Structured Phase Play

Structured Phase Play

The following idea was developed during my time coaching in Japan as a tool to:

•    Create awareness of the use of space across the field (stop them all from running after the ball)
•    Enforcing phase plays to be organized just as the starter plays normally are which provides for variations of usage rather than just having a flat passing line from the ruck.
•    The many roles that players had to perform to be successful in one position
•    Start the season with a structured platform so that as the season wore on and the individuals and team became more and more confident they were able to make decisions based on what was happening in front of them rather than what they had carried out at training.

The team had many of these plays but of course they were training up to five times a week and two teams were always available so they were able to practice each play at some length and in pressure situations.
Many times the plays required fine tuning once they had been tried out.
Of course players were encouraged to react to what was happening in front of them but we always found it a good idea to spend the first few weeks running through the whole play as it was set out.

This play is a 5 Man lineout where the halfback is throwing in. Once you have had a look at this it may stimulate some thinking as what would be a good play for your team and devise a plan. The ease of the play once it was learned was that as the lineout was setting one single call, in this case ‘Blue Normal’, could be made and every player would know what should happen for the next two to three phases.

I believe it would be a good idea to have one or two of these plays which can be practiced regularly and fine tuned as you go. Don’t worry about all the arguments of ‘playing what’s in front of you’ as there is plenty of time in the game for that. Start with one of these plays and see how it goes. Of course it only takes one player not to set the ruck or carry the ball too far, not be there for the cleanout, or whatever, and the success may be limited.

L1 & L2: lifters 1 & 2.  Generally the props
T:  Thrower / Hooker
J1 & J2: Jumpers 1 & 2.  Generally the locks.
BL: backrow lifter. Generally 6 or 8
BR: backrow runner. Generally 7.
BJ: backrow jumper. Generally 6 or 8
Backs: as per numbered

“Hana” short ball option
“Mayday”: quick ball
“X”: as it suggests with three runners

These ideas are limited only to your imagination.