Rugby module 2: the skills

Day 15 — Passing 1/2: the flat pass

Goal: execute a precise flat pass, on both sides, at five meters.

Theory 1/2: the complete movement

The flat pass is the most frequent act in rugby: dozens of times per match. The movement, broken down: ball held in two hands in front of the hips; eyes on the target (the receiver's chest); the torso rotates toward the target; both arms follow and extend toward the target at the end of the movement; the hands track the trajectory, palms outward. The ball leaves flat — neither floating upward nor driven down — and arrives between the receiver's chest and stomach, where they can take it at full pace. Three classic errors: aiming with one arm only (a pass that drifts sideways), lobbing instead of pushing (a slow, floating pass), and passing where the receiver is instead of where they will be.

Theory 2/2: leading the runner

You do not pass to a player, you pass in front of a player: the receiver is running, and the ball must cross their path. That is "leading" the ball. For a receiver five meters away at a jog, aim a meter in front of their chest; at full pace, two meters. The right reflex is installed by repetition, not by calculation: that is exactly what the wall allows — the wall is always there, never tires, and returns exactly what you give it. A poorly built pass comes back poorly: the wall is the best first-year teacher.

Practice (30 min)

1. Mark a target on the wall (a one-meter square at chest height). Step back three meters.
2. Twenty flat passes on your strong side. The ball must hit the target and come back into your hands without you moving your feet.
3. Twenty passes on your weak side. Same criterion. Count the successes: this is your baseline for day 27.
4. Step back to five meters: ten passes from each side. Write the score in the notebook.

Success criterion: seven of ten passes on target from each side, at five meters.

Agent tip: "I am learning the rugby pass. My pass goes too high and floats. Give me the three most likely causes, in order, with one drill for each." Trap: the model cannot see your movement, it ranks generic causes. Proof: a slow-motion video of your pass, compared with your own footage.

Recap (10 min)

Three lines: the flat-pass movement, leading the runner, today's scores. Then ten passes from each side without notes.

Day 16 — Passing 2/2: the spin pass

Goal: execute a spin pass to gain distance.

Theory 1/2: why spin the ball

The spin pass makes the ball rotate on its long axis, like a rifle bullet. That spin stabilizes the trajectory: the ball goes further, faster, straighter. It is the scrum-half's pass from the back of a ruck and the backs' pass across the pitch. The movement: hands placed across the ball (one hand behind, one on the side), the ball leaves from the hips, and at the moment of release the back hand spins the ball while the front hand guides it. The rotation comes from the fingers and the wrist, not the arm.

Theory 2/2: when to spin, when to pass flat

The spin pass is not a systematic upgrade: it is a distance tool. At three meters, the flat pass is faster, easier to catch, and enough. The spin pass serves to cross ten meters and more — the half-backs shifting play quickly, the winger served wide. Its drawbacks: a slightly longer execution time, and a drifting pass if the front hand fails to guide. A beginner reflex to banish: wanting to spin every pass because "it looks pro". The pro passes flat at three meters.

Practice (30 min)

1. First without the wall: hold the ball and spin it in place, ten times on each side — the back hand spins, the front hand guides. The ball should come back to you rotating on itself.
2. At the wall, target at five meters: twenty spin passes on the strong side, twenty on the weak side. Watch the spin: regular, on-axis. If the ball "wobbles", the front hand is guiding badly.
3. Alternate: five flat passes at three meters, five spin passes at seven meters, on each side. Feel the difference of use.

Success criterion: five of ten spin passes on target from each side at seven meters, with a regular spin.

Agent tip: "What is the difference in hand position between a flat pass and a spin pass? Answer in four lines." Trap: verbal descriptions of a movement stay blurry, even good ones. Proof: a demonstration video (search "spin pass technique" on the World Rugby channel) checked against the text.

Recap (10 min)

Three lines: the spin-pass movement, when to use it, when not to. Then ten spin passes from each side without notes.

Day 17 — Receiving the ball: catches and the high ball

Goal: catch a pass cleanly on the move and take a high ball safely.

