Rugby drills for 11 year olds
What an 11 year old can practice at home: drills the app opens at this age, what changes in rugby this year, how long and how often, what to have at home, and a free week to start.
By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026
SSTracker keeps rugby to touch and tag until 14: passing, catching, footwork and evasion. Tackling and rucking wait for 14 and a coach.
At 11
The age at a glance
- This year
- Tackling and ruck drills, with or without contact, are never shown under 14 in SSTracker; at 11 it is touch and tag skills: passing, catching, footwork, dodging and pulling a tag.
- Drills this year
- Developing drills start this year, beside the beginner ones. Advanced drills start at 14.
- Contact
- Tackling and ruck drills, with or without contact, are never shown under 14 in SSTracker; at 11 it is touch and tag skills: passing, catching, footwork, dodging and pulling a tag.
- After a knock
- After a concussion, children wait at least 21 days and have a doctor's OK before they play again (World Rugby).
- At 11
- Organized sport in all: no more hours a week than the child's age (NATA), so at most 11 hours for an 11 year old, with two rest days a week.
- At home
- SSTracker keeps one home session for an 11 year old within 45 minutes and plans at most 4 home days a week, with rest days between.
23 drills
Drills for 11 year olds
Every drill here is one the app opens for 11 year olds, at the level for the age. Each page has the steps, a diagram where the setup can be drawn, three ways to make it a game and a practice log to print.
Catch & Pass
Evasion
Kicking
Speed & Agility
Defending
What you need at home
What you need at home at 11
31 of the 37 rugby drills for 11 year olds work at home, in a room, garage or yard. Most used: cones (18 of the 31 drills), rugby ball (17), tag belts (2), agility ladder or chalk lines (1), goal posts or cones (1), mat (1), mat or grass (1), mat or soft ground (1). 1 drill needs nothing but space. 11 are for two, and a parent can be the partner.
- Animal Movement RelayAges 7 and up · 8 min
- Ball Drop and BalanceAges 7 and up · 8 min
- Build-Up RunsAges 11 and up · 10 min
- Curved RunsAges 11 and up · 10 min
- Down and Up GameAges 7 and up · 8 min
- Falling StartsAges 7 and up · 8 min
- Hop and Step FootworkAges 7 and up · 8 min
- Ladder Quick FeetAges 7 and up · 8 min
New at 11
Drills that open at 11
These drills join the list at 11: the app opens them from this age, by its level and age rules. They were not on the page for 10 year olds.
- Box Kick BasicsAges 11 and up · 12 min
- Build-Up RunsAges 11 and up · 10 min
- Catching a High KickAges 11 and up · 12 min
- Catching From Behind on the RunAges 11 and up · 10 min
- Curved RunsAges 11 and up · 10 min
- Drop Kick BounceAges 11 and up · 12 min
- Dummy Pass to Beat a DefenderAges 11 and up · 12 min
- Five Passes to ScoreAges 11 and up · 12 min
A week to start with
A free week of rugby at home
- 1Tag defence and core at home20 min
- 2Down and up at home20 min
- 3Kicking: Catching a High Kick15 min
Questions parents ask
Rugby for 11 year olds: questions and answers
What rugby drills can an 11 year old do at home?
31 of the 37 rugby drills for 11 year olds work at home, in a room, garage or yard. Most used: cones (18 of the 31 drills), rugby ball (17), tag belts (2), agility ladder or chalk lines (1), goal posts or cones (1), mat (1), mat or grass (1), mat or soft ground (1). 1 drill needs nothing but space. 11 are for two, and a parent can be the partner.
How long should an 11 year old practice rugby?
Organized sport in all: no more hours a week than the child's age (NATA), so at most 11 hours for an 11 year old, with two rest days a week. SSTracker keeps one home session for an 11 year old within 45 minutes and plans at most 4 home days a week, with rest days between.
Is rugby for 11 year olds tag or tackle?
Tackling and ruck drills, with or without contact, are never shown under 14 in SSTracker; at 11 it is touch and tag skills: passing, catching, footwork, dodging and pulling a tag.
What changes in rugby at 11?
Tackling and ruck drills, with or without contact, are never shown under 14 in SSTracker; at 11 it is touch and tag skills: passing, catching, footwork, dodging and pulling a tag. Developing drills start this year, beside the beginner ones. Advanced drills start at 14.
Free for families and teams
Save this plan to your child or team, free
Sign up and the free rugby week for 11 year olds opens in your child's planner, kept to healthy limits for the age, with progress your child sees against their own start. Coaches can send the same drills to the whole team as homework.
14 days free for a family, no card · Running a team is always free
Does your child's coach know about this?
An email from you to the coach, with the words ready. Nothing is tracked and nobody is rewarded.