3v2 overlap

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Rugby drill · Under-9 and up

A 3v2 is two 2v1s, one after the other, and it goes wrong in the same two places. The first carrier passes before fixing the inside defender, so that defender drifts out and it is 2v2. Or the second carrier runs across the field instead of up it, and takes both defenders with them. Done right, the third attacker gets the ball with nobody left to tackle them.

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Time: 15 minutes
Players: 5 at a time: three attackers and two defenders
Equipment: 8 cones for a 20-metre-wide channel
2 or 3 balls
Tag belts for the youngest groups

Setup

Mark a channel 20 metres wide and 30 metres long.
Put two defenders 20 metres from the start line, about 10 metres apart.
Line three attackers across the start line, 7 or 8 metres apart and staggered for depth, the ball with the one on the left.
On the whistle the attackers run straight up the channel and the defenders come forward to meet them.
Rotate the defenders in from the attacking queue after every two or three goes.

Coaching points

Run straight up the channel. A carrier who runs across the field drags their own support into touch.
First carrier: get close enough to the inside defender that they have to take you, then pass.
Second carrier: you now have a 2v1. Fix the outside defender and give the last pass in front of your winger.
Outside attacker: hold your width and your depth. You are the try, so do not come looking for the ball.

On the run sheet: Run straight, fix your defender, pass early enough for the next player to fix theirs, outside attacker holds width

Progressions

Play it as two-handed touch, then tag, then live for age groups that tackle.
Start the defenders closer, so the decisions have to be made quicker.
Add a third defender who starts 5 metres behind the line and can cover across, so the last pass has to be early.

How it runs

The three attackers run up the channel together, in a line staggered for depth. The first carrier runs at the inside defender and passes as that defender commits, and then follows the ball in support. The second carrier, who now has the ball and a 2v1, runs at the outside defender, who has to come in and take them. The last pass goes flat to the outside attacker, who is clear outside both defenders with nobody between them and the line. The animation stops on that catch.

It is a non-contact drill as written. The youngest groups play it as two-handed touch or tag, and older groups can tackle where their union's age-grade rules allow it.

Why it works

An overlap is only an overlap if the defenders are fixed. The drill makes each attacker do one job, in order, and makes it obvious who failed when it does not work. It is also the cleanest way to practise Law 11 at pace: with three players running, the outside attacker has to hold their depth so the final pass can go flat without going forward.

The mistakes to watch for

The first pass thrown from ten metres away, before the inside defender has had to choose. A second carrier who drifts across the field and runs their winger into touch. And an outside attacker who comes in looking for the ball, which turns the overlap back into a 2v2.

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Page updated 29 October 2026 · Rugby play designer · All drills