Theory 1/2: catching on the move

Catching is half of passing. The receiver's rules: reach the hands toward the ball (never arms crossed or hands against the chest), watch the ball all the way into the hands — the classic error is looking at the opponent or the space too early —, catch in front of the body to keep speed, and only then lift the head. For a high ball the hands form a "W" with the thumbs; for a low one, an "M" with the little fingers. A clean catch makes no noise: the hands travel with the ball instead of slapping it.

Theory 2/2: the high ball, the catcher's safety

Under an up-and-under (a very high kick, day 24), the catcher has a protocol: get under the ball early, shout "mine!" to warn teammates, catch with two hands above the head or against the chest, and keep both feet on the ground. Do not jump for a contested ball without training: in the air, a bumped player lands badly, and Law 9 severely punishes anyone who contacts a player in the air. In your sessions, alone or among beginners: the high ball is caught feet on the ground, with no contact. Contested catches belong to the club, with a coach.

Practice (30 min)

1. At the wall: twenty flat-pass receptions while walking toward the wall, ball taken in front of the body, hands in a W or M depending on height. Focus on the silence of the catch.
2. High ball alone: toss the ball high above yourself, shout "mine!" every time, catch with two hands. Thirty repetitions. The shout is part of the skill, not an accessory.
3. On the move: throw the ball ahead of you in an arc, run, catch it in motion. Twenty repetitions, on both sides of the field.

Success criterion: twenty-five clean catches out of thirty high balls, with the shout every time.

Agent tip: "What are the safety rules for a high-ball catcher in rugby, and what does a player risk for contacting one in the air?" Trap: the exact sanction varies with the landing (penalty to red card) and the model may decide too fast. Proof: Law 9, the section on players in the air.

Recap (10 min)

Three lines: the receiver's rules, the high-ball protocol, why contested catches wait for training. Then ten high balls with the shout, without notes.

Day 18 — Running: footwork and changes of direction

Goal: build efficient footwork: accelerate, decelerate, change direction without losing speed.

Theory 1/2: rugby running is not sprinting

A rugby player almost never runs in a straight line at full speed: they accelerate, brake, cut, accelerate again. The quality that matters is footwork: the ability to change direction by pushing hard off one leg. The physical principles are simple: to change direction, first lower the center of gravity (bend the knees, lean the torso), push off the leg outside the turn, and restart with short, frequent steps. Running "tall" on stiff legs makes you impossible to steer: everything in evasion (day 19) starts here.

Theory 2/2: run low, not bent over

Beware a frequent confusion: "running low" does not mean running with the back bent forward — that is the hygiene position of the breakdowns, not the running position. In the run, the torso stays nearly upright, the hips come through, the eyes look far. What drops is the hips, through bent knees. Work in front of a mirror or on video: the difference between "bend the knees" and "bend the back" shows in one frame. Solid footwork also protects: ankles and knees prepared for changes of direction get injured less (day 52).

Practice (30 min)

1. Warm-up: five minutes of light jogging, then ten high knees and ten heel flicks over ten meters.
2. Slalom: place five markers (bottles, shoes) three meters apart. Slalom slowly, exaggerating the push off the outside leg at each turn. Six passes.
3. Accelerations: three fifteen-meter sprints from a standing start, walking back to recover. Note the feel of the first three steps: short, powerful, under the body.

Success criterion: the slalom run without losing balance, and the "bent knees / bent back" difference felt and noted in the notebook.

Agent tip: "Design a ten-minute warm-up before a footwork session, for an adult beginner with no equipment." Trap: generated programs skip the progression (joints first, then light cardio, then dynamic work). Proof: finish the warm-up without breathlessness or pain, and reuse it before every physical session of the path.

Recap (10 min)

Three lines: what footwork is, the knees/back difference, the feel of the first three steps. Then run the slalom once without notes.

Day 19 — Evasion: the side-step and fixing a defender

Goal: beat an imaginary defender with the side-step and the fix.

