Question Number: 18087

Law 15 - Throw In 12/8/2007

RE: Adult

Tom of Kingsport, TN USA asks...

When doing a throw-in, the women sometimes do a sumersault and throw the ball when they are upright. They get better distance throwing the soccer ball when they do the sumersault. Do the rules allow the men to do a sumersault when throwing the ball from the sideline or touchline?

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

What's good for the goose is good for the gander... The so-called flip throw-in or somersault throw is perfectly legal as long as it meets all the criteria for a good throw: 1) from the point where it left the field; 2) both feet on or behind the touchline; 3) both hands on the ball; 4) facing the field and 5) delivered from behind and over the head.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Law 15 asks the thrower to do the five things Ref Maloney lists. It doesn't stipulate what the thrower does on the way to doing the five things. That applies to a female or male footballer.

Getting better distance is a function of the speed the ball is released by the thrower and the angle above the horizontal the thrower directs the ball. If the thrower feels a greater distance is gained by participation in acrobatics then so be it. If it is the case a greater distance is gained one wonders why all professional teams and international teams use acrobatic throws.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

Provided all of the other parts of the law are not infringed.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

You never see any of this stuff at the professional level where the throwers invariably stand still. The speed you get on the ball is going to be dictated by how fast your arms move when it is thrown.