Question Number: 23110

Law 15 - Throw In 4/13/2010

RE: Amateur Under 14

Andrew Wilson of Manchester, UK asks...

My son's team played a game last evening and one of the opponents players was a lad whose throw ins all but arrived in the six yard box.

But in taking his throws as he brought the ball forward he ducked his head down (and was effectively looking at the ground at the point of release).

The way I understood the throw in rule I thought this was a foul throw but the referee wasn't interested and I have struggled to find a clear opinion online in terms of throw-in techniques, etc.

Please can someone clarify?

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Law 15 The Throw-In simply requires that the ball be delivered with both hands from behind and over the head, that the ball be thrown from the spot where it left the field, that both feet be on the ground either on or behind the touchline and that the thrower faces the field.

There are lots of myths surrounding the throw-in - that it can't spin (it can), that a flip throw is illegal (it isn't), that the thrower can't do a number of things (looking at the ground is one) but unless the thrower violates one of the 5 items listed above in the first paragraph, the throw might be ugly, might be weak, might be borderline but it is still legal.

Referees are not normally abnormally concerned with the mechanics of the throw-in. It is a simple restart which 50% of the time goes to the other team. As long as nothing flagrant or unfair occurs (an example of unfair would be throwing the ball in from 5 yards/meters off the field or too far from where it went out), most referees will deem any transgressions as minor or trifling and get on with playing the game. More of this is called at younger ages when the players (and often the referees) are still learning, but the more skilled the teams become, the less hassle you will observe regarding throw-ins.

Referees aren't ignoring the Law, just judging what is required under the Law for that game, those players that day.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Andrew
I believe too much is made of what looks like an incorrectly taken throw in. It is after all a simple way of getting the ball back into play. I hear players call 'Foul Throw Ref' on a TI that looks 'different' in the hope of getting an easy turn over in possession. In fact the vast majority of the time they get the ball back immediately anyway by simply challenging for the ball.
Also the reason that you cannot find a clear opinion of a correctly taken throw in is that there is a large element of 'Implicit Knowledge' in the procedure and it depends on the referee's judgment.
Law 15 is very simple and it states
'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.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Looking at the ground is still 'facing the field' for purpose of Law 15. Given the trajectory, it appears that the ball was thrown from behind and over the player's head.

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

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