The quiet game
A game sense drill for U9 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
- U9, U10, U11, U12
- Time
- 8 minutes
- Players
- 10 to 24
- Space
- 30 x 25 m
- Kit
- 6 cones, 1 ball
- Pitch
- Fine on hard ground
Setting it up
Two teams, normal touch rules.
How it runs
Four minutes with nobody allowed to say a word. Then four minutes where they can talk as much as they like. Do not explain why beforehand. Ask them afterwards which half was better and they will tell you themselves, which is worth more than any amount of you asking for communication.
What to watch for
- In the quiet half, look at each other more
- In the loud half, say something useful not just noise
- Short calls. A name and a word
Make it easier
- Two minutes each way
Make it harder
- Only the ball carrier may speak
What it looks like when it is going wrong
What you can see from the touchline, then the one thing to say about it.
- Shouting constantly in the loud half so nothing is heard
- A name and one word. That is all
- Heads down in the quiet half instead of looking around
- You cannot shout, so look. Find their eyes
More like this
The grades that can do it
What U9 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.