Two age grids: FFR M6→M19, FSR U6→U19
Two naming systems coexist across Paak’s markets. The FFR counts in “M” (Moins de, “under”) — M6, M8, M10, M12, M14, M16, M19 — with staggered women’s categories (M15F, M18F). Suisse Rugby (Fédération Suisse de Rugby, FSR) counts in “U” — U6 to U19, women U18. Paak sorts them into four product bands — u9, u13, u17, sen — which no federation publishes: always keep the federation category next to the band, never in its place.
| FFR (France) | Suisse Rugby / FSR | Paak band |
|---|---|---|
| M6 (≈ under-6) | U6 | u9 |
| M8 | U8 | u9 |
| M10 | U10 | u13 (younger) |
| M12 | U12 | u13 |
| M14 (women M15F) | U14 | u13→u17 boundary |
| M16 | U16 | u17 |
| M19 (women M18F) | U19 (women U18) | u17 |
| Seniors, Espoirs | Senior | sen |
The FFR contact ladder, age by age
This is the heart of the guide. Every value below is stated in the FFR fiches École de Rugby 2025-2026; it is the spine of what a coach is allowed to run with a group. Read it as a ramp: contact rises one notch per category, never two at once.
FFR contact ladder — École de Rugby guidance (M6 no contact → M14 contested scrum under the Passeport Joueur de Devant). The u9–sen bands are a Paak product derivation.
| FFR cat. | ≈ side | Contact status | Scrum | Ball |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M6 | 4-5 | No contact — “grab / hold” only; the educator calls PRIS (“held”) | none | T3 |
| M8 | 5 v 5 | Touch + 2 s (Sep–Dec) → tackle introduced Jan–Jun | none | T3 |
| M10 | 5 → 7 (from Jan) | Tackle generalised | none | T3 |
| M12 | 5 → 10 (from Dec) | Tackle | “Educational no-impact scrum”, 3+2 — push only to win the ball, never re-taken | T4 |
| M14 (M15F) | 7 → 10 → 15 (from Nov) | Full contact | First contested scrum — PJD holders only; 5-min sin-bin | T4 |
| M16 / M19 | 15 | Full contact | Contested (credentialed front row); World Rugby Under-19 variation applies | T5 |
Two facts about the scrum, to hold side by side without confusing them. The earliest scrum in the pathway is M12 — the educational, no-impact, 3+2 form, credential-free and never contested competitively: a scrum-as-shape, for learning the bind and the placement. The first contested scrum is M14 — where the contested push and the front-row passport begin. Both sit together without contradiction: M12 introduces a scrum shape with no impact and no credential; M14 introduces the contested push behind a credential.
The front row: a credentialed position
Playing loosehead prop (1), hooker (2) or tighthead prop (3) is a credentialed role in every federation studied. It is rugby’s biggest safety landmine, and Paak never enables it on its own.
| Federation | Credential to play front row | Youth passport |
|---|---|---|
| FFR | Medical mention “autorisé 1ère ligne” on the licence + the annual front-row certificate | Passeport Joueur de Devant (PJD) — required from M14 / M15F to play a contested scrum |
| Suisse Rugby / FSR | Passeport 1ère ligne (DTN-validated) — exact process to confirm against a current FSR document | (as above) |
| World Rugby (global law) | The Law 3.8 cover table must be satisfied, or the scrum is uncontested | The Under-19 variation governs youth scrums |
World Rugby Law 3.8 states exactly how many trained front-rowers a squad must carry:
| Matchday squad size | Trained front-rowers required |
|---|---|
| ≤ 15 | 3 |
| 16-18 | 4 |
| 19-22 | 5 |
| 23 | 6 |
If the required trained front-rowers are not available, the scrum is uncontested by law — in the Under-19 variation it is then played with 8 forwards, no push and no strike for the ball. The operating rule follows cleanly: never assume a contested scrum. Check the credential and the cover first; otherwise it is uncontested. A contested-scrum drill for a band with no trained front row is not an intensity variant — it is a safety violation.
No weight categories at the FFR
The number everyone looks for — a weight cap — does not exist at the FFR. The federation uses no weight or gabarit (frame) categories. Its protection runs through two other gates: the PJD + front-row authorisation, and, where a player is physically mismatched, a reclassement decided by the DTN and the medical committee. The FFR also forbids “double surclassement” — a player may not be moved up two age categories.
| Point | FFR | Suisse Rugby / FSR | USA Rugby |
|---|---|---|---|
| Youth weight categories | None (credential + reclassement) | None known | Some state unions publish weight charts |
| Double surclassement | Forbidden | — | — |
What it means for your session
The rule is one sentence: a contact drill run on a band a federation classes as “no contact” is a safety violation, not a variant. Concretely, by band:
- u9 (≈ 5-8) — predominantly non-contact. M6 is no contact (“grab / hold”, the educator calls PRIS); M8 is touch + 2 s from September to December, tackle only from January to June. No breakdown, no scrum. Fill the “contact” slot with evasion, handling and touch games (Sharks and Fishes, the sparrowhawk chase).
- u13 (≈ 9-12) — the tackle generalises, one scrum is permitted. Tackle at M10/M12. The first scrum is M12, educational and no-impact (3+2), credential-free; the contested push and the PJD arrive only at M14. Run the educational no-impact scrum; exclude the contested push before M14 / the PJD.
- u17 (≈ 13-16) — the full technical set. Contested scrum (credentialed front row), lifting lineout, contested breakdown, under World Rugby’s Under-19 variation.
What Paak does, and what it does not. Paak plans and records the session for free, and the session sheet prints on Paak One. What Paak does not do is decide the contact gate for you: the gate is a federation rule, not a software setting — which is exactly what this guide puts in black and white, category by category.
Frequently asked
At what age can a child tackle?
Can you scrum with M12 / U12s?
Do you need a credential to play front row?
Are there weight categories in rugby?
Sources
FFR, fiches École de Rugby 2025-2026 (M6/M8/M10/M12/M14) — api.www.ffr.fr (M6/M10/M12 pitch dimensions via the 2024-25 fiche mirror) · FFR, Règles du Jeu — Dispositions Spécifiques FFR, season 2025-2026 (PJD / front-row authorisation, uncontested-scrum rule, sin-bins, minimum players) · World Rugby, Laws of the Game 2026 + Under-19 variation (Law 3.8 front-row cover table; in force 1 July 2026) · Suisse Rugby / FSR (U6-U19 categories, SportLomo platform; contact ages and the Passeport 1ère ligne held at anchor level, to confirm) · USA Rugby (weight charts at state-union level, not fully mapped). Content verified August 2026; the u9/u13/u17/sen bands are a Paak product derivation, published by no federation.
help.rugby.categories-and-contact