Winning lineouts

There are three keys to winning any lineout: quick, stable lift; shoulder position; and hands with a wide range of motion. Notice I didn't say height. Any team can get a jumper to maximum height, but only teams that really work on shoulder position and wide ranging hands can consistently win lineouts.

See how the Cal jumper has his hands forming a basket in front of his face, with elbows slightly bent. This allows the jumper to quickly move his hands to where the ball is thrown. If its thrown low, or high or inside he has plenty of motion in his arms to reach the ball.

Also notice the stable base the Cal lifters are providing.



The other key to winning lineouts is shoulder position. It doesn't matter how high you jump, if you are jumping behind your opposition you are almost always at a disadvantage. The key is to have lifters and jumper work in unision to read the opposition and jump in front of the opposition. This is an art and required many repetitions to get right.



Remember good base, wide ranging hands and shoulder position.