Free drill library · Rugby

At-home rugby drills for 11 to 13 year olds

This is a free sample week of at-home rugby training for 11 to 13 year olds: 3 of the 7 plans SSTracker has for this group, each 13 to 14 minutes, with every step and minute. Nothing here is written for this page alone; it is what the app gives a family.

Everything here can be done in a room, garage or yard. Drills that need a team are left out; a parent can be the partner in a pair drill.

A free sample week of rugby for 11 to 13 year olds

Session 1

Safe Tackling at home 13 minutes

  1. Shadow Tackle Footwork · 4 min
    Close, step in, freeze.
  2. Tackle Shape on Your Knees · 5 min
    Chin up, head to the side, squeeze.
  3. Neck and Core Holds · 4 min
    Neck long, back flat.

Session 2

Breakdown at home 13 minutes

  1. Low Body Height Tunnel · 4 min
    Hips down, chest up.
  2. Pick and Go at Walking Pace · 5 min
    Low pick, strong steps.
  3. Ball Placement Practice · 4 min
    Go down strong, place it long.

Session 3

Breakdown: Broad Jump and Hold 14 minutes

  1. Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 2 min
    Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
  2. Broad Jump and Hold · 5 min
    Swing, jump, stick. Safety: Land softly on grass or a mat, knees over toes, never caving in. Keep the number of jumps low. Stop if knees, shins or ankles hurt.
  3. Kneeling Partner Tackle · 5 min
    Cheek to cheek, ring of steel. Safety: Only with a coach: kneeling tackles from age 9, tackles on your feet from age 11 (or as your club's union allows). Partner within one age year and of similar size, at walking pace before jogging. Head up and to the side, cheek to cheek with the hip, never head first. Tackle at the waist or below. No swing tackles, lifting or throws. Any head knock or symptom (headache, dizziness, neck pain): stop, tell the coach, and no more rugby until a doctor clears you, at least 21 days for children.
  4. Cool-down: walk and easy stretches · 2 min
    Breathe slowly and hold each stretch about 20 seconds, never to pain.

Want the rest of the plan?

This sample is 3 of the 7 rugby plans SSTracker has for this group. In SSTracker every step is on the screen, your child logs the work, and you see it. No club needed: the family plan is $7.50 a month per player, or $12 a month for the whole household, and the first 14 days are free.

Get the full plan free for 14 days Coach or club director? Set up your team free Print a free week for another sport or age

The drills in this week

Shadow Tackle Footwork

Ages 11 and up · 10 min

Rehearse the steps into a tackle with no one there and no contact: close the space, step in, get low and freeze.

  1. Put a cone as the ball carrier 5 yards away.
  2. Run in, shorten your steps and put your lead foot close to the cone.
  3. Bend at the hips, back flat, head to the side, arms ready.
  4. Freeze for 2 seconds. Do 8 each side.

Coach's cue: Close, step in, freeze.

Bring: cones

Safety: No contact with a person. Practice on soft ground or a mat, keep your eyes open and your head up and to the side. Stop if your neck hurts.

Tackle Shape on Your Knees

Ages 7 and up · 8 min

Learn the safe tackle shape on your own, with no contact with anyone.

  1. Kneel on a mat with your back flat and your chin up.
  2. Turn your head to one side as if your cheek is against a hip.
  3. Wrap both arms around a large cushion and squeeze tight, a ring of steel.
  4. Hold 5 seconds, relax, and do 10 on each side.

Coach's cue: Chin up, head to the side, squeeze.

Bring: mat or soft ground, large cushion

Safety: No contact with a person. Practice on soft ground or a mat, keep your eyes open and your head up and to the side. Stop if your neck hurts.

Neck and Core Holds

Ages 7 and up · 8 min

Build the neck and body strength that keeps you safe in contact later.

  1. Bear crawl 5 yards forward with your back flat and your head in line with your spine.
  2. Do a plank from your knees, holding a straight line and eyes on the floor.
  3. Hold 15 seconds, rest 15 seconds.
  4. Do 4 rounds of each.

Coach's cue: Neck long, back flat.

Bring: mat

Safety: No contact with a person. Practice on soft ground or a mat, keep your eyes open and your head up and to the side. Stop if your neck hurts.

Low Body Height Tunnel

Ages 11 and up · 10 min

Move under a low rope with a flat back, the body height you want over a breakdown.

  1. Two helpers hold a rope at waist height.
  2. Walk under it with your back flat and your chin up.
  3. Keep your feet wide and your hips low.
  4. Do 10 passes, lowering the rope a little each round.

