Rugby Underhand Pass Lesson Plan

In the lesson plan "rugby underhand pass" basic passing skills are introduced to the students.  Due to the winter weather this lesson will take place indoors in the schools gym.

Grades: 2 - 3

Equipment: 5 rugby balls (assuming class of 20 students, 1 ball for five groups of four students), if the school does not have rugby balls, foam balls or footballs can be used as alternatives. 10 cones. Music player.

Warm Up Activity: Have the class start by jogging around the gym.  The students will jog for 1min. while music is playing.  When the 1min. is up stop the music and have the students perform some kind of fitness activity until the music starts playing again.  Repeat this scenario for at total of 5mins. of jogging with a fitness activity introduced each time the music stops.

Example:

• Jog around the gym with music for 1min.
• Music stops, students stop jogging and start doing jumping jacks until the music starts again.
• Jog around the gym with music for 1min.
• Music stops, students turn around and skip the opposite direction they were jogging until music starts again.
• Jog around the gym with music for 1min.
• Music stops, students crab walk back and forth accross the gym until music starts again.
• Jog around gym with music for 1 min.
• Music stops, the students back pedal the opposite way they were running until the music starts again.
• Jog around the gym with music for 1min.
• Music stops, students sprint to center court and take a seat to await your instructions about the lesson for the day.

Including music in a warm up activity like this helps students keep entertained while jogging as well as helps make the fitness activities become more fun (creating a red light green light style of game).

Cover Lesson:  Once the students have taken a seat at center court inform them that they will be participating in a lesson on the basic underhand pass used in the game of rugby.  Once you have explained the lesson plan to the students divide the class up into groups of four.  Once the groups have been made have two students from each group grab a ball and two cones.

Activity 1: Stationary Underhand Pass

Spread the groups out throughout the gym.  Have each group set up two cones five feet apart from each other.  Use one group as an example and go over the basic unerhand pass used in rugby. 

• Stand with both feet shoulder width apart on the outside of the cone (two students at each cone, rotating).
• Hold the ball with both hands.
• Look at your intended target.
• Use a two handed underhand passing motion.
• If throwing from the left to the right extend left arm across the body and right arm towards your target keeping the ball in both hands releasing the ball at about the waist level.  Make sure they understand that the throwing motion is the exact opposite if throwoing from right to left.

Once all the students grasp the general throwing motion have them practice the underhand pass by tossing the ball to their group members.  If throwing left to right have the passer at the left cone and the reciever at the right cone.  Have the groups throw from both the left and right cones, rotating so each group member spends ample time passing the ball from either side.

Activity 2: Spread Out Underhand Pass

Once the students have grasped the basics of the underhand pass have all the groups go to one end of the gym.  Use one group as an example to help better explain activity 2.  Spread the group out so that each member is about five feet apart from one another.  Give the group member on the left hand side the ball and have them pass it to their group member to their right.  Once the ball reaches the group member on the right hand side of the court have them repeate the drill passing the ball the opposite way.  Once the example group has completed the drill and the entire class understands what is expected of them spread the groups out from baseline to baseline and have each group perfomr the activity.

Activity 3: Underhand Pass on the Move

Once the groups have mastered activity 2, add motion into the basic rugby underhand pass.  Explain to the students how being able to perform the underhand pass on the move is essential to being successful in the game of rugby.  Have the groups line up at one end of the gym, and again use one group as an example to help explain the activity.  Have the group spread out across the gym five feet apart from each other just like in activity 2, but this time have the group jog down the court while making the underhand passes.  Stress to the student that it is important when jogging down the court they all stay together, not allowing a group member to get to far ahead or fall to far behind the rest of the group.  Bring to their attention that if they all stay together they have a better chance of making an accurate pass to their group member up and down the court.  Have the group pass the ball from left to right and back right to left as many times as it takes to get from one end of the gym to the other.  Once the activity has ben explained and all the groups understand the activity have one group at a time perform the underhand pass on the move making their way to the other end of the gym.  Have the groups continue up and down the court until told to do otherwise.

Closing Activity (time permitting): Once the class has mastered the activities in the lesson and there is still time left in class allow them the opportunity to have some open gym time.  Bring out basketballs, volleyballs, jump ropes, etc. and allow the students to choose what they would like to do, making sure all the students are engaged in some kind of activity.  Use this time as a reward for the class working so hard on the lesson plan.  If students are rewarded for their hard work, they will usually continue to work hard at future lesson plans.