I recently saw this great clip featuring French player Francois Trinh-Duc’s doubly-clever move to set up a try for his team mates. What’s on play here is a sound knowledge of the laws of the game not just by Trinh-Duc, but by his team mates as well.
1. The player in white kicks the ball out ‘on the full’, meaning that the lineout will go to the blue team back from a line where the ball was kicked because the player doing the kicking was in front of his 22m line. (This also is true if the ball kicked was passed back to a player inside the 22m by someone outside of it.)
2. To ensure this happens, as it’s probably unclear to Trinh-Duc if the ball is truly going to go out, he straddles the touch line BEFORE making his catch. Simply put, he did not carry or knock the ball out. By having at least one foot in touch when he caught the ball, he was already out, and as such made the ball that was kicked by his opponent out.
There are a lot of situations like this that can be very confusing even to veterans of the game, largely because we rarely see them. There’s a great document from Australia that outlines pretty much every possibility, including both feet in, one in and one out, and while jumping in the air. It can be found by clicking THIS LINK.
3. Knowing that a quick throw is possible before the lineout is set, Trinh-Duc runs forward to where the assistant ref marks the spot that the lineout will occur. Up until this season, the quick throw could only take place from the spot the ball crossed the touchline or further back toward one’s own goal line. This year, as can be seen in this video, the quick throw can take place at the ‘line of touch’ – or where the lineout will occur when kicked out on the full. Explanations and further examples from the IRB Laws site can be found HERE and HERE.
4. He makes a quick throw – which must go 5m – to a team mate, who sets up another for the score. Trinh-Duc could have taken the quick throw from where the ball went out. But knowing that it’s now possible to take the throw from where the lineout will occur, he took the opportunity to run it forward and gain some free metres (as well as get behind most of the opposing players who’d chased the kick). This can be a bit confusing if you’re new to quick throw-ins, but the new Law trial actually makes more sense than the way it was before because the options then were take a quick throw down field or wait and have a proper lineout upfield. Now players have the option of making a quick throw anywhere from where the lineout should occur all the way back to one’s own goal line.
This is entirely possible at any level, but players wanting to make a quick throw must use the same ball and it has to be taken by the person who fetches the ball (not chucked to someone else who takes the quick throw). Catching the ball cleanly before this happens makes setting up quick throws that much easier. Hopefully refs at your level are aware of these things as well!
Hey there. I’m wondering where you’re finding the idea that a quick throw-in cannot be taken if the ball has left the playing enclosure (stated in passing at the end of this post). I cannot find this in the law, though most referees in my area seem to take that limit as truth, as well.
In my opinion, I see no reason to deny a player the opportunity to throw-in quick just because the ball rolled under an enclosure rope. However, I’m obviously going to enforce what is in law – can you point me in the right direction for clarity on this one?
Thanks,
Ashley
Hi, Ashley. Thanks for the comment and – apparently – the correction! I’m also from Ontario and have had this impression for a while too from the people who ref our games (possibly even from the Level 1 reffing course I took). I had a look in both the most recent and the 2011 Law books and asked some friends who are higher refs than me, and there seems to be no reference to it in the Law book. The only sticking point is Law 19.2 (d) which states … “For a quick throw-in, the player must use the ball that went into touch. A quick throw-in is not permitted if another person has touched the ball apart from the player throwing it in and an opponent who carried it into touch. The same team throws into the lineout.”
I guess we don’t see it often as there isn’t usually enough time after a ball has travelled that far? In that case, if you’re a new ref, then you have to deal with coaches like me who might have misguided impressions (I won’t now, though! … should do a post on Law myths, like “He’s got to let him up!” or “They can’t take two quick taps!”). Referring coaches to specific places in the book is a way I choose to ‘educate’ them when I’m getting ‘feedback’ from the touchline. 😉
Thanks again … I’ll do an edit!
Hey, thanks for getting back to me! (By the way, I’m from Nova Scotia – I just look like I’m from Ontario if you saw my email address)
No problem! I get some positive comments on here, so want to answer and do right for the community.
Hi can one team set there lineout and throw the ball in if the other team is not ready? Some teams slow the game down by walking very slowly to the line out.
Cheers Graeme
I guess if it’s not a quick throw scenario (if, say, the ball was touched by a spectator so a quick throw isn’t allowed), you do have to give the other team a chance to also set their lineout. That said, Law 19.8 d) states: “When the ball is in touch, every player who approaches the line of touch is presumed to do so to form a lineout. Players who approach the line of touch must do so without delay. Players of either team must not leave the lineout once they have taken up a position in the lineout until the lineout has ended. Sanction: Free Kick on the 15-metre line.” So a polite word with the referee might either encourage them to speed up or you might just get a free kick out of it.
Thanks. So if say 3 players from the one side form a line out and the ball is thrown in is it play on and can the players from the opposition side tackle them from an offside position.
Cheers Graeme
Technically, you need at least two players from each side to form a lineout. If you have at least two of your team, and it’s your throw, and the other team hasn’t arrived, you can throw it in and play-on. There is a small list of restrictions on that, though, mostly having to do with the ball. If one of those conditions occurred – such as the ball being touched by someone in the crowd – a quick throw cannot take place and you have to let a traditional lineout form. Like I said before, if they’re deliberately delaying they can be ‘penalised’ and a free kick could be given to your team. The law surrounding touch and lineout is very clearly explained with diagrams and videos here: http://laws.worldrugby.org/?law=19&language=EN Hope that helps!
Hi Rob
I was at a referees coaching clinic last year and was informed that if an opposition kicks the ball directly out outside his 22m, you cannot do a quick lineout if you’re running forward from where the ball was kicked , is this still the case….hoping to hear from you- Ghaliep Cedrass Cape Town South Africa
Hi. Sorry to say, I’ve not heard that. I’d think that it’s possible, in theory, but in practice I’d imagine that the opposition would already have two people on hand to form a lineout and prevent a quick throw. I can’t think of why it wouldn’t be allowed? You could search / ask on the Rugby Refs forum. They’re quite knowledgeable there.
Can u pass to yourself from a quick lineout? Like chuck it in the air backwards and catch it yourself? Or do u have to pass to another player?
You absolutely can pass to yourself! The ball has to travel 5m and be flat or backwards. When you do see this, the player usually throws it in the air and 5m, and runs in to catch it. One time, I did see someone toss it so it hit the ground, but then you’d have to deal with a bouncing ball/pick-up.