DRIBBLING AND PASSING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19372, 9 July 1937, Page 7

DRIBBLING AND PASSING

RUGBY IN THE DISTRICT MORE ATTENTION REQUIRED NECESSARY IN THE SPORT iNotes by •■Sideline.") Dribbling and passing are the subjects I have chosen this week because they are two departments of the Rugby game in Poverty Bay that have not the attention paid them they deserve, and they are so vitally necessary to the successful playing of the game.

The dribbling of a ball is the action of a player running and at the same time propelling the ball along the ground with a series of nudging kicks. If two or more players arc engaged in lliis action a dribbling rush is formed. When two or more players have the ball at their toes they arc able to transfer the ball to the other by way of foot passes and a quickly executed pass will decieve an opposition man going down on the ball and the other in the rush will be able to carry on the movement.

I! is an art thai can be practised by players in restricted areas and a ball is the only equipment necessary. It is necessary for a man to become accustomed to dribbling a ball before he can expect to gain much advantage when he brings it into practise in a match. Me should carry on until he has the ball bouncing before any attempt is made to handle leather. Many tries have been thrown away in that manner; a forward has broken away and has a clear run to the goalline, but he attempts to scoop up the ball near the ground and cither overbalances or a scrum is called lor a knock-on. Do Not Overrun the Ball When a rush is in progress the players should watch the position of the ball and be sure not to overrun if. It', under those circumstances, a

supporting player kicks the ball and it accidentally touches the man who over-ran tiie ball, he will be declared off-side and the progress of the movement will be halted abruptly.

The. passing of the ball in open play through the entire set of backs is the spectacle that the Rugby patrons desire to see. and though the players in the Poverty Bay union's district sometimes do (his brilliantly they appear to be temperamental. The inside backs have been the failure so far this season and the better men standing further out in the field have either lacked I heir opportunities or have had to make the best of the position and engineer much of the work themselves.

There is definitely a gap in the inside back line of the Poverty Bay team and all that is required is for one or two men to show promise in this department, for them to be concentrated on for the representative team and with that there would be further possibilities.

"Practise makes perfect," is certainly an adage that is none the less applicable to bright and clean passing. The giving of the pass is decidedly more difficult than the receiving of the ball. The public is inclined to pass the blame on to the recipient if a pass is dropped, but it is often the case that the ball is dropped on account of the negligence of the passer. Some players, however, have only themselves to blame because they fail to back up or over-run the man with the ball. Avoid Lobbed Passes The ball must be delivered with both hands so that it does not twist in the air. Lobbed passes should be avoided as much as possible as they are delivered with one hand and are always slow passes that are easy to intercept by a member of the opposing team who is intent on his game.

To pass the ball correctly, swing the arms across the front of the body. keeping the hands at about the height of the liips. and aim to strike the receiver at the level of the hollow just below the ribs. The ball should be oil the rise when it reaches him. The back line should be "on its toes" all the time as their half-back might secure the ball at any time and send them away on a movement that will be the means of adding three more points to their score. Take the ball at full speed and pass briskly. If that is carried out there will be little risk of interception. When a man is running with the ball it is difficult for him to locale any of his support because he has his (•yes on his opponents, who are anxious to bring him to earth. If you are backing another clubmala up do not call out to him. Too many players give a call: "Right-o out here" when they are still about 10yds behind and this distracts the attention of the man with the ball on hi:: immediate job, which is to keep on his feet until supported.

A player corning up in support, therefore, should run up slightly offside to allow his mate lo get a line on his position before dripping back to take the pass.

Many tries have been won and lost by a few yards and a good or bad pass has been the reason.

Additional brief tips for players:—

Forwards should support their backs at every opportunity. Use the shoulders when pushing in preference to the head or hands. Follow up as fast ns you can. and p;o slow when you get to your man. Be sure you keep behind the ball until it rises when taking a frcc-kiek or lucking off. Do not spoil a dribbling rush by picking up too soon.