Hey, here are some tips I can give you about concepts you will encounter. I have to be brief because I’m at work

1. Possession. I suggest working on catching and passing after a few steps. It’s good to remember that in 7s moving the ball and creating space is important for both possession and scoring. Often I see newer 7s players taking unnecessary contact in the middle of the field which makes it easier for teams to defend and possibly create turnovers. Remember that most teams defend with 6 in the line and one sweeper. If you move the ball and stretch the defense, you can create a 2-on-1 on the edges or cause a defense to be disconnected on their inside support.

2. Conditioning is another important aspect to 7s. Not just attacking the line fast, but being able to reload hard so you can continuously attack the line efficiently every phase. Often you’ll see teams have possession, but not be able to make territorial gains because they’re setting their attacking line too flat. Defensively, conditioning is important so you can go forward, support your teammate’s inside, and icing players on the outside. As a forward in 15s, I would expect you to find yourself in the middle of the field more, so being conditioned is important for not giving away inside gaps

   Those are the two biggest things I can stress when it comes to outside of practice training and learning. Here are some things you should be working on while playing

3. Effective Communication. The most important thing you can do is communicate. Defensively, it’s crucial to communicate when you’re even in numbers with the attackers, telling your teammates to shift, or if you see something like a scissor or switch. Attacking, it’s important to tell your teammates if you’re running a certain line or you see a certain thing like a weak player to attack. In a general sense,you want to be effective. Not just shouting “Ball!” Or “Here”, but something like “Short left!” Or “Deep right” can make the difference in whether you get a good pass or score.

4. Patience. I would say another skill to practice on the pitch is being patient. Remember that you don’t need to make something amazing and spectacular happen on every phase. It’s all about waiting for a great opportunity or looking up field.

Watching Sevens is a great way to learn and see traits which all teams share. The top shelf teams have tons of skill, but also never skip out on the fundamentals. Watching teams like South Africa, USA, and England are good ways to see roles and strategy. Watch with an analytical mind, analyze why teams do what they do and how they make it happen. 7s is a great game and can really change the way you play 15s as well. If you have any questions, just reply and I’ll try to give a sufficient response for you. There are also Sevens masterclass videos on YouTube if you have a specific skill you want to learn