Theory 1/2: the side-step

The side-step is the fundamental evasion: facing a defender, you feint one way and go the other. The movement, on day 18's footwork: two or three meters from the defender, one wide, strong step to one side (the "fake"), the body weight follows, then an explosive push off that leg to go the other way. Everything lies in the amplitude of the first step: a small step fools nobody, a big one tips the defender's shoulders. The ball stays in two hands, and if contact still comes, it is secured against you.

Theory 2/2: fixing, or beating without moving

Fixing is the passer's evasion: instead of going around the defender, you draw them onto you — you make them believe you will run into them — to create space beside them, and you pass at the last moment. It is the centers' skill: run at the defender, fix them, pass. The success criterion: the defender stops or grabs you just as the ball leaves — your teammate receives it in the freed space. Evasion and fixing are the two answers to the same problem (a defender in front of you): the first keeps the ball, the second gives it away. Choosing fast between the two is already playing.

Practice (30 min)

1. Side-step without the ball: place a marker, run at it, side-step left, then right. Twenty repetitions on each side, slowly first for amplitude, then faster.
2. With the ball: same drill, ball in two hands, and at the moment of the evasion the ball is secured against the chest. Fifteen repetitions on each side.
3. Imaginary fix: run at the marker, and every other time, instead of evading, mime the last-moment pass (to an imaginary teammate on your left or right). The marker "commits" when you are a meter away: train the timing.

Success criterion: a wide, fluid side-step on both sides, and the fix mimed at the right timing.

Agent tip: "Describe three solo drills to work on the side-step, progressive, no equipment." Trap: generated drills forget the weak side — demand left/right symmetry in the prompt. Proof: time both sides on the slalom; the weak side must catch up with the strong one.

Recap (10 min)

Three lines: the side-step movement, what fixing is, when to choose which. Then ten side-steps on each side without notes.

Day 20 — The tackle 1/2: safety first

Goal: know the safety principles of tackling and install the posture, unloaded.

Theory 1/2: the three protecting principles

The tackle is rugby's most dangerous act when done badly, and a safe one when done well. Three principles, in order:

1. The head on the right side. The tackler's head always goes behind or beside the carrier ("cheek to cheek" for a low tackle), never in front of their legs. In front means head-knee impact, the leading cause of concussion.
2. Arms in a ring. Both arms wrap the legs or the waist: the "ring of steel". An armless tackle is not a tackle, it is a charge — and an infringement (Law 9).
3. Progression. You do not learn tackling on an opponent: you start on your knees, on a soft target, then standing still, then walking, then jogging. Weeks, not days.

Theory 2/2: the tackle posture, with no opponent

The posture is trained alone, and that is all this path will ever ask you to do alone. It: feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent, flat back, head up, eyes on the target, shoulders slightly above hips. It is a position of strength: from there you can push, absorb, steer. Repeat it until it becomes the reflex as soon as contact approaches — at the club, the coach will drill it dozens of times before the first real contact. World Rugby Passport's free "Rugby Ready" course illustrates each step of the progression: follow it during this module, it is worth a session of rugby school.

Practice (30 min)

1. Sign up free on World Rugby Passport and follow the first part of the "Rugby Ready" course (the tackling sections). Note the progression steps in the notebook.
2. The posture: in front of a mirror or on video, set the tackle position (feet apart, knees bent, flat back, head up). Hold 20 seconds, ten repetitions. Film yourself from the side once: is the back flat?
3. Preparatory falls: on grass or a mat, let yourself drop to your knees then onto your side, tucking the head (chin to chest). Ten repetitions. Tomorrow we go further.

Success criterion: the posture filmed with a flat back, the three principles written from memory in the notebook.

Agent tip: "Summarize World Rugby's safety recommendations for learning the tackle, in five points." Trap: the model may generalize from other sports. Proof: the Rugby Ready course itself — the official, free, translated source.

Recap (10 min)

Three lines: the three principles, the posture, why progression matters. Then ten repetitions of the posture without notes.

Day 21 — The tackle 2/2: technique on a soft target

Goal: chain the complete low-tackle movement on a soft target, never on a partner.

