U9 rugby drills
The tackle year. It is the biggest step any minis grade takes and it is the one most coaches arrive at wondering whether they are qualified for it. Seven tackle drills here and not one ruck, because the ruck is next season's problem.
Free to browse. Pick U9 and that is the setup done. No account needed.
What the U9 game looks like
U9 is the first grade allowed to tackle, which under Regulation 15 means gripping and holding the ball carrier below the base of the sternum. Rucks, mauls and scrums are not part of U9. That distinction matters more than it sounds: a tackle drill that ends with two children competing on the floor has quietly become a ruck drill and is no longer legal for the grade.
The first year of contact. Tackling arrives. Rucks and scrums do not. The RFU sets this out in Regulation 15 rather than leaving it to a coach's judgement. The U9 rules of play are the version that counts to a referee, they are 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 U9 walks through what Regulation 15 allows, in plain English.
What to work on at U9
- Falling over safely before tackling anybody. Getting to the floor and back up is a skill. Teach it in the warm-up all season.
- Cheek to cheek, arms wrapped, eyes open. Slow, static, from the knees first. Speed is the last thing you add, never the first.
- Getting up. Half of U9 defence is the tackler being back on their feet before anybody else has decided what to do.
- Keeping the handling going. The tackle swallows a season if you let it. Nineteen of the drills here are still passing and evasion for that reason.
There is a temptation at U9 to make every session about contact, because contact is the new thing. Resist it. The grade that tackles well in April is usually the one that spent January still playing games with a ball in hand, doing ten minutes of tackle technique at a time rather than forty.
What is in Equal Play for U9
Pick U9 and the catalogue shows 48 drills: 17 warm-ups plus 31 exercises. Every one of them is written for the grade, so whatever you pick is something your squad is ready for. It is not a filter somebody can switch off by mistake.
| Theme | Drills |
|---|---|
| Handling and passing | 19 |
| Evasion and footwork | 18 |
| Tackle | 7 |
| Game sense | 15 |
4 ready-made U9 sessions
Every one runs 60 minutes with the water breaks counted in, so the total on screen is the time you actually booked. Open one, swap out anything you do not fancy, take it to the pitch.
- First tackles
- Looking after the ball
- Finding the space
- Playing what you see
Common questions
What age can children start tackling in rugby?
U9 in England, which is school year 4. RFU Regulation 15 makes U9 the first grade where tackling is permitted in matches and training. U7 and U8 are tag rugby with no contact at all.
How high can an U9 tackle be?
Below the base of the sternum, meaning the tummy area and below, with the tackler gripping and holding rather than pushing. The RFU's U9 rules of play carry the current wording and it is worth reading it yourself, because tackle height has been revised more than once in recent seasons.
Can U9s ruck?
No. Rucks and mauls arrive at U10. This catches coaches out because a tackle drill naturally wants to carry on into the contest on the floor. At U9 the drill has to stop at the tackle.
How do you introduce tackling without frightening anybody?
Start on the knees, standing still, with the tackler holding rather than hitting. Add movement before you add speed and add speed last. A child who gets one thing wrong at walking pace learns something. The same child at full pace learns to dread Tuesdays.
Other age groups
What changes at U9 is the rules of the grade in plain English. What every age grade plays, side by side. The grade before this one is U8. The one after is U10.
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.