Rugby Union: Guide To Lineouts
Let VideoJug show you a great guide to lineout's. Make you rugby lineout's successful by following the example of Esher Rugby Club and improve your overall game.
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The Theory
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When the ball's gone out of play, the line out is basically the way of getting it back in.
The line out needs to have at least two players from each team in it. The team who's throwing in will decide how many people it is – usually it's all the forwards.
Normally the hooker's the guy that throws the ball in. There's a skill to this – it needs to be dead straight or it's not fair.
Normally, the scrum-half will let the hooker know where the ball's going by shouting out a codeword. This is known only to the team, and simply lets the hooker know which player the ball's going to. -
Throwing the ball in
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If you're the thrower, you'll be needing some tips to make sure that ball goes to the right place.
Stand with your legs slightly apart, with your weight on the opposite foot to your throwing arm. Get a good solid grip on the ball, and bring your arms behind your head, bending them fully at the elbow.
Shift your weight forwards, and guide your arms forwards in a nice, smooth motion.
When the time is right, release the ball.
A good tip is to ‘spin' the ball as it's thrown, to give it a good strong targeted direction.
All being well, the ball should sail directly between the two lines of teams, towards the intended player. -
Catching the ball
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Here's where the jumping begins.
Your team should know where the ball's going, and the player who's intended to catch it will leap high into the air, salmon-like.
If you watch, he'll travel almost impossibly high into the sky. Now, it's illegal for the guys in front or behind to lift him, but once the jumper has left the ground it's perfectly valid for him to be ‘supported' by other players from anywhere above the waist, thusly.
Once he's up there, he'll either catch the ball and twist to pass it down to the scrum-half, or he'll simply knock it down.
Of course, it's quite possible for the ball to be intercepted by the opposing team, and stolen away.
Whatever happens, from this point on the ball's back in play and the game can continue.
