About & safety
Pitchside is free help for volunteer coaches of U9–U13 players in England. It's written for parents who've been handed a bag of balls and a squad.
Please read this first
Pitchside supplements, and does not replace, England Rugby coaching courses and RFU Regulation 15.If anything here differs from the official rules, the official rules win. You are responsible for the safety of your session.
Our safety rules
- Adults never hold shields, pads or bags for children, and never act as ball carrier or tackler. Players hold shields, paired by size.
- Tackles target the hips and waist, well below the base of the sternum. The tackler's head goes to the side of the ball carrier, never in front.
- Contact builds step by step: kneeling, then walking, then jogging, then live. Every drill has a "ready for the next level" check. Don't skip it.
- Pair players by size and confidence, not by friendship or ability alone.
- Any suspected concussion: off the pitch, no return that day. Follow HEADCASE guidance.
Safeguarding
- Make sure you have the DBS check and safeguarding training your club requires before coaching.
- Never be alone with a child out of sight of other adults.
- If a child tells you something that worries you, listen, don't promise to keep it secret, and tell your club safeguarding officer the same day.
Official help
- England Rugby: coaching courses, rules and club support
- RFU Regulation 15: age grade rugby rules of play
- Keep Your Boots On!: free coaching ideas for age-grade rugby
- World Rugby Passport: free online coaching and safety courses
- HEADCASE: England Rugby's concussion guidance
Privacy
Pitchside has no logins and sets no tracking cookies. Your chosen age group and text size are saved on your own phone only.