What are the main match rules for U9 to U12?

Question

Accepted Answer

SA Rugby's 2025 playing-time directive and Primary School Law Variations set these for primary school rugby (the World Rugby laws apply otherwise):

	U9 to U12
Match length	Two halves of 20 minutes running time (the clock does not stop)
Half-time	Up to 5 minutes
Injury time	Up to 5 minutes per match (U10 and up)
Yellow card	5 minutes running time
Ball	Size 3 at U9, size 4 from U10

From U10:

Rolling replacements, up to 12 interchanges in a match, and the squad must include three trained front-row replacements (loosehead, hooker, tighthead).
A yellow-carded player may be temporarily replaced; a red-carded player may be replaced immediately.
When a card is shown, the referee calls the team's coach onto the field to explain why, and the carded player stays with the coach.
If a maul moves forward more than 10 metres, the referee calls "Play"; if the ball does not come out, the attacking team gets a scrum.
Lineouts must have all seven trained forwards, with no short lineouts.
At U10 to U12, one coach may roam the touchline under the technical zone protocol.