Strategies and tactics for coaching youth rugby

Lifting

In most countries lifting is not allowed for players younger than 15 years old. You can employ the following jumping and lineout options instead.

Place your tall players at the front: The tallest three players stand in positions 1-to-3 or 2-to-4. This "bunching" gives your team a better chance of winning the ball.

Use only two player lineouts: The back player stands near the 15 metre line. The front player (the target) fakes either a forward or backward move, and takes either a lob ball going backwards or a flat ball going forwards. Your scrum half could enter the line where the front jumper has left a gap. Another forward, for instance, could then fill the scrum half position.

Flat and hard throws: These are better types of throw than lob balls, particularly if your team (or even one player) is skilled at timed jumps.

Catch and maul: Maul if the ball is caught not tapped. A scrum half is unlikely to clear the back of the lineout with a pass and the maul ties in defensive forwards.

The "Scavenger": With no lifting, the fifth player in the lineout plays an important role. They need to gather deflections and secure the ball. This is a specific role. The player needs to know about the different options.

The defensive lineout: Youth sides rarely use a front peel, where a player drives through the 5m area between the touchline and the front of the lineout. In defensive lineouts, try placing your hooker at the back of the lineout and your scrum half at the front. The scrum half can follow the ball into the lineout from the throw and try to pick a lose ball. The hooker can charge into the opposition backline if your opponent's win the ball.

Tactical attacking kicks

Youth team players tend to kick more in hope than with skill. Keeping it simple can help you develop kicking into a tactical attacking option.

Some simple rules: For example, only kick for the corners from your own half, never kick in the opposition's 22m, only kick the high ball from the halfway line and then always into their 22m, only allow certain players to kick.

The high ball towards wingers: Try kicking a few high balls onto the opposition's wingers. Often, and with apologies to teams with good players on the wings, youth sides put their weaker players on the wings. It is worth testing this observation with a few high balls early on in the game.

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