One of the parts of the game which is the most difficult is actually one of the ones which looks the easiest - bouncing the ball.  Running from one end of the pitch to the other with 18 guys trying to put your face into the dirt was too easy it seems, so the founding fathers decreed that every ten metres or so the ball must touch the floor.  Professional players and those who have practiced for years achieve this by bouncing the ball on the floor, catching it on the way up - with an oval ball this is far more difficult than it actually sounds, and it doesn't sound easy!

Of course in bad weather a bounce might not always be advisable or even possible, and let's face it, bad weather is part and parcel of the game in Britain!  In these cases players can always simply touch the ball onto the floor, although of course this slows you down and makes you more likely to be caught in possession.

To bounce the ball you should only use one hand.  Aim to throw it a few feet in front of you and make the forward nose of the ball hit first.  Make sureyou throw the ball straight down, as any deviation or wobble will see it flying off in random directions.  Practice doing this standing still before moving to a walk, graduating slowly to a jog then a run.  The trick is not to throw the ball harder the faster you run, but to instead throw it slightly further in front of you.  Practicing this skill is vital to get the action right, but if you manage to master it you could very well find yourself pulling clear of tackles that you would have been hit with in the past!