If you are able to train, then you will be aiming to improve your players’ skills and tactical appreciation around specific areas of the game.
If you are in lockdown, it’s a chance to hone your session planning in readiness for your return.
In this planning for post-lockdown training, we are going to look at rebuilding your lineout skills. Specifically, we want to relearn the throw, jump and catch connection.
To enhance learning, you are better off focusing on an “arc” of learning for a specific area. This means spreading out the training over a number of weeks, rather than dedicating one session to this.
Here’s a four-week plan for the core lineout skills but you can split this up into more sections if you want.
Objective: Develop the connection between the throw, jump and catch.
Week one: Catching for everyone.
Week two: Lifting for everyone.
Week three: Throw, jump, catch for everyone.
Week four: Working as threes into a game situation.
Let’s say you dedicate 15 minutes each week to the activities and assuming you have warmed up before the start, you could use a mix of games and drills.
Each session may include all of the skills or tactic from all of the weeks. However, each week focuses on the specific skill/tactic, the reasons why there are important and how the players could improve their own contributions.
The mix depends on the skills of your players. Here are four ideas to help.
Timing between thrower and jumper is a key aspect for winning the lineout. Develop better coordination between jumper and thrower.
Concentrate on the pure jump only, with no lifting, ensuring the ball reaches the hands of the receiver at the top of his jump. MORE
Develop your lineout pods accuracy and execution under pressure by putting them into a small-sided game. Start with the basics and then move into the competition for the ball in the air. MORE
Lifted lineouts require dynamic, synchronised movements. This introductory session starts your lifters on simple exercises and progresses them in a safe environment to improve their technique. MORE
Even the best lineout throws will require some agility on the jumper’s part, as he must reach across to the middle line. So work on their ability to take the ball at all angles and still deliver it cleanly to the 9. MORE
Pressurise opposition lineouts by making their front ball a risky option. You need to combine speed, accuracy and anticipation to read their movements and beat them to the throw. Here’s how… MORE
Use the catch and drive, or the front peel to make the best use of front ball. The front peel is the perfect counter punch to a defence that sets up to defend a catch and drive. MORE
It's easy to think that lineout front ball is only for a catch-and-drive to clear your lines, or to attack their try line from 5m. Yet, it can be used for off-the-top and front peels. But make sure you have the basics in place first. MORE