Chase and regather
An evasion and footwork drill for U10 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
- U10, U11, U12
- Time
- 9 minutes
- Players
- 6 to 18
- Space
- 30 x 20 m
- Kit
- 6 cones, 2 balls
- Pitch
- Fine on hard ground
Setting it up
A kicker at one end with the rest in a line beside them.
How it runs
The ball gets rolled or kicked along the floor ahead of them. They chase, gather it cleanly at pace, then beat one defender coming the other way. Six each. Picking up a loose ball while running flat out is a real skill and almost nobody practises it on purpose.
What to watch for
- Get down to it early. Do not reach at the last second
- Little fingers together, scoop it into your chest
- Have a look up before you get there so you know where the defender is
Make it easier
- Roll it slowly
- No defender
Make it harder
- Ball is kicked so it bounces awkwardly
- Two chasers competing
What it looks like when it is going wrong
What you can see from the touchline, then the one thing to say about it.
- Reaching down at the last stride and knocking it on
- Get down to it earlier. Two steps before, not one
- Fingers apart so the ball goes through their hands
- Little fingers together. Scoop it into your chest
More like this
The grades that can do it
What U10 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.