Question Number: 22506

Law 15 - Throw In 11/13/2009

RE: Competitive Under 16

Eric Hoegler of Cape Coral, Florida USA asks...

On a throw-in, if the ball is brought back behind the head, with one arm to each side of the head, but not released directly over the top of the head, is it a legal throw-in? The player is bringing the ball forward at a pretty good angle off to the side. Legal or not?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Referee Hoegler
This is most definitely an illegal throw in that the ball must come over the head not at an angle to the side. Personally I don't see the merit in this unless the player has some particular physical problem which prevents him from doing it correctly?
The only recent change in the law is that instead of stating that the player has to use both hands, the law now states that the player just has to hold the ball with both hands. That means that the dominant hand can now be used provided it comes over the head. One of the tell tale signs of using only one hand was spin. That is no longer illegal.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Ref McHugh correctly notes that the ball cannot be thrown (like a US football forward pass) over one shoulder. Although it must go over the head, the moment of release does not have to be when the ball is directly over the top of the head.

Throw-ins are a way to get the ball into play quickly. Unless there is something about the method of throw that lets the player cheat (e.g., throwing over the side allows the ball to be thrown further or thrown when the player is not facing the field), the infringement may be trifling.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Law 15 is very clear and quite specific when it comes to defining what constitutes a proper throw-in:

Procedure
At the moment of delivering the ball, the thrower:
? faces the field of play
? has part of each foot either on the touch line or on the ground outside the
touch line
? holds the ball with both hands
? delivers the ball from behind and over his head
? delivers the ball from the point where it left the field of play

What you describe is an improper throw-in and a throw-in should be awarded to the opposing team

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

See Question: 22595