What rules apply to me as a U12-U18 (ages 11-18) youth rugby player in Scotland this season? Age bands, tackle height, law variations by age, game time, playing up or down, concussion and kit.
Your age grade is set by your age on 1 September 2026, and it stays the same for the whole 2026/27 season.
Schools and many clubs group players by school year instead, which for most schools uses a 1 March cut-off. Even so, Scottish Rugby's age banding and the Age Grade Law Variations still apply to every club, school and team in age grade rugby.
If you were born in June, July or August, you can move up into your new age group for pre-season training and matches before 1 September without dispensation, as long as 2-year age banding is kept.
Scotland uses lower tackle heights in the age grade game than in elite rugby:
| Age group | Tackle height |
|---|---|
| U9 (P4) to U14, boys and girls | Waist and below ("belly tackle") |
| U15 boys and U16 girls to U18 | Below the base of the sternum (the same as the adult community game) |
Waist and below (U9 to U14):
Below the sternum (U15 boys and U16 girls upwards):
At every age:
The boys' Age Grade Law Variations for U13 to U15 have no new laws for 2026/27, apart from the changes marked new below.
| U13 (S1) | U14 (S2) | U15 (S3) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team size | 13 v 13 | 15 v 15 | 15 v 15 |
| Pitch | Full | Full | Full |
| Game time | Max 45 minutes | Max 60 minutes | Max 60 minutes |
| Ball size | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| Tackle | Waist and below, no targeting the ball | Waist and below, no targeting the ball | Below the base of the sternum |
| Scrum | 6 v 6, both hookers can strike, max 0.5m push, 9 must pass, no No. 8 pick-up | 8 v 8, both hookers can strike, max 1m push, No. 8 can pick and pass | 8 v 8, both hookers can strike, No. 8 can pick and pass |
| Lineout | Uncontested, hooker + at least 4 | Uncontested, hooker + at least 4 | Uncontested, hooker + at least 4, lifting allowed |
| Restart after a try | Scoring team kicks | Scoring team kicks | Conceding team kicks |
At all three ages:
Girls' rugby in Scotland uses 2-year age bands: U12, U14, U16 and U18. You can move up to the next band once you reach its lower qualifying age on the day of the match.
For 2026/27:
| Band | Born on or after | And on match day you're at least |
|---|---|---|
| U12 | 1 September 2014 | 10 |
| U14 | 1 September 2012 | 12 |
| U16 | 1 September 2010 | 14 |
| U18 | 1 September 2008 | 16 |
The girls' Age Grade Law Variations were updated for 2026/27.
| U12 girls | U14 girls | U16 girls | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team size | Up to 10-a-side (6, 7 or 8-a-side allowed) | Up to 13-a-side (10-a-side allowed) | Up to 15-a-side (13 or 10-a-side allowed) |
| Pitch | 60m x 40m (40m x 30m for 6-a-side) | Full pitch (10-a-side: 60m x 40m) | Full pitch |
| Game time | Max 40 minutes | Max 60 minutes (2 x 30) | Max 70 minutes (2 x 35) |
| Ball size | 3 | 3 or 4 | 4 |
| Scoring | 1 point per try, no conversions or penalty kicks | Full scoring (try 5, conversion 2, penalty 3) | Full scoring |
| Scrum | 5 v 5, contested with resisted lean; 9 must pass | 6 v 6, contested, max 1.5m push; 9 must pass | 8 v 8, contested, max 1.5m push; 9 must pass |
| Lineout | Uncontested, hooker + at least 4, no lift, no maul | Uncontested, hooker + at least 4, no lift, no maul | Contested, hooker + at least 4; only the throwing team may lift |
| Tackle | Waist and below | Waist and below | Below the base of the sternum |
At every age the defending 9 can't go past the middle of the scrum. Smaller-sided versions use smaller scrums: 3 per side at 7 or 8-a-side U12, no scrum at 6-a-side U12, and 5 v 5 at 10-a-side U14 and U16.
