With regards u13s-u15s how do we acknowledge effective scrummaging. Is it simply the ability to provide forward motion, is it to disrupt your opponent, is it to mentally dominate. The laws pertaining to this age group are clear so there are obvious and sensible limits. With existing laws at the highest level often overlooked how can the poor soul who has been volunteered to ref on a Sunday morning be expected 'to be on top' of the situation at grassroots level.  

I was a 9 or 10 but we build our FR up to be the most important players in the team...... everything starts with them.  At junior rugby a scrum usually happens fairly quickly in the game and if they can dominate the scrum and use their weight strength at the contact areas to good effect it can have a morale draining effect on the opposition.  This gives the backs a lift as well.  Without the forwards the backs have no ball...... We have spent alot of time with the FR making sure they are technically proficient and it has paid dividends.... we have scored endless tries from ball taken against the head and has also got the team out of trouble at defending 5m scrums...... this is always acknowledged by the rest of the team and you should see the smiles on the FR faces when try scoring wingers congratulate them.

We have also taken to playing the centres in the back row and backrow in the centres, we do the same with BR and SR as well.  We are always changing the backs around as well, it gives them an appreciation of what other team members are doing.  We've also played our 1st choice FR at 8, 9 and 10..... it builds their confidence with ball in hand.

I don't think one size fits all as it depends on your players and why they play but a thought...... we always play touch which the "flyers" can be better equipped to play but to balance it we also do a backs against forwards mauling/rucking wrestling session as well just to even it up.  We rarely break into forwards and backs they provide opposition against each other when practicing LO's and back plays. 

I'm not sure how you do it but it's about recognising the strengths/weaknesses of each other within the team environment, if the coaches don't buy into that I don't see how boys can.

At your players age is there a FR player who is confident enough to talk to ref about the things that shouldn't be happening?  As a coach if it gets that bad do you draw attention to it with the ref at an appropriate time?

I suggest you teach your FR to understand when the opposition is engaging in illegal activity.  If they are subjected to cheating, to then inform the team captain, (or forwards captain), who then formally advises the ref of the situation.  In my experience, if the boys use this technique of communication, the ref will very likely judge in favour of your team.  3 straight arm penalties later, any advantage the cheats were trying to get would be nullified.  Cheats never prosper.

So basically it is about teaching what is fair (and what is not), and good communication.  In rugby, just as in life.

If the ref takes no action following the captains comments, then for safety reasons I also think you must bring it to the refs attention.  But again this must be done at a suitable and appropriate time, for example offering a drink to the ref at downtime.

But certainly as young players they may not know the rules, and may not know how to resolve the situation.  In that case, it would be wrong not to try to intervene.  But how do coaches intervene in this situation properly?  IMO yelling at the ref from the sideline is not the way to do it.

On Sunday my boys are playing in a Grand Final, and the rules of the competition strictly forbid me (as coach) to be on the field or to interact with the players or officials.  How then would I resolve this situation under the competition rules?  The answer is to communicate with the team captain using runners, or when replacement players are interchanged.  The communication with the ref MUST occur through the team captain.