Introduction to Rugby

Lessons

Senior 4 · Physical Education

Introduction to Rugby

3 lessons

Lesson 2 of 3

Running with the ball

25 min

Go forward, keep the ball, find the space

In rugby the ball may only be passed backwards, so the team moves forward when a player runs with it. The ball carrier has three jobs: go forward, keep the ball, and make it easy for team-mates to keep the attack going. Running with the ball is not just sprinting: it means carrying the ball safely, choosing a line into space, beating a defender with a change of direction or pace, and passing at the right moment to a support runner. In this unit we practise in tag and touch rugby, where the defender stops you with a tag or a two-handed touch, so the skills can be learned without the risks of tackling.

Definition

Ball carrier: the player holding the ball.

Two-handed carry: running with the ball held in both hands in front of the chest, so the carrier can pass to either side at any moment.

One-arm carry: the ball tucked between the forearm, the hand and the ribs, with the point of the ball in the hand; used when sprinting into open space or protecting the ball.

Side-step: a sudden change of direction made by planting the foot hard and pushing off to the other side.

Swerve: a curved run, without breaking stride, that bends away from a defender.

Support runner: a team-mate running close behind or beside the ball carrier, ready to receive a pass.

Draw and pass: running at a defender to fix him or her on you, then passing to a support runner just before the defender can make the tag.

Technique

Skill	Key points
Carry	Two hands in front of the chest when a pass may be needed; tuck under one arm only in open space. Hold the ball firmly; do not swing it.
Running line	Run straight ("square") to keep the defenders guessing and to keep space for team-mates outside you; do not drift across the pitch towards the touchline.
Side-step	Approach at speed; shorten the last strides; plant the outside foot hard, bending the knee, and push off sideways; accelerate away.
Swerve	Lean slightly into the curve, keep the stride, swing away from the defender and then back towards the try line.
Change of pace	Slow slightly as the defender approaches, then accelerate past.
Draw and pass	Run straight at the defender's inside shoulder; pass when the defender commits to you, about 1–2 m away.
Support	Run behind and to the side of the carrier, at speed, calling for the ball.

In full rugby a tackled player must release the ball and may place it back towards his or her own team, and tackles must stay below the shoulders. That is taught later, with progressions and a qualified coach; in this unit nobody tackles.

Worked example

Worked example 1: how sharp can a swerve be? To run on a curve of radius $r$ at speed $v$ , a player of mass $m$ needs a sideways (centripetal) force $F = \frac{m v^{2}}{r}$ , supplied by friction between the boots and the ground. Friction can give at most $\mu m g$ , so the curve is possible only if

\frac{v^{2}}{r} \le \mu g \quad\Rightarrow\quad \mu \ge \frac{v^{2}}{r g}

A 60 kg player at $6\,\mathrm{m\,s^{-1}}$ on a 5 m curve: $F = \frac{60 \times 36}{5} = 432\,\mathrm{N}$ ; $\mu \ge \frac{36}{5 \times 9.81} = 0.73$ .
At $8\,\mathrm{m\,s^{-1}}$ on the same curve: $\mu \ge \frac{64}{49.05} = 1.30$ , more grip than grass gives, so the player slips. With $\mu = 0.73$ the tightest curve at 8 m s⁻¹ is $r = \frac{64}{0.73 \times 9.81} = 8.9\,\mathrm{m}$ .

The faster you run, the wider your swerve must be, and on wet grass (less friction) it must be wider still. A side-step avoids a long curve by slowing and planting the foot first. Masses and friction values are illustrative.

Worked example

Worked example 2: when to pass in a 2-v-1. Two attackers face one defender. The support runner is 5 m to the side of the ball carrier. The defender can move sideways at about $4\,\mathrm{m\,s^{-1}}$ , and a 5 m pass takes about 0.5 s (illustrative).

If the ball carrier runs straight at the defender and passes when 1–2 m away, the defender is committed to her. To reach the support runner the defender must move about 5 m sideways: $\frac{5}{4} = 1.25\,\mathrm{s}$ , much longer than the 0.5 s pass, so the receiver runs clear.
If the ball carrier passes early, 10 m from the defender, the defender has not been fixed and can drift across while the ball is in the air and the receiver runs forward. The 2-v-1 becomes a 1-v-1.

