Question Number: 12508

Law 15 - Throw In 4/7/2006

RE: competetive Under 14

Mike L of Hutchinson, KS USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 12247

Ok, as a follow up to the 'stepping on the touch line' question....
I know what the rules say about any part of the foot on or behind the touch line is considered a good throw-in, but does it seem odd to anyone else that it would be this way? To say that someone's foot was clearly IN the field of play seems to contradict the rule. Isn't it true that while you are playing a ball in the field play that it stays in play until it passes out past the full width of the touch line? So the touch line IS part of the field of play. So, if that is the case, why would it ever be considered a safe haven for those throwing in? Why instead should it not be that the player has illegally entered the field of play during the throw-in IF HE DOES STEP ON THE TOUCH LINE AT ALL? Seems to me that the rules makers goofed on this one.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

I have to agree with you. The touchline is part of the field so, logically, if the player taking the throw cannot be on the field of play, he should be required to be behind the touchline. But, as you say, that's not the rule so we have to follow it. In the overall scheme of things, it's not that important

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Mike I think a player who jumps into the stands and bats a ball back onto the court before it touches the floor is a bit odd. I think a player, dressed in armor, who is running down the side line then touches it causes play to stop even though he's holding the ball two feet inside the field is more than odd.

Law 15 - The Throw-in defines how the ball is returned to play. I believe it. The Law says part of each foot either off the field on the ground or on the touchline. Seems like it gives the thrower an extra foot or two on his distance, let's go with that...

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Nathan Lacy

Seems an interesting contradiction, doesn't it? The phrase used in Law 1 is "These lines belong to the areas of which they are boundaries." This creates a distincly different perspective than what we typically use with most sports. The way I have come to view the lines is that it all depends on which way things are going; i.e. which way the ball (or the player) is travelling and hence which "area" it is of which the line is a part. If the ball is in the field of play heading out - then the line is part of the field of play. If the ball is out of the field of play heading in then the line is part of the "out of bounds" section. Accordingly, the line is NOT always considered part of the field of play. Hence, the ball is not either into or out of play until it crosses the line TOTALLY in whatever direction it is travelling. What this caused me to do was shift my focus from that 5 inch wide band of paint to the "line" where the paint stops and the turf begins on whichever side of the 5 inch band is of interest at the time. While not specifically addressing your concern I hope that my comments may at least prove useful. All the best,

Answer provided by Referee MrRef

Please see 13313 for additional comments...

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 13313