Contact Skills drill

Falling and Ball Presentation

Learn to hit the ground safely and present the ball long, entirely alone.

Setup

One ball on soft grass with 5m clear on all sides. No partner needed.

Hold the ball in two hands and position it away from the point of contact, turning towards where your support would be as you go down.
Move your head away from the impact of the ground, tuck your shoulder under and roll onto your upper back - never break the fall with your hands, which is how wrists and shoulders get broken.
Position your body between the ball and the opposition, then reach out and place the ball at arm's length away from them.
Practise from kneeling, then from a squat, then walking, then jogging.
Do 3 rounds of 8 falls alternating sides, then add backwards, sideways and forwards landings.

Putting a hand out to break the fall, which is the classic wrist and shoulder fracture mechanism
Landing on the point of the shoulder with the head trapped instead of tucking and rolling onto the upper back