Handling drill
Roll and Retrieve
Master picking the ball off the ground cleanly at pace, alone.
- Time
- 12 minutes
- Players
- 1 to 20 players
- Intensity
- Medium
- Equipment
- Ball
- Space
- 15m x 15m
- Positions
- All positions
Setup
A 15m x 15m area of open grass and one ball.
How to run it
- Roll the ball forward, chase it and pick it up on the move.
- Get above the ball side-on, straddling it with one foot in front and one behind, approaching low and strong.
- Sink at the hips and bend your knees, steady the ball with your front hand and scoop it up with your back hand, and bring it straight into your chest with your head up.
- Vary the speed and direction of the roll every rep so no two pickups are the same.
- Do 3 sets of 8, alternating which shoulder you approach from.
Coaching cues
- Sink at the hips and bend the knees
- Front hand steadies, back hand scoops
- Head up in a neutral position
Common mistakes
- Bending at the waist with your head down instead of sinking at the hips
- Reaching for the ball with one hand off to the side, which becomes a knock-on in a game
Related drills
- 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.
- Quick Hands and One-Handed CatchDevelop single-hand control and reaction, which is what makes an offload possible.
- 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.