Under Scottish Rugby's Age Grade Game-Time Policy, no player from U9 to U18 should play more than 90 minutes in any 48-hour period. This applies to all school and youth fixtures: national, regional and local competitions, and friendlies.
Each age group also has a maximum length per game:
| Age group | Max per game |
|---|---|
| U12 girls | 40 minutes (60 minutes total at a festival) |
| U13 boys | 45 minutes |
| U14 boys | 60 minutes |
| U14 girls | 60 minutes (2 x 30) |
| U15 boys | 60 minutes |
| U16 girls | 70 minutes (2 x 35) |
The half game principle also applies at these ages: every player should get at least half a game.
Normally you play in your own age band. Teams can mix two neighbouring age bands, but there must never be more than a 2-year age gap between players on the pitch. The only exception is when a player with dispensation is on the pitch.
Without dispensation:
15-year-olds into U18 rugby (exceptional cases only). All of these are required:
You can't play in the front row until you're 16. Decisions take up to 4 weeks.
Playing down is for players who have matured later than their age group. You must be under (or close to) Scottish Rugby's height and weight trigger values and pass a physical maturity assessment. Applications aren't accepted just because your friends play in the younger group or your team is short of players.
You can't play in a different age band until SCRUMS shows the approval.
Scottish Rugby's policy is that you must be 18 to play adult rugby. In exceptional cases a 17-year-old can apply for dispensation, which applies to both boys and girls. All of these are required:
Front row: to play prop or hooker you also need to show front-row experience and coaching, and pass a neck strength assessment. If you don't pass it, you can still be cleared for adult rugby but not for the front row until you turn 18.
Timescales: decisions normally take up to 14 days, or up to 4 weeks for front-row clearance. You can't play adult rugby until SCRUMS has been updated and your club or school has been told.
If you were cleared to play adult rugby last season, you don't need to reapply. If you move clubs, make sure your approval is in place at the new club.
Scottish Rugby's rule is "If in doubt, sit them out."
Go to hospital urgently if, for example, you lose consciousness, keep getting drowsier, become more confused or irritable, or have weakness, tingling or burning in your arms or legs. If a neck injury is suspected, only healthcare professionals with spinal care training should move you.
Until Scottish Rugby publishes its revised concussion policy, it tells all players to follow the Graduated Return to Activity and Sport (GRAS) protocol. Your age and sex make no difference to these dates. The day of the concussion is Day 0.
| Step | Earliest |
|---|---|
| Non-contact training | Once you're symptom-free at rest and have completed Stages 2 and 3 of GRAS (ideally not before Day 7) |
| Contact training | Day 14, and only once you've been symptom-free at rest for 14 days |
| Full-contact match | Day 21 |
These are the earliest dates, not targets. Light activity is fine as long as it only mildly increases your symptoms. Pushing on while activity makes your symptoms worse slows your recovery.
On SCRUMS: once your club or school reports the concussion, your SCRUMS account is locked and you can't be named on a team sheet for 21 days. On Day 21 you (or your parent or guardian) get an email asking you to complete a Return to Play Declaration. In it you confirm you're symptom-free at rest and after exercise and have completed GRAS. Your record is unlocked once you've completed it.
Kit in Scotland follows World Rugby Law 4 (Players' clothing). All items must comply with World Rugby Regulation 12.
Required: jersey (sleeves at least halfway from shoulder to elbow), shorts, socks and boots.
Mouthguard: World Rugby recommends that all players wear a mouthguard or dental protector.
Allowed extras include: headgear, shin guards, shoulder pads or approved chest pads, fingerless mitts, ankle supports under socks, tape and bandages, goggles, cotton-blend tights under shorts and socks, and headscarves that don't put anyone in danger.
Not allowed:
The referee can order you to remove any item they consider dangerous, and you can't play on until it's removed or made safe.