U11 rugby drills
The season the boot arrives. Kicking out of hand is in and restarts become drop kicks, so for once there's something new to teach on top of making U10 actually work.
Free to browse. Pick U11 and that's the setup done. No account needed.
What the U11 game looks like
U11 plays the U10 game with a year more of it behind them. Tackle, ruck, maul and uncontested scrum are all in, with both hookers now allowed to strike and the ruck up to three a side. There's still no lineout at U11 and none at U12 either, so it stays out of everything on this page.
The same shape as U10 with more of it. Kicking from hand arrives. Regulation 15 sets this out. It was never left to a coach's judgement. The U11 rules of play are the version that counts to a referee, they're reissued every season, so check yours there rather than trusting a copy on somebody else's website. Ours included.
New to the grade? What changes at U11 explains the kicking laws and what they mean on match day.
What to work on at U11
- Ruck speed. They can all ruck by now. Doing it in two seconds rather than six is what changes a game.
- Defending as a pair. Two players who talk to each other beat two players who are quicker and do not.
- Using the whole pitch. An U11 squad will happily play the entire match inside ten metres unless somebody makes them stop.
- Handling under a bit of pressure. Not cones. A defender who moves, close enough to be a nuisance.
One law arrives at U11 and it's a big one. After four seasons where a boot near the ball was a penalty, they can kick out of hand anywhere on the pitch, restarts become drop kicks and free passes turn into free kicks. Everything else is U10 with a year more of it, so most of a season goes on decisions. When to pass, when to carry, then spotting that the space is behind them instead of in front. Thirty-three of these drills are game sense for that reason, with five more on the kicking that has just arrived.
What is in Equal Play for U11
Pick U11 and the catalogue shows 108 drills: 28 warm-ups plus 80 exercises. Every one of them is written for the grade, so whatever you pick is something your squad is ready for. It's not a filter somebody can switch off by mistake.
| Theme | Drills |
|---|---|
| Handling and passing | 35 |
| Evasion and footwork | 26 |
| Tackle | 18 |
| Ruck and maul | 16 |
| Scrum and restarts | 7 |
| Kicking and catching | 5 |
| Game sense | 33 |
8 ready-made U11 sessions
Every one runs 60 minutes with the water breaks counted in, so the total on screen is the time you actually booked. Start from one of those instead of a blank page.
- Quick ball
- Using the width
- All on defending
- Scrums and free kicks
- Sharp hands
- The boot arrives
- Match week
- Three balls in the air
Common questions
What is new at U11 rugby?
Kicking. After four seasons where a boot near the ball was a penalty, Regulation 15 lets an U11 kick out of hand anywhere on the pitch, makes restarts drop kicks that have to travel 7 metres, then swaps free passes for free kicks on the serious offences. The tackle, the ruck and the scrum all carry over from U10 unchanged, so it's the one new thing rather than a whole new grade.
Can U11s have a lineout?
No. Neither can U12. Regulation 15 has touch restarting with a free pass through U13 and the uncontested lineout arriving at U14. U11 restarts and free kicks are worth practising properly instead, because they're how the ball comes back into play all season.
What should U11 training focus on?
The kick first, because it's the only thing nobody has done before. Then speed and decisions: quicker ball at the ruck, plus defenders who talk to each other. Using the width of the pitch comes after that. The rest of the skills are already there by U11 so the work is making them happen faster and in the right place.
Other age groups
What changes at U11 covers what kicking changes. What every age grade plays, side by side. The grade before this one is U10. The one after is U12.
Equal Play is not affiliated with the RFU. Regulation 15 is theirs. We link to it rather than reproduce it so you always get the current season's version. Read against the RFU's 2026/27 appendices in August 2026.