Theory 1/2: the low tackle, broken down

The low tackle (at the legs) is taught first because it is the safest and most effective: a player without legs no longer runs. The full sequence:

1. Approach: tackle posture (day 20), short steps, eyes on the carrier's hips — not the ball, not the shoulders, which deceive.
2. Contact: the shoulder hits the thighs, the head goes behind or beside ("cheek to cheek"), never in front.
3. Ring: both arms wrap the legs and squeeze hard.
4. Drive and finish: the legs keep pushing, the carrier is steered to ground, the tackler ends on top or beside, ready to get up fast.

This movement is learned entirely on a tackle bag or a mattress held upright — or, failing that, alone, on your knees, miming the sequence. Never on a partner without a coach.

Theory 2/2: what is forbidden and why

Law 9 (foul play) surrounds the tackle with prohibitions that protect the neck and head: the high tackle (above the line of the shoulders, and any contact with head or neck, even involuntary), the armless charge, the tip tackle (lifting the carrier beyond the horizontal then letting go), and any tackle on a player in the air. Sanctions range from penalty to red card, and rugby has hardened these laws in recent years precisely because of concussions. Knowing these prohibitions is not learning to cheat: it is learning to protect the other player — and to recognize what the referee whistles.

Practice (30 min)

1. Next part of the "Rugby Ready" course: the tackling technique sections. Note the four-step sequence in the notebook.
2. On a soft target (a mattress against a wall, a large upright cushion): twenty repetitions of the full sequence, on your knees first (ten), then standing at walking pace (ten). On each repetition, say out loud: "approach, contact, ring, drive".
3. Film three repetitions from the side: check that the head goes on the right side and the back stays flat at contact.

Success criterion: the four steps executed in order on the soft target, head on the right side on video.

Agent tip: "Here is the list of forbidden tackles in rugby; for each, give me a match scenario where it happens." Trap: the model can blur "high tackle" and accidental contact. Proof: Law 9, and the officiating decision videos on the laws page.

Recap (10 min)

Three lines: the four steps of the low tackle, Law 9's prohibitions, why we watch the hips. Then ten repetitions on the soft target without notes.

Day 22 — Falling and getting up safely

Goal: fall without getting hurt and get up fast, on grass or a mat.

Theory 1/2: the cushioned fall

In rugby, you fall: tackled, diving to score, slipping onto a ball. A well-learned fall protects wrists, shoulders and head. The rules of falling: tuck the head (chin to chest, never the head thrown back to hit the ground), round the back and roll rather than landing flat, never reach an arm out to catch yourself — that reflex breaks wrists and collarbones; you absorb with the side of the body, from hip to shoulder, spread over a surface. These principles are those of martial arts (judo's "ukemi"), and rugby schools teach them before any contact.

Theory 2/2: getting up fast, and protecting the ball on the ground

On the ground, two player reflexes. If you fall with the ball in attack: protect it — turn your back to the opponent, place the ball far from them, toward your teammates, your body between the opponent and the ball. That is the "long placement" that launches your forwards' ruck. Then get up fast: in rugby, play continues after the fall; whoever stays down is out of the game for a few seconds. The fall, the protection and the get-up form a single sequence: fall, place, rise. At home, you repeat it on grass or a mat, at your own pace, with no opponent at all.

Practice (30 min)

1. On grass or a mat, from your knees: let yourself fall sideways, tucking the head and absorbing with hip and shoulder. Ten times on each side, slowly.
2. Standing, full cushioned fall: drop sideways (not forward), roll, get up. Ten times on each side. If anything pulls or hurts, stop and go back to the knees.
3. With the ball: fall sideways placing the ball with two hands far behind you (the long placement), then get up. Ten repetitions. Time it: fall-place-rise should finish under five seconds.

Success criterion: ten falls on each side with no apprehension or pain, and the full sequence under five seconds.

Agent tip: "Which judo exercises (ukemi) match rugby falls? Give me three names and what each protects." Trap: the Japanese names vary by source and the model may mix them. Proof: one demonstration video for each name cited.

Recap (10 min)

Three lines: the rules of falling, the long placement, the full sequence. Then five falls on each side without notes.

