U12 rugby game sense drills

41 game sense drills a U12 squad is allowed to do, each with the set up, the coaching points and what it looks like from the touchline when it is going wrong.

Open them in the app

Free to read with no account. They work at a pitch with no signal too.

What U12 is allowed here

Game sense arrives at U7, so a U12 squad has had it for a while. Nothing below that grade sees any of these, in the app or on this site. What U12 rugby allows is the rest of it.

The drills

Under each one is what it looks like when that drill is going wrong.

Numbers scramble 5 min · 8 to 24 players · 20 x 20 m Standing still waiting to be picked up by a group
Corner ball 10 min · 8 to 20 players · 20 x 20 m Everybody piling towards whichever corner the ball is nearest
Numbers up 12 min · 9 to 21 players · 25 x 20 m Passing straight away without looking at the defence
Square and pass 10 min · 8 to 21 players · 30 x 20 m The whole line drifting further towards the touchline every pass
Two on one, no stopping 12 min · 9 to 21 players · 40 x 20 m Passing before the defender has been made to choose
Taking a free pass 8 min · 6 to 20 players · 15 x 10 m The ball put on the grass or rolled rather than passed out of the hands
Follow your mate 9 min · 6 to 21 players · 20 x 15 m The two without the ball drifting in front of the carrier
Hit the hole 9 min · 8 to 20 players · 25 x 20 m All three running at the same gap
Support the break 10 min · 8 to 21 players · 40 x 20 m Support setting off once the carrier has already gone twenty metres
Narrow to wide 10 min · 10 to 21 players · 40 x 25 m Carrying the ball out towards the touchline instead of passing it
Two touch attack 12 min · 10 to 24 players · 40 x 25 m Everybody stopping to think when the ball arrives
Beat the drift 11 min · 10 to 21 players · 40 x 30 m Everybody drifting the same way as the defence
Drop off touch 10 min · 8 to 20 players · 30 x 20 m The attack running at the same defenders with a gap out wide
End ball 10 min · 8 to 24 players · 25 x 20 m Everybody standing where they passed from
Four goals 10 min · 8 to 20 players · 25 x 25 m All of them charging at the nearest goal
Keep ball 8 min · 8 to 20 players · 20 x 20 m Passing to whoever is closest, marker and all
Two ball chaos 9 min · 10 to 24 players · 30 x 25 m Both teams converging on whichever ball is nearest
Defend the line 10 min · 10 to 24 players · 30 x 25 m One keen defender shooting out ahead of the rest
Ten metres to decide 9 min · 8 to 20 players · 20 x 20 m Taking the ball then looking up to see what is on
Turnover game 12 min · 10 to 24 players · 35 x 25 m Winning it back then stopping to celebrate or reorganise
Scoring zones 11 min · 10 to 24 players · 35 x 30 m Going straight for the wide zone from the first pass
The quiet game 8 min · 10 to 24 players · 30 x 25 m Shouting constantly in the loud half so nothing is heard
Outnumbered defence 11 min · 9 to 21 players · 30 x 25 m All the defenders converging on the ball carrier
Three phase game 12 min · 12 to 24 players · 40 x 30 m Every player piling into the first ruck
Space then contact 12 min · 12 to 24 players · 40 x 30 m Running into a defender with acres of grass outside
Last play 10 min · 12 to 24 players · 40 x 30 m Making the plan up on the pitch while the clock runs
Covering the back 10 min · 8 to 20 players · 40 x 30 m Two of them going for the same ball and colliding
Sunday conditions 15 min · 14 to 24 players · 60 x 43 m Talking only when the ball is live, silence at every stoppage
Up as one 10 min · 8 to 20 players · 30 x 20 m One defender three metres ahead of the rest with a gap beside them
Defend your channel 11 min · 8 to 20 players · 20 x 20 m Lunging from two metres and grabbing a shirt
Who goes in 11 min · 10 to 21 players · 25 x 20 m Everybody following the ball, so nothing is left outside
Ruck to ruck 12 min · 12 to 24 players · 30 x 25 m Everybody watching the ruck instead of getting ready for the next one
Guard the edge 10 min · 10 to 21 players · 25 x 20 m Guards drifting out with the ball and opening the gap next to the ruck
Carry into space 10 min · 10 to 21 players · 30 x 25 m Running at the biggest defender because it feels brave
Slow ball, quick ball 11 min · 12 to 24 players · 35 x 25 m Blaming the scrum half when the ball is slow
Turnover to try 11 min · 12 to 24 players · 40 x 30 m Winning the ball then stopping to reorganise
Scrum and away 10 min · 8 to 16 players · 25 x 20 m The backs standing flat footed watching the scrum
Free kick options 9 min · 8 to 21 players · 30 x 25 m Picking the ball up then looking around for an idea
Defending the restart 9 min · 10 to 22 players · 35 x 30 m The quickest child forty metres ahead of everybody else
Kick it or run it 11 min · 8 to 20 players · 30 x 20 m A kick every time whatever the defenders do
Counter from the catch 11 min · 8 to 20 players · 30 x 20 m The two who did not catch it standing still watching

What else U12 can work on

The same at other grades

Every U12 drill is the whole grade rather than one theme. Rugby drills by age group is all six grades.