Defined Off-Season

The Defined Off-Season for the Community Game in 2024 introduces structured guidelines to manage contact and ensure player safety while maintaining engagement.

Here are the key points summarised:

Key Dates

Off-Season Period:

Contact activities must cease from Monday, 18th November 2024.

A graduated return to play can begin from Monday, 13th January 2025.

Full Contact Training:

Allowed from Monday, 10th February 2025.

Friendly Matches:

Can start from Saturday, 22nd February 2025.

Permitted Activities During Off-Season:

Training is allowed but must avoid contact activities, such as:

Tackling

Wrestling

Using tackle shields or bags

However, non-contact activities like Touch Rugby and Tag Rugby are permitted.

Shape

Focus Areas for Training:

This period emphasises developing core skills in a fun, engaging environment. Coaches are encouraged to use practices and small-sided games to improve:

Grip & Carry

Catch & Pass

Kicking

Evasion

Play the Ball and Dummy Half Pass

Support & Decision Making

Ball Retrieval

Supporting Resources:

Coaches can find return-to-contact training videos below, designed to ensure a safe and effective transition back to full contact activities.

These are Off-Season practice videos for aged 12+.

Warm Up

These are activities to use in a tackle session warm up. They can be used as part of a general warm up so players are ready to take part in contact during the latter part of the session.

These videos focus on movements that can be used in preparation for contact, they will help players get used to the right body position in order to perform safe efficient tackle technique as well as working on shoulder mobility and core stability which will assist with tackle technique.

Bear Crawl Sidewards

Bear Crawl

Sumo Squat

Walking Lunges

Warm Up Challenges

These are fun challenges that players can take part in as part of a warm up for a session involving tackle practice. The challenges incorporate movement and body positions that link into tackle around leading same foot same shoulder and bending at the knees and hips to sit into a tackle.

Ankle Tag

Bib Grab

Knee Tag

Preparation for contact

These are activities to use as part of a tackle technique session. They can be used to help players prepare for contact and focus on some of the different parts of the tackle in isolation.

Approach to Contact

Shoulder Prep

Dip to Shoulder

Keeping hips square

The Tackle

These videos that focus on the 1v1 tackle. The videos break this down into different components that you should use with players before progressing to a full tackle from approach to finishing on the ground.

The main focal points of a 1v1 tackle should be foot positioning, leading same foot same shoulder, bending from the knees and hips (sitting in to the tackle), keeping hips square on and making shoulder contact under the ball or around the bottom of the ball.

The same principles can be used when progressing to the 2v1 tackle.