How to throw a Rugby ball

After playing rugby for 6 years I have noticed that most beginners struggle with correctly throwing a rugby ball. They tend to just swing their arms wildly or even attempt to throw the ball with one hand. This Instructable will show you how to properly throw the ball with control and accuracy.

There are several types of passes in rugby but for this Instructable we will learn the most common and the most important of the passes. Usually when throwing the ball you are trying to move the ball fast and accurately across the field. With this Instructable and some practice you should be able to complete a beautiful pass that hits its target. 

Note: In these instructions there are pictures that show both throwing to the left and right. The directions will explain how to throw the ball to the left.

Step 1 Hand placement

Hand placement is one of the key factors in throwing a accurate pass. The positions of your hands will vary slightly due to personal preferences and range of motion from person to person but overall are very similar. 

The first step in determining your hand placement is deciding which way you are going to pass. For people who are right handed, throwing left will be the easiest direction because your dominant hand will be delivering the power. Your other hand, the left hand, will be used to guide the ball.

When throwing the ball to the left your back hand, the right hand, should be placed on the back third of the ball. Your left hand should be placed on the front third of the ball. Notice in the picture how the back hand is on the outside of the ball and the front hand is on the inside. This hand placement allows you to have a firm grip on the ball at all time so that if you are hit just before attempting to pass you will be able to hold onto the ball.