Rugby passing
Good rugby passing is a key part of your game. Use these different passes so you are confident you have great skills and you pass the ball well in play.
Handling and rugby passing basics
If you want to pass well, first make sure you handle well.
Any doubts? You have sound foundations for your passing if you first have a look at handling (see picture links, right column).
Then you`ll easily get to grips with the rugby passing basics.
Why know different rugby passes?
There are many different types of pass.
If you have ever had to do something using tools, you know it`s important to "have the right tool for the job".
It makes things so much easier!
There`s also a saying something like, "if you have only a hammer everything looks like a nail".
But of course not everything is a nail. You need more than a hammer.
In the same way, many passes do not need to travel 20-30metres. You need more than a bullet-like spiral pass.
Firing out a superbly spinning spiral pass that could travel 20 metres, when a gentle lob is needed, is likely to cause problems!
Make sure you have a range of passes in your passing toolbox.
There are many different passes and it`s well worth knowing as many as possible.
They are all suitable in certain circumstances, some in a range of situations and it`s worth having the right pass for the job.
Find how to do these types of rugby pass
People new to rugby often refer to how to pass as how to "throw" a rugby ball. Here are many rugby passes worth considering when you want to learn how to pass.
Just scroll down or Select a type of pass...
- Normal - most used basic pass
- Spiral or spin - important long pass used a lot (overused?)
- Ground - move ball away from scrum, ruck
- Swing - longer normal pass
- Dive - older style scrumhalf long pass
- Pop - put close support through a gap
- Reverse - get out of trouble
- Flick - one hand pass to close support
- Round the corner - keep the ball alive
- Overhead lob - over opposition players
- Lob - surrounded player to support
- Scissors - ball changes direction
- Dummy - they chase a phantom pass
Normal - most used basic pass
One of the main-stays of rugby passing.
A pass used very frequently. However it is tending to be replaced by the spin pass.
You make this pass with two hands moving across in front of your body.
Most useful for passes of a few metres.
This is a very versatile pass can be used in many situations and you can easily control the speed and distance of the pass.
Find out more about how to make a normal pass.
Spiral or spin - important long pass
Another of the major skills in rugby passing.
Used very frequently especially in top class rugby. You make this pass with two hands moving across in front of your body.
It differs from the normal pass in that you apply spin to the ball as you make the pass.
Spiral passes tend to be fast and hard, spinning swiftly to the receiver.
Most useful for passes of many metres especially along the back-line.
You can also use this
- for long cut-out passes
- for long passes to distant support players to swiftly change the point of attack.
- for quick line-out throws
Find out more about how to make a spiral pass or spin pass.
Ground - move ball away from scrum, ruck
More specialised area of rugby passing.
Ground pass of a rugby ball
This pass is used most often when you are the scrum-half or the player acting in that role. You remove the ball from the base of the scrum or a ruck and send it out to the backs.
If you position your feet and arms well in relation to the ball, you pass swiftly, you give the receiver more time and space.
Find out more about how to make a ground pass.
Swing - longer normal pass
This is an older pass, not seen very often.
It`s a very convincing pass "for selling the dummy" (see dummy pass).
A very useful pass but one more likely to be seen in old rugby player autobiographies.
The pass was used before the spin pass became fashionable for longer passes.
The passer uses both hands moving across in front of the body. At the same time you "sink" your hips giving the ball extra momentum for longer passes.
Find out more about how to make a swing pass.
Dive - older style scrumhalf long pass
Another from the old days of rugby passing. Pick up, dive and fling.
Dive pass of a rugby ball
This pass still has a place in the game.
When unable to position your body to make a good ground pass this is a useful substitute pass.
You make the pass with two hands whilst performing a diving motion towards your target.
You swing your arms out from under your body, flinging the ball towards the receiver.
Find out more about how to make a dive pass.
Pop - put close support through a gap
You use two hands for the pop pass. Gentle and soft to close players
Use it for short passes to players in close support.
Move your arms to disguise what you ar doing, but supply power mainly with your fingers, giving great control over short distances.
You pop the ball into (or up and into) the path of a support player running fast and close to take advantage of a gap in the defence.
Use this when you are among the more highly skilled in rugby passing.
Find out more about how to give a pop pass.
Reverse - get out of trouble
Rarely used. Fun to practice and believe you will be good enough to use it one day. Effective, for experts only!
Reverse pass of a rugby ball
Avoid using it in a game unless you are expert or desperate.
Make that expert AND desperate!
Useful when a long ground pass is required but you are not in the correct position to make one and pressure prevents you from taking time to get set.
A risky pass. Should only be attempted by the highly skilled in dire emergencies!
Look to people with skills like Gareth Edwards for examples of this type of rugby passing.
Find out more about the rarely used reverse pass.
Flick - one hand pass to close support
A one handed, short, tricky pass
You use this pass to keep the ball alive, moving the ball to a close support player.
You will mainly use this pass while fending off would-be tacklers with the other arm.
You use a flicking motion with your hand moving the ball sideways or backwards.
Find out more about how to make a flick pass.
Round the corner - keep the ball alive
Round the corner pass of a rugby ball
This is a clever ploy
You keep the ball alive when you are being tackled.
Keep your arms free.
Then use one hand to pass the ball round the back of the tackler to your support player coming through on the burst.
Now, just say you have been tackled by a brick toilet block. This is how you pass round the corner!
Find out more about how to make a round the corner pass - a real one!
Overhead lob - over opposition players
A one or two handed pass.
You use this pass to get the ball to a supporting player when there is an opposition player directly between you and your support.
The lobbing motion allows the ball to travel in an arc above and out of reach of your opponent.
Here is how to make an overhead lob pass (one and two handed)
Lob - surrounded player to support
Lob pass of a rugby ball
A one or two handed pass.
Used to get the ball to a close support player.
Really a normal pass is required but may not be possible, so a lob pass is used instead, often back over your shoulder.
More about how to make a lob pass.
Scissors - ball changes direction
Clever, tricky manouevre as much as simply rugby passing. You do this to switch direction, often to avoid going "into touch" (to avoid stepping on or over the touch line).
You usually use two hands for the scissors pass but it is possible with one.
You use it to switch the point of attack by combining with a support player.
Instead of continuing to run outside you and receiving a normal pass your support sharply changes direction and cuts across close behind you.
As they do this, you swivel and pass the ball to them, either before they disappear easiest and best) or as they re-appear from behind you.
Disguise what you are doing as much as possible.
Dummy - they chase a phantom pass
The rugby passing that is not a pass. You do it well and they don`t bother to tackle you!
It just looks like a pass.
It is part of your evasion toolkit.
You use it like the sidestep to play with opposition minds, conceal what is really happening on the field.
Many of the above passes can be turned into a dummy pass.
All you have to do is convince the opposition you are going to pass then not actually complete the pass.
You hang on to the ball and use the situation to your advantage.
When you perform well your opponent believes you have passed the ball and there is no reason to tackle you.
Instead they choose to follow the ball and get the receiver of the pass.
They leave a gap in the defence and you slip through.
Find out more about how to make a dummy pass.
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