The lesson: fix the defender first. Run straight at the defender and pass late, so the defender cannot cover both attackers.

Video: "Basic Rugby Drills - How to Side Step", Teach PE. As you watch, notice the shorter steps before the cut, which foot is planted and how the player accelerates away.

Tip

"Two hands, run straight, pass late." Keep the ball in two hands, run square at the defender to fix him or her, and pass at the last safe moment to the support runner.

Warning

Common mistakes. Carrying the ball in one hand like a loaf, so it is easily dropped. Drifting sideways, which crowds team-mates out of space. Side-stepping from too slow a run. Passing too early in a 2-v-1. Support runners standing still.

Safety. Tag and touch only: no tackling, no hand-offs to the face. Before sharp cuts, warm up the ankles and knees with skipping, lunges and gentle zig-zag runs. On wet grass, slow down before changing direction. If a player falls and hits the head, follow World Rugby's message: recognise and remove. Suspected concussion means stop playing and see a health worker.

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Practice

Explain when to carry the ball in two hands and when in one arm.
List the teaching points of a side-step.
Calculate the friction coefficient needed for a 7 m s⁻¹ swerve on a curve of radius 6 m (g = 9.81 m s⁻²).
With μ = 0.6, find the tightest curve a player can run at 6 m s⁻¹.
Explain why ball carriers are told to run straight, not across the pitch.
In a 2-v-1, the defender moves sideways at 5 m s⁻¹ and must cover 6 m. A pass takes 0.6 s. Is the receiver likely to be free? Show working.
Describe the job of a support runner.
A team practises side-steps every lesson but never 2-v-1s. Evaluate this practice plan.

Show answersHide answers

Two hands when a pass may be needed, which is most of the time, because it keeps both passing directions open. One arm only when sprinting into open space or protecting the ball.
Approach at speed; shorten the last strides; plant the outside foot hard with the knee bent; push off sideways; accelerate away.
μ ≥ v² ÷ (r g) = 49 ÷ (6 × 9.81) = 0.83.
r = v² ÷ (μ g) = 36 ÷ (0.6 × 9.81) = 6.1 m.
Running straight fixes defenders and keeps the space outside for team-mates; drifting pushes the attack towards the touchline and makes the defence's job easy.
Defender's time: 6 ÷ 5 = 1.2 s; pass: 0.6 s. The pass arrives 0.6 s before the defender can get there, so yes, if the defender was fixed.
To run close behind or beside the ball carrier, at speed, calling for the ball, ready to receive a pass and keep the attack going.
Unbalanced. The side-step is useful, but rugby is a team game and most tries come from support play and passing to an unmarked player. The plan should mix individual evasion with 2-v-1 and 3-v-2 practices.

Quick check

Why do coaches tell ball carriers to hold the ball in two hands?

Remember

Carry in two hands; tuck under one arm only in open space.
Run straight; beat a defender with a side-step, a swerve or a change of pace.
A swerve needs friction $\mu \ge \frac{v^{2}}{r g}$ : faster running needs a wider curve.
In a 2-v-1, fix the defender, then pass late to the support runner.
No tackling in this unit; for any head knock, recognise and remove.

Sources and credits

World Rugby, Laws of the Game: Rugby Union 2026: the tackle and the ball carrier, summarised, not copied.
World Rugby Passport, Concussion Management for the General Public: "Recognise and remove".
Rugby union gameplay, Wikipedia contributors, Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0: running with the ball and support play. Adapted by Ganzaa.
Photo: Children playing tag rugby2, Samson Ssemakadde, Wikimedia Commons, released under CC0.
Video: "Basic Rugby Drills - How to Side Step", Teach PE, embedded from YouTube.
Evasion diagram (drawn to scale), tables, worked examples, practice and quick check: written by Ganzaa. Speeds, masses and friction values are illustrative.

This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.

1Go forward, keep the ball, find the space

2Technique

Go forward, keep the ball, find the space

Technique