Setup: A 20×20m square. No tackling yet — this is about getting comfortable on and off the ground. One ball between two for the last round.

How it works: Players jog around the square, and on your call they get down onto the grass and back up as fast as they can — front, back, side, then a gentle shoulder roll and up onto their feet. Build in a rugby carry: down onto the ground, place the ball long, bounce back up. This is real contact preparation — a child who is happy going to ground and getting up is a child who is safe in the tackle. Keep it playful and praise the quick, tidy get-ups.

Setup: Pairs of similar size — match them carefully. Both start kneeling, facing each other, one holding a ball across their chest. Grass, not a hard patch.

How it works: This is the whole tackle taught with nobody standing up, so nobody can fall. From the knees, the tackler places their head to the SIDE of the ball carrier — cheek to cheek, ear against the carrier's ribs, head behind, never across the front — rings both arms around the carrier's thighs, grips their own wrist, and gives a gentle squeeze. Hold it, check every head is in the safe place, then reset. Say the four words every rep — eyes, head, arms, squeeze — until they can say them back to you. Do a dozen slow reps each and no more; quality is the entire point tonight.

Setup: Same matched pairs. Carrier walks a straight 5m line; tackler starts crouched at the side, an arm's length away. A coach on each group of three or four pairs.

How it works: Now we stand up but we stay slow. The carrier walks the line at a steady, honest walking pace. The tackler, already low and side-on, steps in, puts the cheek behind, rings the arms around the thighs and rides the carrier gently to ground, landing on top or beside — never underneath, never head-first. Both players get straight back to their feet. Walk it many times, then, only if the shape is right, allow a slow jog for the carrier. If the head placement wobbles, drop straight back to walking — speed is a reward for good technique, not a starting point.

Setup: Narrow 8×4m channels made of cones. One carrier at one end, one tackler at the other, a short queue behind each. Match sizes. Two soft shields spare for any nervous player.

How it works: A first live one-on-one, kept small and safe. The carrier jogs — jogs — from their end and tries to get past; the tackler uses everything from tonight to make a low, safe, side-on tackle inside the channel. Both up quickly, ball handed back, next pair in. Because the channel is narrow the tackler is never chasing across space, so contact stays controlled and head-on collisions cannot build up. Give lots of rest between goes; contact tires young bodies fast and tired technique is unsafe technique.

Setup: A 20×20m grid, teams of four in bibs, one ball. Coach reffing with the voice.

How it works: A calm little game to use the skill in context. The attacking team tries to score over the far line; the ball goes backwards only. A ball carrier can be tackled using tonight's technique, and after two completed tackles the ball turns over, which keeps the collision count low and rewards support and passing over crashing it up. Play short games with plenty of swaps. If any tackle looks unsafe, freeze the game, fix the picture, and play on — the game is the teacher and you are the safety net.

Setup: Gentle walk and easy stretches — calves, thighs, shoulders — then a sitting circle.

How it works: Wind the bodies down and talk about the night honestly. First contact can feel big for some children, so ask how it went and listen. Re-say the safe-head message one last calm time, because the thing you finish on is the thing they remember. Name the players who tackled low and safe, not the ones who tackled hard.