Question Number: 19253

Law 15 - Throw In 6/2/2008

Ryan Edwin of Hackney, england asks...

can advantage or should advantage be played on faulty throw-ins?

ie. thrower lifts foot but the ball is intercepted by opponent and has oppurtunity to score

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Throw-ins are either good, incorrectly done or just plain ugly. To play advantage from a restart that was incorrectly accomplished and therefore not done is not understanding the ball is not in play.

If the referee saw the ball leave the thrower's hands and then a foot came up the restart happened, the throw-in is good it just looks ugly. Play should continue. If the throw-in is incorrect so as the restart never took place play cannot continue because it hasn't started.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Ugly is not illegal. Poor mechanics do not an illegal (faulty) throw-in necessarily make - one judges at the moment the ball is thrown if the requisite criteria are met, not before or after. While I understand the intent of your question - basically, isn't it a trifling matter if the other side gets the ball when one side can't manage proper form - I would remind you it is always the referee's opinion on what is legal or illegal, trifling or not, that matters. The referee is a match condition like the state of the weather and the fitness of the teams - some will see it one way and some the other, and both can be and usually are right.