Players don't understand positions yet
Everyone wants to be the 10, nobody knows what a flanker does, and restarts are guesswork
Why it happens
- Positions arrive gradually through age-grade rugby, and many players have only ever played everywhere.
- Nobody has explained what each position does, only where it stands.
- Positions change every week, so nobody learns one well.
- Players copy the professional game without knowing the jobs behind it.
What to say
✓ Say this
- “Your job at this restart is…”
- “Where do you stand, and what do you do first?”
- “Great, you knew your job before the ball arrived.”
✗ Not this
- “Just go where you're told.”
- Telling players they'll only ever play one position.
- Explaining every position in one long talk.
The drill ladder
Move a group up a level only when they hit the "ready for next level" sign. It's fine for groups to be on different levels.
Cone map
How it works
- Lay out cones where each player stands at a scrum (or a lineout). Each cone is a position.
- Players jog around, and on the call “scrum!” everyone runs to their cone.
- Swap positions every few goes so everyone learns more than one spot.
Coaching points
- Know your spot before the ball is down.
- Look at who's beside you.
- Use the same position names every week.
Ready for the next level when: Every player gets to their spot on the call without help.
Scrum walkthrough
How it works
- Walk the whole team through a scrum, unopposed: forwards bind and crouch, the scrum half puts the ball in, the ball comes back.
- Backs line up in their spots, then run a simple move from the scrum.
- Repeat from different places on the pitch.
Coaching points
- Everyone knows their spot before the ball goes in.
- Forwards: bind, crouch, hold. No pushing.
- Check your age group's scrum rules with the official RFU text.
Ready for the next level when: The team sets up an unopposed scrum and runs a move from it without stopping.
Lineout walkthrough
How it works
- Set up a lineout, unopposed, with the thrower, catchers and backs in their spots.
- Call a catcher, throw straight, catch, and pass the ball to the scrum half and on to the backs.
- Repeat from different parts of the pitch. Check your age group's lineout rules with the official text.
Coaching points
- Everyone knows their spot before the throw.
- One clear call, everyone hears it.
- No lifting.
Ready for the next level when: The team sets up and plays from an unopposed lineout without stopping.
Position rotation touch
How it works
- Every player wears a numbered bib for a position. Each restart (scrum or lineout, unopposed) starts with players in their position.
- Play touch from the restart. After 3 minutes, everyone moves to a new position number.
- At the end, ask each player what their position did at the restart and in open play.
Coaching points
- Name the job, not just the number: “10 runs the attack, 9 gets the ball away.”
- Short games so everyone tries several positions.
- Restarts are unopposed. No pushing, no lifting.
Ready for the next level when: Players can say what each position does and get to their spot without help.
Freeze frame
How it works
- Play a normal game. Every so often the coach shouts “freeze!” and everyone stops where they are.
- Ask: “Who is free? Who could you pass to? Who needs to move?” Let players move themselves, then play on from there.
- Keep freezes short (under 30 seconds) and no more than one every couple of minutes.
Coaching points
- Ask questions. Don't move them yourself.
- Freeze when it's going well too, so they see what good width looks like.
- Use touch, or the full rules for your age group only once the drill ladder for contact is solid.
Ready for the next level when: When you freeze, most players are already in a useful space.
Teaching positions
- Teach one restart at a time: scrum, then lineout, then kick-off.
- Give each position a one-line job, such as “9 gets the ball away quickly”.
- Rotate positions across the season so players understand the whole team, and keep one or two settled for matches.
- Check your age group's rules for scrums, lineouts and positions with the official RFU text.
Common coaching mistakes
- Explaining positions only on a whiteboard.
- Changing everyone's position every week.
- Only teaching where to stand, not what to do.
- Never letting players try a new position.