If the ball is out of the line and the opponent isn't there, we can make a quick throw and continue right. But the rule says we can't do that if the opponent's line is formed. So my question is, what is the Definition of " The line is formed " ? How many forwards need to be there before the opponent player can throw throw the ball in???If the ball is out of the line and the opponent isn't there, we can make a quick throw and continue right. But the rule says we can't do that if the opponent's line is formed. So my question is, what is the Definition of " The line is formed " ? How many forwards need to be there before the opponent player can throw throw the ball in???

The lineout is deemed to be "formed" when at least two opposition players are in position -- that is between the five and fifteen metre marks and in line with the player putting the ball back into play. Once those two players are in position the throw must go straight (perpendicular to the touch line) rather that just "towards that player's own goal line", and the option of a quick throw is gone. There are a couple of other restrictions: 1) the quick throw must be taken "immediately", which effectively means that the defender must make a clean catch in touch; 2) the ball cannot have touched a spectator or any barrier separating the spectators from the pitch; 3) the ball cannot have touched any other player other than the thrower, except for an opposing player who actually carried the ball into touch. And in that last situation the opposing layer is pretty darned unlikely to hand you the ball quickly enough for a quick throw. See IRB Law 19 ( ) -- particularly 19.2 (f) and 19.8 (a).