Foundation
Basic Drive and Reload
Move upfield with the next collector and receiver ready, so you can play again while the defence recovers. Useful in midfield when touches remain and support is connected.
Club movement
Keep moving after you pass.
Start with the jobs
Carry. Pick up and pass. Be ready to receive.
Carry the ball first M1
Run upfield. When touched, put the ball down for the restart (rollball) at the touch spot, then move clear so your teammate can pick up.
Pick up and pass M2
Follow the carrier, collect from the ground, pass to a teammate, then follow again. This job is called dummy-half.
Be ready to receive L1
Stay behind the ball where the passer can see you. Receive the pass and run upfield.
M1, M2 and L1 are tags to help you follow each person in the animation, not shirt numbers. Jobs can change as the ball moves.
Where do the six players stand?
Here is a simple starting picture of the six players on your team. They do not stay in these spots throughout the game.
Middle (also called centre), link and wing describe positions. Carrying the ball and being dummy-half are jobs that can change hands. Dummy-half means the player who picks up after a teammate puts the ball down for the restart (rollball).
The view is enlarged around the three players involved. Attack goes up the screen; some wider teammates are outside the picture.
M1 carries straight. M2 follows as the next dummy-half. L1 stays behind and to the left, ready to receive.
What should I do next?
Choose an example to see the next action.
Pass backwards. Then follow.
Your teammate is behind the ball and the pass is clear. Pass to them, then follow so you can pick up when they are touched.
Remember: the player who picked up from the ground (dummy-half) must pass before being touched, or the team loses possession. Taking another touch applies to a player who has received a pass.
Live match examples
Compare a connected platform with a stalled one
France show both outcomes against England. The difference is not a complicated play: it is whether the next half and runner are ready to keep moving forward.
Watch on YouTube · use Back to return03:56–04:14England v France · Men’s 40 · European Championships 2026
The next job is covered before this one ends
Look for this
The half arrives as the runner reaches the mark. Every pass stays short, backward and adjacent, keeping the defence in retreat.
Next game
One connection to notice next time you play
Study at your own pace, then watch for the connection in a game. The aim is a ready next action, not a guaranteed break or a compulsory three-touch pattern.
Look one touch ahead
Before your teammate is touched, notice who is following to collect. Watch the next job, not only the ball carrier.
Follow the passer
After the dummy-half releases, watch whether they reach the next rollball. That following movement is what connects the drives.
Notice the adjustment
If support is late or the defence recovers, notice how players adapt. Don’t expect the pictured route on every touch.
