Handling drill
Quick Hands and One-Handed Catch
Develop single-hand control and reaction, which is what makes an offload possible.
- Time
- 6 minutes
- Players
- 1 to 30 players
- Intensity
- Low
- Equipment
- Ball
- Positions
- All positions
Setup
One ball, standing. No space needed.
How to run it
- Work through three exercises for 30 seconds each: hold the ball in front of you and move it quickly hand to hand, then throw it slightly up and catch it one-handed alternating hands, then drop it and catch it before it hits the ground.
- Do 3 full rounds.
- Deliberately give your weak hand equal time, because the one-handed work is the foundation of getting an offload away when your other arm is pinned.
Coaching cues
- Equal time on the weak hand
- Fingertips control, not the palm
- Catch it clean, don't trap it against you
Common mistakes
- Only ever working the dominant hand
- Trapping the ball against your body on the one-handed catches
Related drills
- Roll and RetrieveMaster picking the ball off the ground cleanly at pace, alone.
- Straddle Lift and Place ChannelLink a clean ground pickup to a long, deliberate ball placement.
- Unbalanced Pass RepsLearn to deliver an accurate pass from a poor body position, which is what games actually demand.
- Ball Familiarisation SeriesBuild the basic feel for the ball that underpins every other handling skill.
- Wall Pass ReboundBuild passing accuracy and reaction catching completely alone, off any flat wall.
- Solo Halfback Wall PassGroove the scrum-half clearing pass off the ground in one sweep, with no partner needed.