Two second ruck
A ruck and maul 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
- 12 minutes
- Players
- 8 to 18
- Space
- 15 x 15 m
- Kit
- 6 cones, 2 balls, 2 tackle shields
- Pitch
- Wants a forgiving surface
- Indoors
- Fits a small space
Setting it up
Fours. A carrier, a shield holder and two support players five metres behind the carrier.
How it runs
Carrier goes in, down, places long. The first support player steps over the ball and stays on their feet. The second picks it up and carries on. All inside two seconds of the carrier hitting the floor, because at this age grade slow ball is turned over ball. Count it out loud so they can hear the clock.
What to watch for
- First one in arrives low, steps over the ball, stays on their feet
- Shout as you arrive so the carrier knows help is there
- Second player picks up with two hands and goes. No dithering
Make it easier
- Walk it with no shield
- One support player and no clock
Make it harder
- One defender who can compete once the ball is down
- Support starts ten metres back so they have to work to get there
What it looks like when it is going wrong
What you can see from the touchline, then the one thing to say about it.
- The first arriver going straight to ground on top of the ball
- Step over it and stay up. Feet either side
- Everyone waiting for the ball to stop before anybody moves
- Start moving as the carrier goes down, not after
Safety. Everybody stays on their feet. No diving in, nobody joining from the side. Stop it the moment somebody drops their head as they arrive.
The RFU's Headcase is where to go for what to do after a bang on the head. It is theirs rather than ours.
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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.