Day 23 — Kicking 1/2: the clearing kick

Goal: strike a clean clearing kick (punt) over twenty meters.

Theory 1/2: why kick

Kicking is not getting rid of the ball: it is a territory weapon. A clearance that gains thirty meters changes the face of the match: the pressure recedes, the opponent restarts from deep. You kick to clear when pinned near your line, to occupy when the opponent is disorganized, to turn the pressure around. The punt is the basic skill: the ball dropped from two hands, point slightly down and forward, struck by the instep as it falls. The drop decides everything: the ball leaves on the trajectory its position at the drop gives it.

Theory 2/2: the movement, broken down

Four beats: eyes on the target first (where should the ball go?), then eyes on the ball; drop from two hands, ball nearly vertical, point slightly forward; strike with the instep, leg extended at contact, toes pointed; follow-through of the leg toward the target, like a swing that keeps going. The classic errors: throwing the ball too high before the strike (drop it low), striking with the toes (pain, wild trajectory), and cutting the follow-through (the ball goes sideways). Distance comes from timing, not force.

Practice (30 min)

1. No distance: twenty strikes focused on the low drop and the instep contact. The ball goes ten meters? Never mind: clean contact first.
2. Twenty strikes seeking height: the ball must rise. Aim at a tree or an imaginary post, not yet at distance.
3. Twenty strikes aiming at a marker twenty meters away. Count those landing within five meters of the marker. Write the score in the notebook: your baseline for day 24.

Success criterion: ten of twenty strikes within five meters of the marker, with the ball flying straight.

Agent tip: "My punts all go right. Rank the three most likely causes and give one drill for each." Trap: the real cause may be in your drop, invisible to the model. Proof: film your strike from the front in slow motion — the drop shows frame by frame.

Recap (10 min)

Three lines: what the clearance is for, the four beats of the movement, today's scores. Then ten strikes without notes.

Day 24 — Kicking 2/2: the up-and-under and the grubber

Goal: strike an up-and-under and a grubber, and know when to use them.

Theory 1/2: the up-and-under

The up-and-under (also called a "garryowen") is a punt struck nearly vertically: the ball climbs very high and falls back down far ahead. Its purpose is not distance but time: while the ball flies for four or five seconds, your whole team runs and arrives at the drop point together with the ball. The opposing catcher finds themselves under pressure, surrounded; a fumbled catch is a knock-on. It is the classic weapon against a defense that rushes up fast, and the kick that creates the most chaos among beginners. The movement: the same punt as day 23, but the ball's point tilted toward you and the strike underneath the ball, launching it skyward.

Theory 2/2: the grubber and the restarts

The grubber is the opposite: a small kick along the ground, rolling behind the defense, which you chase to gather yourself or have a winger gather. It traps a rushing defense: it must turn and run back toward its own line. Its risk: a rolling ball is unpredictable (the oval bounce!), and poorly weighted it goes into touch or into the opponents' hands. Two rules of use for a beginner: kick when the opposing defense is flat and close (the space is behind it), and never kick inside your own thirty meters except as a safe clearance — a kicking error near your line costs points.

Practice (30 min)

1. Up-and-unders: twenty strikes seeking maximum height. Catch your own kicks shouting "mine!" (the day 17 skill combines here). Time the flight with your phone's stopwatch: the target is four seconds.
2. Grubbers: twenty strikes along the ground toward a marker fifteen meters away. Run and gather your own ball on the move: that is the whole difficulty of the skill.
3. Scenarios in the notebook: write three situations (flat defense ten meters away; ball inside your 22; a winger alone wide) and the right choice of play for each — or no kick at all.

Success criterion: five up-and-unders at four seconds of flight, and the three scenarios decided with a justification.

Agent tip: "Explain the difference of use between up-and-under, grubber and clearing kick, with a typical situation for each." Trap: translations of the English names (box kick, grubber, up-and-under) get mixed up. Proof: the definitions in the laws and World Rugby's official videos.

Recap (10 min)

Three lines: the purpose of the up-and-under, the grubber's, when not to kick. Then ten up-and-unders with catches, without notes.

