to contest the line-out but to drive onto the catcher as soon as he returns to the ground. Often, when a team is awarded a line-out close to their opponent's goal-line, they will attempt to form a maul around the catcher and drive over the goal-line to score a try. In such cases, the defending team will often seek to disrupt this tactic by driving in on the catcher, taking him to ground immediately, before a maul can form. Tactics Teams usually employ a line-out code, to ensure that all players on that team know what is planned, who the ball will be thrown to, what that player will do with it, and what follow-up play is intended. One player from the throwing team is usually designated to shout the code, and it is particularly important that the thrower should know what the code is, so that he can execute the throw as intended. Quick throw-in A quick throw-in may be taken without waiting for a line-out to be formed. For a quick throw-in to be legal, the ball can not have been touched by any other person (player or non-player), apart from the player taking the throw or the opponent who may have carried the ball into touch and it can only be taken between the point of the ball leaving the field and the thrower's own goal line. If a line-out begins to form before the quick throw-in is taken the throw-in is not permitted. To prevent quick throw-ins, members of the opposing team will often race to the point where the ball went into touch to ensure a line-out is forming. In a quick throw-in the player throwing the ball back into play cannot send the ball forward towards the opponent's goal line, though unlike a line-out the ball may be thrown back in the direction of the player's own goal line. See also Ball back Offside (rugby) Notes References Rugby union terminology