PitchsideCoaching help for U9–U13

What's happening at training?

Start with the problem. Each page explains why it happens, what to say, and a ladder of drills that build confidence step by step.

Coming soon

U12 pages are on the way

We're starting with U11. Many U11 ideas work for nearby ages, but check the U12 rules first.

Coming soon

U13 pages are on the way

We're starting with U11. Many U11 ideas work for nearby ages, but check the U13 rules first.

ConfidenceBall carrierWellbeing
My players are afraid of getting hurt
Worried about knocks, falls and big kids. Holding back in games, nervous before training.
SpacingAttackGame sense
They all bunch around the ball
A swarm follows the ball, nobody holds width, the pitch is empty everywhere else
FallingSafety
They don't know how to fall
Arms out, landing on wrists and elbows, heads hitting the ground
Decision-makingAttack
My players freeze with the ball
Indecisive, slow to pass, run into trouble or stand still
TackleMoving to contact
They still play like it's tag: grab and stop
Defenders grab a shirt or an arm and wait, as if the tag has been made
SquadNew playersConfidence
Half the squad is brand new
Some have played for years, some have never touched a ball, and you've got one session plan
DefenceTeamwork
We have no defensive line
Defenders scattered, gaps everywhere, everyone waiting to see what happens
RuckContact
Our rucks are a mess
Pile-ups, players off their feet, the ball stuck under bodies
TackleConfidence
My players are scared of contact
Hesitating, pulling out of tackles, turning their back
TackleSafety
They tackle too high
Arms round the shoulders, grabbing shirts, heads in the wrong place
PassingAttack
They won't pass, they just run
Heads down, running into three defenders, support players left waving
BreakdownContact
They don't know what to do after the tackle
Players stand around a tackled player, nobody knows whose ball it is
ContactSafetySquad
The big kids flatten everyone
A few early-developing players run through everyone, and the rest are getting scared
Handling
They can't catch a pass
Hands down, balls bouncing off chests, eyes closed
BehaviourSession
They can't listen for more than 30 seconds
Eyes wander, someone starts a game, and you lose them halfway through the explanation
Ball carrierConfidence
Ball carriers stop dead when they meet a defender
They run, see a defender, freeze, and get tackled standing still
SquadConfidence
The confident kids do everything, others hide
The same players take every restart, every carry and every tackle
WellbeingConfidence
Some cry or sulk when they're tackled
Tears after a tackle, players walking off, or refusing to carry the ball
Game sense
They don't know which way they're attacking
Players run the wrong way, celebrate in the wrong place, or freeze at kick-off
HandlingConfidence
They drop the ball under pressure
Fine in drills, then fumbling as soon as a defender gets close
WellbeingTeam
They get frustrated when they lose
Tears, blaming teammates, or giving up halfway through the game
SquadSafety
Huge range of ability and size
Some kids are twice the size of others, and some have played for years
BehaviourSession
They lose focus and mess about
Long queues, chatter while you're talking, play fights between drills
BreakdownContactSafety
Mauls turn into wrestling matches
Players pulling and twisting, the ball lost, bodies falling over
New coachSessionSafety
I'm a new coach and don't know where to start
You've said yes, there's a bag of balls, and training is on Sunday
SupportAttack
No one supports the ball carrier
The ball carrier makes a break and turns round to find nobody there
DefenceLaws
They're offside all the time
Penalties at every ruck, players hanging around in front of the ball
PassingHandling
They only pass one way
Every pass goes to their stronger side, and defenders have worked it out
ParentsWellbeing
Parents shout from the touchline
Conflicting instructions, criticism of kids or referees, nervous players freezing
PassingDecision-making
They pass to whoever's nearest, even if they're marked
The ball goes to the closest teammate, who gets tagged or tackled straight away
PassingHandling
Passes go behind or on the floor
Catchers stretching backwards, balls bouncing, moves dying after one pass
PassingLaws
Passes go forward
Every move ends in a forward pass and a scrum or a turnover
AttackDecision-making
They run into contact instead of looking for space
Ball carriers run straight at the nearest defender every time
AttackGame sense
They run sideways or backwards
The ball carrier drifts across the pitch away from defenders and loses ground
Set pieceSafety
Scrums are messy and get reset
Players not binding, scrums falling over, the referee resetting again and again
SupportGame sense
They stand still and wait for the ball
Most of the team watches the ball and waits for it to come to them
BreakdownLaws
The tackler lies on the ball and won't release
Tacklers hold on after the tackle, and the referee keeps blowing the whistle
Set pieceGame sense
They don't know where to stand at a scrum
Players wander in, line up in the wrong place, or end up offside
TackleConfidence
They won't go to ground in the tackle
Tacklers stay standing and wrestle, or let go when the ball carrier keeps moving

Ready-made sessions

60 minU11
Brave & decisive: 60-minute session
Contact confidence first, while legs are fresh, then decision games, then a game to finish.
60 minU11
Low and on our feet: 60-minute session
Tackle height first, then what happens after the tackle, then a game that brings both together.
Warm-ups
Warm-ups
Activate, quick games and line warm-ups to start every session
Catalogue
All drills
Every drill for your age group, filtered by contact level
Build your own
Build my session
Pick one or two problems and get a 60-minute plan you can share
Rules
U9 rules at a glance
What's allowed this season, in plain English
Rules
U10 rules at a glance
What's allowed this season, in plain English
Rules
U11 rules at a glance
What's allowed this season, in plain English
Rules
U12 rules at a glance
What's allowed this season, in plain English
Rules
U13 rules at a glance
What's allowed this season, in plain English