Day 25 — Mobility: hips, ankles, shoulders

Goal: build a ten-minute mobility routine, to redo before every physical session.

Theory 1/2: why mobility before strength

Mobility is a joint's capacity to travel its full range, under control. In rugby, three zones work hard: the hips (footwork, accelerations, tackle posture), the ankles (changes of direction, landing from falls), the shoulders (passes, tackles, lineout lifting). A stiff joint does not just limit the movement: it shifts the load onto its neighbor — a stiff hip loads the lower back, a stiff ankle loads the knee. That is where many beginner aches are born. Ten minutes of mobility a day beats an hour on Sunday — the path's golden rule applies to the body too.

Theory 2/2: the routine in six movements

• Ankle circles: standing on one leg, thirty seconds per foot, both directions.
• Rotating lunges: in a forward lunge, the elbow drops toward the foot, then the arm rises to the sky in rotation. Five per side.
• Hip circles: hands on hips, big slow circles, thirty seconds per direction.
• Dynamic downward dog: from a push-up position, hips to the sky, heels seeking the ground in alternation. Ten repetitions.
• Shoulder circles, arms extended: big circles forward and backward, thirty seconds.
• Deep squat hold: sink as low as you can, heels on the ground, hold twenty seconds. Three repetitions.

Every movement is slow, controlled, painless. Tension, yes; pain, no: you back off one notch.

Practice (30 min)

1. Run the full routine twice, noting in the notebook the zones that resist (one mark per zone: easy / stiff / stuck).
2. Baseline test: the deep squat, heels down, thirty seconds. Note whether you manage it. This test returns on day 52.
3. Ten passes against the wall after the routine: feel the difference in the shoulders, note it.

Success criterion: the routine done twice, the stiff zones identified and noted, the squat test baselined.

Agent tip: "Design a ten-minute mobility routine for an amateur rugby player, six movements, no equipment." Trap: generated routines pile up long static stretches, to avoid before effort. Proof: the movements must be dynamic and controlled — if a sheet says "hold 2 minutes", it is for after the effort.

Recap (10 min)

Three lines: the three key zones, why stiffness shifts load, your weak zones. Then run the routine once without notes.

Day 26 — Core strength and trunk stability

Goal: hold three core positions and understand what the trunk does in rugby.

Theory 1/2: the trunk, the force interchange

All rugby force passes through the trunk: pushing in the scrum, tackling, resisting in a ruck, passing off balance. The trunk is not "the abs": it is a complete belt (abdominals, obliques, lower back, deep muscles) whose main job is to resist movement, not produce it. A player with a solid trunk does not fold when pushed: the force of their legs arrives intact at the shoulder. That is why modern core programs favor static positions (holding) over repeated movements (crunches): you train the trunk to do what it does in a match — hold.

Theory 2/2: the three basic positions

• The plank: on forearms and toes, body aligned from head to heels. Neither hips up nor a sagging back. Breathe normally.
• The side plank: on one forearm and the side of one foot, body aligned, hips high. The obliques' best friend.
• The dead bug: on your back, arms to the sky, knees at 90 degrees; extend the right arm and left leg without the lower back lifting off the floor, come back, alternate. The hardest of the three, and the most useful: it teaches the trunk to hold while the limbs move — exactly a pass on the run.

The quality criterion is not duration but position: twenty clean seconds beat a deformed minute.

Practice (30 min)

1. Plank: 3 sets, each held to the clean maximum (as soon as the back sags, stop). Note the three durations in the notebook: these are your baselines.
2. Side plank: 3 × 20 seconds per side, 30 seconds of rest between sets.
3. Dead bug: 3 × 8 slow alternations, lower back glued to the floor. Film yourself from the side once if you can.
4. Finish with ten wall passes: the freshly worked trunk is felt in the pass's rotation.

Success criterion: the three positions held cleanly, plank durations noted for reference.

Agent tip: "Program three 15-minute core sessions for the week, progressive, with rest times." Trap: the model loves stacking repetitions without a position criterion. Proof: demand "stop as soon as the position deforms" in the prompt, and check each session fits in 15 minutes.

