a halfway line across the playing area using cones. To make this device stand out to players, I sometimes use a different colour cone to the boundaries of the playing area.
This is especially helpful if you’re introducing this type of game for the first time. It can make explaining the activity. easier and quicker.
The premise is simple. In a team’s own half, they play with one rule, when they’re in their opponent’s half, the rule changes.
The rules can be as simple or as complex as your team needs. They can also be adapted to suit whatever your team needs to work on.
Here are some examples to get you started:
In their own half the ball carrier can pass after they’ve been touch-tackled. In the opposition half, the ball carrier must fall and present the ball after they’ve been touch-tackled
In their own half, the ball carrier must stop after the first touch-tackle. In the opposition half, the attacking team plays two-touch rules. After the first touch-tackle, the ball carrier can keep running but cannot score. After the second touch-tackle, they must stop and either pass or present the ball.
In their own half, the attacking team are not allowed to verbally communicate. In the opposition half, verbal communication is unlocked.
In their own half, the attacking team are not allowed to kick. In the opposition half, they must grubber kick after 3 touch-tackles.
How to run the game:
When running this game with players, give them time to chat both with and without coaches.
You could do this by scheduling stoppages similar to mini half times. You can also give teams a certain amount of pauses to use. They can use their pauses in a natural stoppage in play (such as when the ball goes into touch or when a try is scored).
You might also have to remind players that the halfway rule is always live. For example: the attacking team make it past the halfway line so they play with the 2nd half rules. However if they get pushed back behind the halfway line, they revert back to their half’s rules.
Why I love it:
This game can be adapted to suit your team and the focus of your session. It gets team’s reacting to different rules and thinking about how to get across the halfway line.
The attacking team have the usual visual marker of the tryline, but they also have the additional halfway line target. Meaning they get a better sense of their progression up the pitch. The same is also true for the defending team. They get an additional target to contain the attackers within. This works well for conversations about territory, especially for newer players. It also works well as a small-sized game for more experienced players.
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