Coach's cue: Hips down, chest up.

Bring: rope or pool noodle, 2 helpers

Safety: No contact. Stop if your back or knees hurt.

Pick and Go at Walking Pace

Ages 11 and up · 10 min

Pick the ball up from the ground and carry it low and strong for a few steps.

  1. Place the ball on the ground.
  2. Step over it low, pick it up with two hands and tuck it in.
  3. Take 3 strong steps, then place it again.
  4. Do 12 reps, no opposition.

Coach's cue: Low pick, strong steps.

Bring: rugby ball, cones

Safety: No opponent at this stage. Keep your back flat and bend your knees.

Ball Placement Practice

Ages 7 and up · 8 min

Learn to go to ground safely and place the ball back for your team.

  1. Walk with the ball, then kneel down onto one knee and then your side.
  2. Land facing your own team's way with your back to the opponents.
  3. Push the ball back at arm's length.
  4. Do 10 on each side.

Coach's cue: Go down strong, place it long.

Bring: rugby ball, mat or soft ground

Safety: Practice on soft grass or a mat. Tuck your chin and keep your arms close. Stop if your neck or shoulders hurt.

Broad Jump and Hold

Ages 10 to 14 · 10 min

Jump forward as far as you can with control and hold the landing. Distance only counts if you stick it.

  1. Stand with toes at a line.
  2. Swing your arms back, then forward as you jump out.
  3. Land on both feet and hold for 2 seconds without stepping.
  4. Do 3 sets of 3 with full rest; note your best stuck jump.

Coach's cue: Swing, jump, stick.

Bring: soft ground, tape measure (optional)

Safety: Land softly on grass or a mat, knees over toes, never caving in. Keep the number of jumps low. Stop if knees, shins or ankles hurt.

Kneeling Partner Tackle

Ages 11 and up · 12 min

Practice the tackle with both players kneeling, so nobody falls from height.

  1. Only with a coach. You and a partner of similar size kneel on a mat, an arm's length apart.
  2. Put your cheek against your partner's side, head to the side, never in front.
  3. Wrap both arms in a ring of steel and gently roll them to the mat.
  4. Do 6 each side, then swap roles.

Coach's cue: Cheek to cheek, ring of steel.

Bring: mats, partner, coach

Safety: Only with a coach: kneeling tackles from age 9, tackles on your feet from age 11 (or as your club's union allows). Partner within one age year and of similar size, at walking pace before jogging. Head up and to the side, cheek to cheek with the hip, never head first. Tackle at the waist or below. No swing tackles, lifting or throws. Any head knock or symptom (headache, dizziness, neck pain): stop, tell the coach, and no more rugby until a doctor clears you, at least 21 days for children.

Safety for ages 11 to 13

  • Plans for this age group use beginner and developing drills only. Advanced drills open from age 13 in the app.
  • Home plans use only drills for a room, garage or yard. Stop if anything hurts.

Before you start: rugby

  • Mouthguard for every contact drill; boots that fit.
  • Soft headgear if you choose it (it does not prevent concussion).
  • Tackling only with a coach, a partner of similar size and age, at walking pace first.
  • Tackle at the waist or below, head to the side. No lifting, throwing or swing tackles.
  • After a concussion, children wait at least 21 days and have a doctor's OK before return to play (World Rugby).
  • Scrums and lineout lifting are for the club, never home drills.
For every sport and age (7)
  • Head knock or concussion signs (headache, dizziness, confusion, feeling "off"): when in doubt, sit them out. See a doctor, and no return the same day.
  • Back to sport only with a doctor's written OK, after a step-by-step return. Every U.S. state has a youth concussion law.
  • Heat: drink water before, during and after. Take shade breaks, ease into hot weather over about two weeks, and stop if dizzy, sick or headachy.
  • Lightning: if you hear thunder or see lightning, go inside a building or a closed car. Wait 30 minutes after the last thunder (the 30-30 rule).
  • Pain is a stop sign, not something to push through. Stop and tell a grown-up; pain that lasts or comes back each session needs a doctor.
  • Water and rest are part of training: 1-2 rest days a week, plenty of sleep, a meal or snack before and after, and other sports welcome.
  • Know where the nearest AED (heart defibrillator) is, and who calls for help in an emergency.

The research behind these plans

Which drills are shown at which age, and the safety notes, follow the 30 sources below: national governing bodies, medical associations and studies on youth sport (last reviewed October 2026). Where no study gives an exact number, the plans use cautious defaults, and we change them as the research does.

Rugby: governing bodies, safety and development (10)
Youth athletic development and safety (20)

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