Question Number: 23012

Law 15 - Throw In 3/26/2010

RE: Rec Under 14

Earl W. King of Charlotte, NC USA asks...

Regarding Law 15, in a recent game one of my son's teamates ran off the field to retrieve a ball that had crossed over the touchline. As he was running back to restart the game with a throw in he made a legal throw in manuever but at the time he was about 5 yards outside of the touchline.
A call was made by the AR and the explaination was that he was too far from the touchline. Was this a correct call?

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

The laws of the game state that the throw in is taken from where the ball left the field of play - if the throw is taken some distance back from the line, then this could certainly be considered a breach of that law.

The refereeing team needs to determine if such an offence is trifling and permit play to continue, or if it constitutes an illegally taken throw in.

In short (and to be a little confusing), while the referee was correct, the next referee may not have a problem with such a throw.

However, consider that the player may have gained an advantage by taking a quick throw from the wrong position in that the throw was taken quicker than it would have been had it been taken from the correct position; while advantage is irrelevant to determine whether a throw-in was legal or illegal, my point is to suggest how something that may appear to be relatively insignificant can still have a surprising effect on play, and the astute referee should be aware of this.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Earl
A tricky one and it is open to interpretation by each referee whether it is trifling or not. In this case the referee and AR decided it was not and they probably went with a retake although a turnover of the TI would be correct in Law. Another referee on another day may not have a problem with it, see it as trifling and allow play to continue.
The Law states and I quote
''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''

If the ball is thrown straight in to the FOP one can argue that it entered where it left the FOP. If it is thrown in five yards back and thrown down the line it has entered, depending on the angle, a significant distance away from where it left the FOP and the point of delivery. That is where the difficulty lies.
A final point can be the reaction of the opponents. I have seen this happen with not as much as a whimper from the opponents probably happy that the thrower can't immediately participate in play. That can have an effect on the referee's decision as he may just go with the players' reaction. I have seen players take throw ins many yards back towards their own goal and the opponents accept that as well even though there may be a significant advantage in terms of space and control of the ball in taking it from the incorrect place. Many referees don't intervene here either when there is no call.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

The throw in should be taken where the ball left the field of play, and this is interpreted as being within a yard or so - - from all directions, including from behind the touchline.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

He didn't make a legal throw-in as it's supposed to take place where the ball went out of play not 5 yards away from that point. Doesn't matter where the thrower was 5 yards away, just that he was.

Now, was this a trifling offense that should have been ignore? I probably would but it's ultimately up to the referee there that day.