Question Number: 16478

Law 15 - Throw In 8/29/2007

RE: High School

Peter Klemkowsky of Morgantown, West Virginia USA asks...

Recently a player on my daughters high school team did a flip to complete a throw in. The Referees allowed this. I was under the impression that this action was banned by FIFA. What are the rules for conducting this action?

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

How did you get the impression FIFA had banned a flip throw? Sorry, that could not be further from the truth - as long as a throw, including a flip throw, meets the requirements for a legal throw: 1) both feet on or outside the touchline; 2) both hands or any hand you have on the ball; 3) ball must come from behind and over the head; 4) must be thrown from the spot where it went out, or within a yard of that spot; 5) thrower must face the field (face meaning not having your back to the field) - then the throw is legal. It doesn't have to be beautiful, but it does need to be legal. So flip throws are okay, spinning the ball is okay, throwing it long or short, hard or soft are all legal, assuming they meet the criteria above. At any rate, even if FIFA had banned the flip throw, which they have NOT, high school has an entirely different set of rules for their version of the game, and it is definitely allowed in high school. My advice is not to get wound up about throw-ins - it's just a method of restarting play and half the time the other team wins the throw after it comes in anyway.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Ref Maloney explains well though she doesn't state the obvious, the referee allowed it! Right or wrong the referee allowed it so on that match, that day whatever happened was perfectly fine with him. There things end, as far as spectators, coaching staffs and players are concerned.

If a trained instructor or assessor felt the need to ask questions of a referee subsequent to his match about a point concerning a misinterpretation of Law or a mechanic the referee used an error may be found and corrected. An assessor should never attempt to correct a referee's opinion regarding a fact connected with play because the Law gives those opinions to the referee alone.

FIFA have not outlawed a flip throw. Here the referee was correct and there is no need to discuss this with him.

Regards,

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

See Question: 23373