Question for Refs regarding the quick lineout rule?

Question

Now I have been told that a quick line out can only be taken providing no-one other than the thrower has touched the ball since it has gone out of play, but often i will see players bundled into touch have the ball wrestled from their grip (mostly by richie mccaw it seems :-) and thrown in quickly. Why do these players who were holding the ball as it goes into touch not count as having touched the ball?

Also, the throw must still be straight, so whyis it that so often the throw is seen to be massively crooked yet play is allowed to continue.

Answer 1

The quick lineout must be taken with the same ball that went out of play, the ball must be touched by only the thrower from the team taking the throw in (though an opposition team member may touch the ball before), the throw must be taken before a lineout has formed and the throw MUST NOT GO FORWARDS, it does NOT have to go straight.

Answer 2

It doesn't matter how the ball has gone out of bounds. As long as it is your teams ball you can throw the ball in to one of your team mates, or you can throw it in and then go pick it up yourself. It must be thrown in at least 5 meaters, and can go in straight or back, not forward. The only time it must be straight is when the ref has called for a proper line out with both teams in the line, either because the ball went too far out of bounds for the person to get to or the opposing teams players are too close to risk a quick throw in as often times there may only be the full back and a fly half from the throw in team near the ball.

There is no opposition on  a quick or single line out so there is no reason to throw it straight. It just can't go forward.

Same applies to Scrums, it must go in the scrum straight, but the scrum half puts a spin on it and lets one side of the ball touch the ground first so it rolls into his hooker. But in seven asides, the ball is going directly to your side in a scrum without opposition so the refs don't call it if it isn't straight.

Answer 3

It is not often that a ball is taken off the player that took the ball out AND actually thrown in.  99% of the time the ball is ripped off them and they set to take a quick throw but it doesn't actually happen  because there are usually opposition players around.  I don't know why they do this when they have no intention of making the throw, I can only guess they are trying to make the opposition player think they have an attacking opportunity and hoping he wont release the ball and be penalised for delaying the game.

It is true that the same ball must be used but I was taught that the ball must not have touched anything (other than the player who took it out if it was carried into touch) that would impede the natural path of the ball.  So a kit bag, spectator, benches, cars or anything like that making contact with the ball would negate the possibility of a quick lineout.

A quick lineout may be taken anywhere between where the ball crossed the line, and the throwing teams goal line but only if the opposition have not got 2 or more players into position where a normal lineout would have taken place.  

The ball must be thrown straight BUT since 99% of quick lineouts come from a kick, the referee and linesmen are almost NEVER in position to see if it is actually thrown straight so they wont make a call on what they "think" may have happened from 30 metres away.

Another reason it is hardly ever called "not straight" is because referee's are encouraged to let the game go as much as possible.  Speaking as a referee myself, I prefer to blow the whistle as little as possible and I see a ton of minor things that could be called in a game but it would destroy the sport as a spectacle.  A quick lineout is almost never contested by the opposition so it's not like the throwing team is getting a big advantage since the "crookedness" is always backwards.  A throw that goes forward would almost certainly be called.

Some referee's take the "free flowing" route a bit far, some do not let much go at all.  As any athlete in any sport where there are judgement calls to be made, all anyone wants is consistancy and when it comes to the minor fault of a crooked quick lineout, I think they are pretty consistant in letting it go and thats a good thing.

Answer 4

Quick throw in rules in Rugby Union are contained in Rule 19.2 of the laws.

In Summary:

a) a quick throw in can occur.

b) must be taken from outside of field between where ball went into touch and players goal line.

c) cannot take quick throw in if a lineout has been formed

d) Same ball must be used and only thrower allowed to touch the ball prior to throw in.

e) throw must be straight and must go 5 metres

f) you can leave line of touch at quick throw in

g) & h) some rules governing opposition players.

Full quick lineout rules at

http://www.irb.com/mm/Document/LawsRegs/...

Law 19.2 h) governs the situation described above where a player goes into touch.  That rule states that "If a player carrying the ball is forced into touch, that player must release the ball to an opposition player so that there can be a quick throw in."

Seems McCaw is well within his rights to wrestle it free.

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