Tennis: Box Back

• Divide your players into groups of five, with one player acting as a running. Each grid will need a runner. The runner starts on the runners cone.
• You might wish to have two groups of five at each grid, and to have a quick demo before sending all the players to their own grids.
• Keep your player briefing, brief!
• The first five passers attack the runners line, passing the pass down the line as they go.
• The runner sets off as soon as the first ball carrier starts to move.
• The aim of attack is to score a try in the corner, beating the runner - so quick hands.
• Each player should realign following their pass, there will be two attacks for each group before they move the ball onto the next group.
• After the first attack the runner goes to their cones on the opposite side of the grid ready for the next attack. The attack begins when the first players picks the ball off the ground.
• Don't forget to change the runners.
• Move the runner cones in to progress the exercise and to put the attack under more pressure.

Tell your players the following......

1. Players will attack in teams of 2, each attacking unit will have their own ball.
2. At the pads, the ball carrier must hit and roll or hit and spin or sidestep.
3. They will then face 2v 1 situations following each pad.
4. Their objective is to get to the other side, without making a mistake, and score a try!
5. The following group of 2 can go when they feel there is a reasonable gap between the attacking units.

• Don't forget to change your players about.

Tell your players the following.......

1. One team of 7 will be in attack, the attack should start behind the 22 meter line and they will have the ball.
2. The defenders will have 4 defenders behind the posts, the other defenders will be in goal (give them a passing exercise to do).
3. On the whistle the attack begins, it will be 7 v 4, full contact.
4. If the attack score a try, the defence will then go to 5 players - and will again start from behind the posts while the attack will start from behind the 22.
5. Each time the attack score, the defence increases by 1.
6. Count how many attacks are needed to get to a 7 v 7 situation.
7. The teams will then switch.
8. The winning team is the team that can get to a 7 v 7 situation in the fewest attacks.

• The speed of the pass should be reasonable and provide the interceptors with a chance of success.
• Tell the players the following....

1. The rest of the players will start one cone back from the passers, each standing one behind the other.
2. The first player will go, aiming to intercept the flat pass.
3. Then the next, until all players have intercepted the pass.
4. They then move another cone back - to do the same.
5. They keep moving back until they don't have enough speed to get onto the ball.

• Don't forget to give the passers a chance, they could be injured players who you might want to keep busy with simple passing.