Recap (10 min)

Three lines: what the trunk is, the three positions, your baseline durations. Then one plank set without notes.

Day 27 — Passing on the move

Goal: pass flat while running, on both sides, without breaking stride.

Theory 1/2: the pass that does not slow down

The difference between a player who passes and a player who can pass: the second does not slow down. In a match, the pass happens on the run, often stepping back inside, with a defender arriving. The movement stays that of day 15 — hips, torso rotation, arms toward the target — but the lower body keeps running straight ahead. That is dissociation: the legs go straight, the torso rotates. It is learned in three steps: walking first, jogging next, running only once the jog is clean. The classic error: turning fully toward the receiver — the run stops, the defense eats you.

Theory 2/2: passing to a partner

If you have a partner (a relative, another beginner), passing on the move becomes a real drill: you run side by side five meters apart, and the ball circulates. The drill's rules: the receiver calls ("yes!"), the passer leads, and nobody slows down. The ideal distance to start: five meters — far enough for the lead, close enough for accuracy. And the drill instantly reveals the weak side: almost everyone passes better one way, and the opposing defense will know. Work the weak side twice as much as the strong one.

Practice (30 min)

1. Dissociation without a partner: run straight for fifteen meters rotating your torso left then right, ball in hand, without passing. Five round trips.
2. Moving wall work: run parallel to the wall at five meters, pass against the target without slowing, catch, ten meters further on, pass again. Ten runs on each side.
3. With a partner if possible: twenty crisscross passes at a slow jog, the receiver calling. Without a partner: double the wall sets and time yourself over ten clean passes in a row.

Success criterion: eight of ten passes on target while moving, on each side, without breaking stride.

Agent tip: "My weak side misses two of three passes on the move. Propose a two-week catch-up plan, ten minutes a day." Trap: the model may propose new drills instead of more repetitions — the cure for a weak side is volume, not variety. Proof: each side's score, written in the notebook every day.

Recap (10 min)

Three lines: leg/torso dissociation, the rules of the two-player drill, today's score. Then ten moving passes on each side without notes.

Day 28 — Module 2 review: the skills circuit

Goal: chain all the module's skills in a timed circuit, and take stock.

Theory 1/2: the circuit as a dress rehearsal

A skill is only acquired if it survives fatigue and sequencing. Today's circuit chains the whole module: flat pass, spin pass, high-ball catch, footwork, side-step, fall and rise, kicking, core. The goal is not speed: it is quality under sequencing. Each station has its criterion (ten clean passes, four seconds of flight, an aligned position) — the stopwatch is a witness, not a judge. Note each station in the notebook: these numbers are your end-of-module photograph, to compare with day 15's.

Theory 2/2: reading your own numbers

Compare today's scores with those of day 15 (pass at five meters), day 23 (punt at twenty meters) and day 26 (plank). Three cases: a station improved — validated, it moves to maintenance (five minutes a week is enough); a station stalled — it stays on module 3's daily program; a station regressed — almost always a fatigue issue or a drifted movement, not a capacity issue: go back to that session's theory and film yourself again. This personal dashboard is the heart of module 4's final project: learning to measure your own work.

Practice (30 min)

1. Warm-up: the day 25 mobility routine, in full.
2. The circuit, one station after another, one minute of walking between each: 10 flat passes per side (wall, 5 m); 10 spin passes per side (7 m); 10 up-and-unders caught with the shout; slalom through five markers × 3; 10 falls with placement per side; 10 punts toward a marker at 20 m; plank, clean duration.
3. Note every score in the notebook, next to those of days 15, 23 and 26, and rank each skill: validated / maintenance / rework.

Success criterion: the full circuit noted, every skill ranked, the comparison written.

Agent tip: paste your two score series to the model: "Here are my scores from day 15 and day 28 per skill. Rank each as validated / maintenance / rework and propose what follows." Trap: the model knows neither your fatigue nor the day's weather. Proof: you decide — its numbers are only yours, tidied up.

Recap (10 min)

Three lines: your strongest skill, your skill to rework, what the circuit taught you. Then redo the weakest station once, without notes.