Contents
The handling progression, band by band
Handling is built band by band, skipping no rung. Two hands first, the spin next, the decision (draw-and-pass) after that, the offload last, and possession under fatigue at the top.
| Band | What is worked |
|---|---|
| u9 | Two-hand catch-pass, evasion, non-contact games |
| u13 | Spin pass, passing under a passive defender, draw-and-pass |
| u17 | Pass after contact, pass off both hands at pace |
| sen | Offload systems, distribution under fatigue |
Two cues recur across the bank: hands early (present the ball early, catch in two hands, elbows in, eyes up) and the pass is a message, dosed and precise, to the support runner, not at him. The passing channel (hands early, a jogging line moving the ball hand to hand) and the middle-man relay install this from the warm-up.
Draw and pass: the 2v1 and the line break
The draw-and-pass (French fixer-passer) is the heart of overlap attack. Simple to say, hard to time: fix the defender (commit him to the ball-carrier, force him to choose), then pass late to the free man, once the defender can no longer cover two. That is what creates and exploits the overlap.
It is learned as a 2v1 (fix the defender, then serve the support), then densified into 3v2 and wide play. The line break (franchissement in the official French) is the moment the attacker gets through the defensive line: by the draw-and-pass, or by beating a defender one-on-one. For young bands it is all worked at touch: this is a handling and decision skill, not a collision. The 4v2 touch game is what installs it.
The offload: the pass after contact
The pass after contact (the offload) is the pass made in or just after contact, before going to ground, to keep the ball alive. It is a u17 and senior skill: it needs the player to take the contact and keep the arms free. Below that, only its shape is taught (keep the ball in two hands, find support), never the full-contact rep. It is the last rung of handling, not the first.
Vocabulary: official term vs anglicism
Rugby carries two vocabularies at once, and it is a real disagreement worth stating. The Commission d’enrichissement de la langue française (Journal officiel, 14 February 2024), followed editorially by the LNR, sets official French forms; the touchline keeps the anglicisms. Here are the two columns, side by side; it matters when Paak renders French strings for a French-market club.
| Common term | Official French [JO / LNR] | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| offload | passe après contact | Pass kept alive in or after contact |
| line break | franchissement | Getting through the defensive line |
| draw and pass | fixer-passer | Fix the defender, pass late |
| ruck | mêlée spontanée | The breakdown contest (“contre-ruck” is proscribed) |
| jackal / turnover | ballon gratté | Ball won at the breakdown |
| pick and go | ramasse-et-va | Pick from the base and drive |
| turnover | ballon rendu / perdu | Possession won / lost |
What it means for your session
Handling is the backbone from warm-up to main block. Three practical rules:
- Hands early. Install the two-hand pass from the warm-up (passing channel, middle-man relay) before any wide play.
- The draw-and-pass is played at touch for young bands: 2v1 then 4v2 touch, never full contact below the tackle age.
- The pass after contact waits for u17. Do not program the full-contact rep before then; work the catch-pass, the spin and the draw-and-pass first.
On the tool side, Paak plans and saves for free a “handling”-themed session (age band + duration + theme), and the session sheet prints on Paak One.
Frequently asked
Is it “offload” or “passe après contact”?
What is the draw-and-pass?
At what age is the pass after contact taught?
What is a line break?
Sources
FFR, fiches École de Rugby 2025-2026 and coach education (catch-pass, spin pass, draw-and-pass, touch games) · World Rugby Passport: Coaching Children / Main Coaching Activities (passing and keep-ball games; activity names public) · World Rugby: Tackle Ready framework for the pass after contact at the breakdown · FR/EN/DE lexicon: Commission d’enrichissement de la langue française, Journal officiel, 14 February 2024, and LNR editorial usage (official forms: passe après contact, franchissement, ballon gratté, ramasse-et-va). Content verified August 2026; the u9/u13/u17/sen bands are a Paak product derivation, published by no federation.