Follow the leader
An evasion and footwork warm-up for U7 and up, with where the cones go, how it runs and what to say when it is not working.
Free to read with no account. It works at a pitch with no signal too.
- Age grades
- U7, U8, U9, U10, U11, U12
- Time
- 5 minutes
- Players
- 6 or more
- Space
- 20 x 20 m
- Kit
- 4 cones
- Pitch
- Fine on hard ground
Setting it up
Pairs, one behind the other, spread around a square.
How it runs
The front one jogs wherever they like and changes direction when they feel like it. The one behind copies, staying within touching distance. Swap after a minute. Do three each. They are learning to watch hips without anybody having to say the word.
What to watch for
- Leaders, change direction properly. A slow curve is not a change
- Followers, watch their hips not their feet
- Stay close enough to touch them
Make it easier
- Walk it
- Leader changes direction on your call only
Make it harder
- Leader carries a ball
- Follower has to mirror rather than copy
What it looks like when it is going wrong
What you can see from the touchline, then the one thing to say about it.
- Leaders running long slow curves that are easy to follow
- Sharp changes. Make it hard for them
- Followers drifting five metres back
- Close enough to touch them
More like this
The grades that can do it
What U7 rugby allows is the rule this sits under. Regulation 15 is reissued every summer, so the RFU's own rules of play are the ones to read for this season rather than a copy on somebody else's website. Ours included. Read against the RFU's 2026/27 appendices in August 2026.