Question Number: 23147

Law 15 - Throw In 4/19/2010

RE: Comp Under 19

Phil Wearmouth of Sydney, NSW Australia asks...

This question is a follow up to question 23110

I was always under the impression that the ball must be delivered in the direction the feet and body are facing, and that a rotation from the waist to throw the ball in another direction was a foul throw. Is this true?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Phil
This would not be correct. There is nothing to prevent a player rotating the body at the waist to throw the ball in another direction.
This is what Law 15 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"
So as long as the ball is delivered from behind and over the head the direction of the lower body is irrelevant. Might not be good for the thrower's lower back but that's of no concern to the referee!!

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

There are lots of myths surrounding throw-ins, which is odd. It is a simple maneuver to put the ball into play. 50% of the time the ball goes to the other team, so why folks raise such a fuss about TIs baffles me. The objective is to get the ball back into play as quickly as possible, and it is really hard to mess it up too badly. Referees aren't required to call every little thing that goes wrong - if we did, there would be very little uninterrupted playing time.

There are lots of ugly throws, weak throws, and awkward throws, but simply being ugly, weak or awkward doesn't make them illegal as long as they meet the 5 criteria set forth in Law 15.

The player is supposed to 1) face the field - which is impossible not to do if the 2) ball is going to come from behind and over the head, which it must do. To come from behind and over the head requires the 3) use of both hands, or at least all the hands a player possesses. It doesn't matter which way the thrower faces - the lines are part of the field so even if he is facing the line, he is facing the field. It doesn't matter which way the rest of his body is facing.

4) The player's feet must be on or behind the touchline, and 5) the ball must be thrown in within 3 feet of where it left the field. So simple.

The ball can spin, as long as the ball comes from behind and over the head. Flip throws are legal as long as they meet the five criteria. A ball can be gently bounced off an opponent, and the ball can even be thrown straight down (not too hard). It's always a judgment call for the referee.

Throw-ins which do not break the plane of the outside of the line must be throw again. If the ball touches the ground outside the field before breaking the plane it must be re-thrown. It's simple and uncomplicated.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Nothing wrong with twisting, but it is a common belief. Law 15 only requires the thrower 'face the field' and have both feet on the ground when the ball is released. It is just a way to get the ball back into play quickly.