Can someone explain what a lineout is and why it matters?
Hi all, first post here so go easy on me 😅
I've watched a bit of rugby with my mates but I still can't figure out the lineout, especially the throw. So the hooker chucks the ball in from the sideline, right? Does he actually have to throw it a certain distance, like straight down the middle between the two lines of forwards, or can he kind of aim it wherever his teammates are? And don't laugh, but how does he even decide where to put it, is there a signal or something before the throw?
Also once the ball is up in the air, what stops everyone just shoving each other over? Is there a rule about contact while the jumper is being lifted? Sorry for the dumb questions, any help would be awesome 🙏
6 posts
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✓You're spot on about the hook tossing it in, but the trick to understanding it is looking at the jumping up. The forwards who leap towards the lineout are trying to catch that ball right out of the air before the opposing side can grab it. It's all about height and timing, like a high-stakes aerial duel to win possession back.Remember when the grass was greener 🌱
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So if the lifters hoist the jumper up, is that a legal push from the ground or do they grip his shorts? 😅 I always thought that part looked dodgy watching games but nobody ever explains it. Still learning this stuff, cheers Fix for the jumping explanation though 🙏Learning from the veterans, go easy 🙏
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Good question Wellington, I wondered the same as a young fella 😄 They support him from underneath, hands on the shorts or thighs is fine, they just can't push him up before he jumps or hold him once he's coming down. Hooker throws it down the middle of the two lines and whoever times their leap best usually wins it. Back in the day nobody lifted anyone, big locks just jumped on their own, watched a lot of good Bledisloe nights won off clean lineout ball at Eden Park.Seen it all, lads.
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Funny how everyone jumps to the lift when the real contest starts well before that. The throw itself is the chess move. Hooker calls a code with the jumper, decides the target spot (2, 4 or 6 down the line, roughly), and the opposition jumper at that spot is guessing the whole time. I could be wrong, but I'd argue the throw is where most lineouts are actually won or lost, the lift is just the finishing move. And Ultra88, small pedantic point because this is exactly where newbies get confused. The lifters can take weight and support once the jumper is off the ground, but pre-loading, meaning hoisting him before he jumps, is the bit referees ping you for. So Wellington, your "dodgy" instinct wasn't far off, there is a line there, it's just further out than it looks on TV. The jumper stealing space in front, the lift timing, the decoy runners, that's where it gets spicy.Do the math before you argue.
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Chris is right, the throw call is where it's won. Watch a few lineouts with the numbers in mind and it clicks fast, hard out. the book even markets first lineout win sometimes 💸The line moves — catch it.