Breakdown drill
Floor Seal Clear Pick
Drill the three breakdown roles as a reactive sequence rather than a set piece.
- Time
- 20 minutes
- Players
- 4 to 8 players
- Intensity
- High
- Equipment
- Ball, cones
- Space
- 10m x 10m grid
- Positions
- All positions
Setup
Four players in a marked grid with one ball, and cones.
How to run it
- Pass the ball around the group with small pops while moving continuously, and on a random call, whoever has the ball carries it into contact and hits the floor, presenting long.
- The other three then execute the sequence: one seals to protect the ball with body position over it, one clears to remove the threat, and one picks the ball off the ground.
- Play resumes with small pops until the next call, which should come every 8-12 seconds.
- Do 5 blocks of 90 seconds with 60 seconds rest.
- Nominate roles out loud as you arrive, or all three of you will over-commit and nobody will be left to play the ball.
Coaching cues
- Nominate your role out loud as you arrive
- Sealing is a standing body position, on your feet
- Progress to passive then active defenders
Common mistakes
- All three arriving at once and over-committing, leaving nobody to play the ball
- The sealer going off their feet over the ball - a penalty, and the single most common amateur breakdown offence
Session plans that use this drill
Related drills
- Contact Square Inside ClearFall away from the jackal threat and clear the man who does contest.
- Coming Through the GateBuild the habit of joining a ruck legally when the short route is tempting.
- Counter Ruck UnitTurn the ball over by driving over the ruck as a connected unit.
- Jackal Clear or Seal DecisionTrain the first-arriver read - is there a threat to remove, or clean ball to protect?
- Ruck Clean-Out ChannelProduce clean quick ball repeatedly while maintaining forward momentum.
- Jackal RiseGet from flat on the floor into a legal, stable jackal position over the ball, fast.