U12 rugby ruck drills
20 ruck and maul 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.
Free to read with no account. They work at a pitch with no signal too.
What U12 is allowed here
Ruck and maul arrives at U10, 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.
- Wrestle for the ball 6 min · 6 to 20 players · 10 x 10 m Elbows out wide where they can be pulled
- Body position ladder 6 min · 6+ players · 15 m channel Bending at the waist with a rounded back
- Grip and drive 6 min · 6 to 20 players · 10 x 10 m Feet moving before the arms are bound
- Three phase game 12 min · 12 to 24 players · 40 x 30 m Every player piling into the first ruck
- Tackle then compete 12 min · 8 to 18 players · 15 x 15 m Both of them lying on the floor watching the ball
- Hold them up 10 min · 8 to 18 players · 15 x 15 m Dragging the carrier to the floor out of habit
- Two second ruck 12 min · 8 to 18 players · 15 x 15 m The first arriver going straight to ground on top of the ball
- Step over and stay 9 min · 6 to 18 players · 10 x 10 m Standing over the ball with a rounded back and the head down
- Clear the threat 11 min · 8 to 18 players · 12 x 12 m Standing up into the shield so it stops them dead
- Five second count 10 min · 9 to 21 players · 20 x 15 m Nobody counting, so nobody knows they are slow
- Who goes in 11 min · 10 to 21 players · 25 x 20 m Everybody following the ball, so nothing is left outside
- Pick and go 9 min · 6 to 18 players · 20 x 10 m Picking up one handed on the run so the ball spills
- Counter ruck 11 min · 8 to 18 players · 15 x 15 m The two arriving a beat apart, so the first one gets shrugged off
- Three man maul 10 min · 6 to 18 players · 15 x 10 m The ball staying at the front where everybody can grab it
- 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
- Turn the turtle 8 min · 6 to 20 players · 10 x 10 m The worker pulling at a shirt from above with straight arms
What else U12 can work on
- U12 rugby passing drills
- U12 rugby evasion drills
- U12 rugby tackling drills
- U12 rugby scrum drills
- U12 rugby kicking drills
- U12 rugby game sense drills
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.