You May Subscribe To This Site

Catching a pass

When you play good rugby catching a pass is a vital skill. Do it well and you become a vital part of the team when the ball is moved around the field.

Begin with rugby catching basics

When you catch the ball it is very important...
...to be sure you keep hold of it...
Make sure you are good at rugby handling

When you are building good catching skills...
...you must have a solid foundation.
Make sure you visit or have visited the page...
...know the rugby catching basics
...before you go further.

Good catching is vital...practice!

It`s a vital skill for all rugby...
...especially attacking rugby...
...which is built on...
...good passing and catching.

You can play a big part in creating a successful team.
Be confident that the time you spend practicing alone...
...will be invaluable...
..when you practice with other players.

Use those spare minutes...
...to improve your skills on your own...
...or with other players
It means you play...
...an important part in rugby games...
...when you move the ball around the field...
...to search out weakness in the defence.

How you catch...naturally

You`re a natural catcher.
Since you were born...
...you know you reach out...
...for things you want.
Every day you see babies and children reaching out...
...for the things they find interesting...
...their eyes wide open...
...fixed on the object...
... they want to hold.

Catching a pass is just the same.

When you catch the ball...
...you see something...
... you want...
...your brain takes over.

You reach out and take hold of it.

How well you perform...
...depends on how well...
...and how often...
...you have done it before.

In other words...
...practice, practice, practice!

Catching a flat pass...reach out, stop, hold

It`s a natural progression from the basic handling skills.

When you receive a flat pass,...
...after leaving the passer the ball travels...
...through the air, across in front of you.

Catching a flat pass - reach out for the ball

Catching a flat pass - reach out for the ball

Catching a pass - reach out for the flat pass

You reach out towards the ball...
...and stop it with one hand .

Catching a flat pass - stop the ball with one hand

Catching a pass - having reached out, stop the ball

Then you use the other hand.
You move it swiftly towards the "stopping" hand...
...until the ball is held securly between your two hands.

Sounds easy.
It is easy when you practice enough.

You will even find...
... you catch one handed...
...when you have to because of the nature of the pass

Catching a deeper pass...reach out, hold

The deeper you are behind...
...the player passing the ball...
...the more the ball travels towards you...
...from in front of you and arrives at...
...and goes into both hands at the same time.

Catching a deep pass - reach out for the ball

Catching a deep pass - reach out for the ball

Catching a pass - reach out for the deeper ball.

Both hands do similar work catching a pass of this type...
...as you reach out towards the ball...
...fingers splayed forming part funnel, part open cage...
...so you trap and hold the ball.

.
The more you practice...
...the more you will find...
...you pull in the difficult passes.

They are the passes around your ankles...
...or over your head...
...or the ones that look far behind you

The more you practice catching a pass...
...the luckier you will be!
Everyone else will think that anyway!

Catching a pass... how to position your legs

The photos above ar posed...
...and meant to show what your upper body is doing.

So what do your legs do when you are catching.
They do what you tell them to do...
...and what is the best way varies.
It depends upon the situation.
How much time and space you have...
...and what you aim to do with the ball

In what follows...
..."Inside leg" refers to one of your legs...
...the one nearest to the player...
...who passed you the ball.
"Outside leg" is the one furthest from the passer.

Catching a pass with the outside leg forward

Receiving a pass is easier...
...and feels more natural.

This positioning of your legs...
...is suitable when...
...you intend kicking or when...
...you have plenty of time...
...and you intend...
...running onwards...
...carrying the ball

Passing with the outside leg forward

Catching a pass - outside leg forward

Passing the ball...
...in one flowing movement...
...having received the pass...
...is more difficult...
... and the quality of the pass...
...very often suffers.

Catching a pass with the inside leg forward

Receiving a pass is harder...
...and feels more un-natural.

This positioning of your legs...
...is suitable for when...
...you make flat passes...
...with one flowing movement.
These are used when moving the ball...
...along a chain of players...
...making sure...
...the ball does the work...
...getting over the advantage line...
...as quickly as possible.

Passing with the inside leg forward

Catching a pass - inside leg forward

Passing the ball...
...in one flowing movement...
...having received the pass...
...is much easier...
... and the quality of the pass...
...is usually maximised.

Catching a pass...part of passing the ball

So reaching out for the ball...
...and putting your best foot forward...
...are all part of making sure...
...you catch the ball well.
Not only that...
...it will help you make possible...
...some of the best, most difficult...
...and most useful passes in rugby.

In "How We Beat the All Blacks"...
... (2005 Aurum Press Ltd, ISBN 1 84513 145 2) Page 113...
...famous rugby coach Carwyn James...
...is quoted as saying words to the effect that...
...the ability to catch and pass in one movement...
...is the basis of any pattern of rugby play...
...it is difficult to teach...
...and that many first class players are unable to do it.

He is also quoted as saying that...
...it can take a year or longer to teach...
but it is essential for players to be able to do it.

Practice so you have this option...
...when catching a pass

Bob Dwyer, the coach...
...of 1991 Rugby World Cup winners Australia...
...in his book "The Winning Way" ...
...(1992 Rugby Press Ltd, ISBN 0 908630 41 7) Page 99...
...says that some Australian backline players...
...were not able reach for the ball and pass it across the body.
Something he regards as a basic technique.

Return from Catching a pass to Rugby catching

Evtechs Sports Training
Sydney, Australia