Lineouts Difficult to Master

If you are coaching a club or school team and you are up in the 90% area of success for lineouts then you need to let the other coaches in your organisation know what your secret is. The mastery of lineouts is complex and requires a variety of skills and understanding which must then be coordinated by the whole unit if there is to be a consistency of success.

Having had a quick look at the first half of the New Zealand Under 20's versus the South African Under 20's recently played in the Junior World Cup pool game there were 14 lineouts altogether of which five were lost by the team throwing the ball in (35% of ball lost), and which meant that there was a lineout every three minutes.

So, the first question you need to ask yourself is whether or not you are devoting sufficient time to practicing lineouts and the associated skills. If there is a lineout every three minutes then there is a great deal happening based on how good your lineout play is, and in fact lineouts are a tool that can dictate your tactics at any time in the game or to develop an overall concept of your game plan.

Driving lineouts can create pressure on the opposition forwards and create opportunities to attack in close or kick attack once their backs have come up. OTT Ball (ball directed from the top of the jump) creates space for the backs and creates a momentum to run on to the ball. Short lineouts allow the attack to threaten in midfield and work plays from the phase ball. A variety is good but having a 'go to' under pressure and a key plan for your attack is the basic requirement.

There are three major components that need to be working. The correct call in a certain area of the field, dependent upon your game plan and the opposition defensive structure is the biggie, with your 'caller' deciding what your formation will be and what your team is trying to achieve based on your game concepts. This will be reinforced at training sessions, but 'callers' need to be able to adjust on the run and the learning process needs to be guided with the coaches input and if possible some video footage. If you have a 'caller' who can read the weak areas in the opposition lineout and make the best call in the right situation, then don't let him go!

Once the call has been made the key aspect is the coordination between the hooker and the jumping group. Three of the five missed lineouts in this game were bad throws from the hooker (although one looked like a poor lift) whilst the other two misses had the jumping group competing under pressure and losing the ball. Obviously wrong calls by the 'caller'.

So how do you get your thrower feeling confident? Lots of positive input is a start. Plenty of skill practice and practicing with his jumpers is another. Putting him under pressure with opposed trainings is another. Of course nothing matches game day experience and a 'caller' who is making life easier for him.

Make sure the thrower gets to the ball quickly, is ready to throw straight away, and has a couple of varieties at least in his repertoire.  The success of a thrower is also dependent upon the confidence he has in the rest of the unit, which leads to the third component.

The technical aspects and coordination of the roles by the lifting/jumping group and in many cases the decoying individuals, as well as the understanding of what they are trying to achieve needs to be practiced relentlessly.

There were several weak lineout attempts in this half of rugby indicated by passive lifts which were slow in getting the jumper up and the lifters not aggressive in taking up the space immediately on the body of the jumper. This aspect, plus the jumping player not reaching forward with his arms but reaching straight up allowed the opposition to get a hand on the ball from behind and to bump the receiver to slightly knock him off balance.

There are many little characteristics of lineout play that need to be studied to ensure you as the coach can offer good tips and advice. Watch and record games and break down the lineout play.

Just studying a couple of lineouts for a period of time will give you some food for thought. (There will be much information you can study on how the jumper remains strong in his jump; where the lifters place their arms and in what position they should start and end; what the role is in each lift, and so on)

Of course with the Junior All Blacks on the receiving end of a bad result in this game the coaches will have time to make a plan and sort out some deficiencies for the semifinal playoff against the same opposition. Just what happens in this game will be worth watching.

What have they changed technically and tactically in the lineouts and have they got it right? What would you have done?

Questions to ponder when watching this game or your next game might include:How quickly is the ball in the hookers hands? Is the attacking team organized before the defenders and ready to go?  Does the length of time it takes to get the ball in have a bearing on the outcome?

Is the player making the calls making the correct call based on the result? Does he make them on the way to the lineout or is he waiting to see how the opposition set up? Which would be best for your team? What varieties are being used? What is the reason for each variation? How are they grouping and spacing in each lineout? Why do you think they are doing this?   Could you add one of the successful variations to your game? What are the movements of each player? Not only major movements but little fakes and eye indicators? Are the decoys effective?  Could you introduce a couple of these?

Analyze similar lineouts that are successful and unsuccessful. Why did one work and the other one didn't? Are the lifters being aggressive and strong? Is the jumper being aggressive and strong?  Is the throw too difficult?

Build up a picture of what might work with your team and make a plan.