The laws we play to
Our U10 squad plays matches under the P5 Mini Rugby law — the age-matched Scottish Rugby document. Our U12 squad has its own girls-specific document. Here's exactly what each squad plays to, with the wider Mini Rugby pathway alongside for context.
Our two squads' actual match laws
P5 — "Refine the Core Skills"
- Format
- 6v6 mixed, size 3 ball, 40m x 30m pitch
- Scoring
- 3-2-1 — rewards involving everyone
- Tackle
- Waist & below only, "Tackle Hold", 1v1 only, no targeting the ball
- After the tackle
- No breakdown — carrier presents or offloads from the floor
- Scrum / lineout
- None — free pass instead
- Kicking
- Not permitted in open play
This is Scottish Rugby's mixed (boys & girls) Mini Rugby document for P5/U10 — the age-matched law, since Scottish Rugby's girls-specific pathway doesn't start until U12.
Girls U12 (P7)
- Format
- Up to 10v10, size 3 ball, 60m x 40m pitch, max 40 min/game
- Scoring
- 1 point per try
- Tackle
- Waist & below, no swing tackles
- Breakdown
- Now up to 2 supporting players per team (was 1)
- Scrum
- 5 players per team
- Lineout
- New: uncontested, minimum 4 players + hooker, no lifting
- Hand-off
- New: permitted, not to the head or neck
- Kicking
- New: open play kicking from hand is permitted
Scottish Rugby's girls-specific document, starting at U12.
The wider Mini Rugby pathway
P5 above is one step in Scottish Rugby's broader Mini Rugby progression — mixed boys & girls, laid out by school year. Shown here for context only: P4, P6 and the mixed P7 format below aren't what either of our squads plays.
P4 — "Confidence in Contact"
- Format
- 5v5 mixed, size 3 ball, 28m x 22m pitch
- Tackle
- Waist & below, "Tackle Hold", 1v1 only
- After the tackle
- No breakdown — presents or offloads from the floor
- Scrum / lineout / kicking
- None
P6 — "Developing the Contest"
- Format
- 8v8 mixed, size 3 ball, 60m x 40m pitch (with 5m in-goals)
- Tackle
- Waist & below, no targeting the ball
- After the tackle
- Breakdown — up to 1 supporting player per team can contest
- Scrum
- 3v3, uncontested
- Lineout
- None — free pass from touch
- Kicking
- Attacking kicks from hand are allowed
P7 (mixed) — "Ready for the Big Game"
- Format
- Up to 10v10 mixed, size 3–4 ball, 60m x 40m pitch
- Breakdown
- Up to 2 supporting players per team
- Scrum
- 5v5, contested hook with resisted lean
- Lineout
- Yes — hooker + 4, uncontested
- Kicking / hand-off
- Both permitted
The mixed equivalent of Girls U12 above — useful for comparison, since the two are now very close in shape.
What changed for 2026/27
Girls U12 — our U12 squad's law — was substantially updated for this season and now sits much closer to the mixed P7 "Ready for the Big Game" format: bigger squads (up to 10v10, up from 8v8), a bigger breakdown contest (2 supporting players per team, up from 1), and two things that didn't exist at all before — a lineout and open-play kicking, plus the hand-off. Mini Rugby AGLVs (P4 through P7, including the P5 law our U10 squad plays) are unchanged for 2026/27.
Why it's laid out this way
Scottish Rugby's Age Grade Law Variations exist to give players a fun, inclusive game that layers on core skills in line with their physical and social development — not to hold anyone back. That's exactly why Block 1 already introduces contact and breakdown language early for both squads ("Tackle Hold", presenting the ball, ruck entry): U12 in particular is stepping into a noticeably bigger game than before, and building that foundation ahead of time makes the step feel natural rather than sudden.
Source: Scottish Rugby, Age Grade Law Variations, 2026/27 season (Mini Rugby P4–P7, Girls U12). Summarised here for quick reference — see the linked documents above, or Scottish Rugby's full AGLV overview page ↗, for the authoritative rules and referee guidance.