Why Most Young Rugby Players Struggle With Decision Making (And How to Fix It)

If you’ve ever watched a youth rugby match and thought:

“Why did they run into contact?”“Why didn’t they pass earlier?”“Why do they panic as soon as pressure comes on?”

You’re not alone.

Decision making is one of the biggest limiting factors in young rugby players — and it’s also one of the least understood.

The truth is, most kids aren’t making bad decisions.

They’re making decisions with limited time, limited information, and a nervous system that hasn’t fully developed yet.

The good news? Decision making can be trained — but not in the way most people think.

What Decision Making in Rugby Actually Is

Decision making isn’t about being clever.

It’s about the ability to:

• Perceive what’s happening around you

• Process that information quickly

• Execute the right skill under pressure

All within a couple of seconds.

In youth rugby, this process is heavily influenced by:

• Physical ability

• Skill competence

• Confidence

• Fatigue

• Experience

If any one of those is lacking, decision making breaks down.

Why Most Young Players Struggle

1. They’re Thinking Instead of Reacting

Young players are often overloaded with instructions:

• “Pass it!”

• “Carry hard!”

• “Recycle!”

• “Get width!”

When kids are trying to remember what to do, they struggle to see what’s actually happening.

Good decision making is largely automatic — and that only comes from the right type of practice.

2. Skills Break Down Under Pressure

A player might look great passing in a warm-up.

But add defenders, fatigue, noise, and contact… and suddenly everything falls apart.

That’s because decision making and skill execution are linked.

If a child doesn’t trust their ability to pass, step, or carry effectively, they’ll default to the safest option — usually running straight or freezing.

3. Poor Physical Preparation

This one is massively underestimated.

When a player is:

• Slow to accelerate

• Lacking strength in contact

• Poorly coordinated

• Fatigued easily

Their brain has less time to make decisions.

Better athletes create more time and space — which immediately improves decision making.

4. Too Much Drill-Based Training

Repetitive, unopposed drills look tidy.

But they don’t reflect the chaos of a real game.

If kids only ever practise skills in perfect conditions, they won’t cope when things become messy — which is exactly what rugby is.

How Decision Making Actually Improves

A huge part of improving decision making doesn’t sit with the child.

It sits with the coach and the training environment they create.

Young players can only learn to make better decisions if training regularly puts them in situations where decisions are required — and gives them the space to work those decisions out for themselves.

1. Build Better Athletes First

Athletic development plays a huge role in decision making.

Stronger, faster, more coordinated players:

• See options earlier

• Stay balanced under pressure

• Execute skills more reliably

When movement improves, thinking improves.

2. Develop Skills Under Pressure

This is where coaching design really matters.

Skills need to be trained:

• With defenders

• Under time pressure

• While fatigued

• In game-like scenarios

But crucially, players must be allowed to find solutions themselves.

Well-designed games and isolated blocks put players into repeat decision-making situations without constant instruction.

The coach’s job isn’t to give answers — it’s to create the problem and let the player solve it.

Skills need to be trained:

• With defenders

• Under time pressure

• While fatigued

• In game-like scenarios

This doesn’t mean chaos for the sake of it — it means appropriate challenge.

3. Use Constraints, Not Instructions

Great coaches don’t shout decisions — they design environments.

Instead of constantly telling kids what to do, effective coaching uses constraints-based games and isolated block training.

Examples include:

• Reducing or increasing space

• Creating numbers advantages or disadvantages

• Limiting time, touches, or passes

• Altering start positions or angles

These constraints force players to scan, adapt, and decide — without being spoon-fed solutions.

This approach accelerates learning and builds confident, adaptable rugby players rather than rigid, instruction-dependent ones.

Instead of constantly telling kids what decision to make, good coaching changes the environment.

Examples:

• Reduce space

• Add numbers advantages or disadvantages

• Limit passes or time

• Change starting positions

This forces players to see solutions rather than be told them.

4. Encourage Learning, Not Fear

Kids who are afraid of making mistakes stop making decisions.

A learning-focused environment encourages:

• Trying options

• Problem solving

• Confidence under pressure

Mistakes aren’t failure — they’re feedback.

What Parents Can Look For in Good Coaching

If you want to support your child’s decision making, look for programmes that:

• Prioritise athletic development

• Train skills in realistic game scenarios

• Encourage thinking players, not robots

• Value long-term development over short-term wins

Shouting instructions from the sideline rarely helps.

The right training environment does.

Final Thoughts

Decision making in rugby isn’t a talent you’re born with.

It’s a skill that develops through:

• Better movement

• Better preparation

• Better coaching environments

When we stop asking kids to think harder and start helping them move and play better, decision making takes care of itself.

At Junior Sports Academy, we develop intelligent, confident rugby players by building athletic foundations and training decision making the way the game actually demands.