Set Piece Skills drill
Lineout Pod Movement
Disguise where the ball is going by making every pod look live.
- Time
- 20 minutes
- Players
- 5 to 10 players
- Intensity
- Medium
- Equipment
- Ball, cones
- Space
- 15m x 15m
- Positions
- Hookers, locks, back row, halfbacks
Setup
Cones on the 5m and 15m lines 15m apart, two three-man pods plus a thrower and a receiver. Five to eight players.
How to run it
- A caller nominates front, middle or back and the pods shuffle, with one pod loading as a decoy while the live pod goes up.
- The whole point is that everybody moves so the decoy is indistinguishable from the real jump - if the decoy stands still, you have told the opposition everything.
- The lift begins as the ball leaves the thrower's hands and nobody may leave the ground before that.
- Do 8-10 calls per set across 3 sets, then add a defensive pod reading your movement, and progress to opposed three against three.
Coaching cues
- Everybody moves - the decoy must look identical
- Lift starts as the ball leaves the hands, never before
- Set within 30 seconds of the mark
Common mistakes
- The pod movement telegraphed by a ball-side foot moving first
- The hooker throwing to the call rather than to what is actually open
Session plans that use this drill
Related drills
- Solo Scrum Body PositionBuild the individual scrum body position safely, with nobody opposite you.
- Brake Foot RehearsalGroove the hooker's brake foot sequence for the scrum engagement.
- Front Row Binding UnitBuild a connected front row that carries its own weight, with no opposition at all.
- Partner Throw to TargetGive a hooker a live receiving target at real lineout heights and distances.
- Post ThrowBuild lineout throwing accuracy against a fixed target you cannot argue with.
- Wall Throw Grip and ReleaseBuild the lineout throw at every realistic distance against a wall target, alone.