Question Number: 25225

Law 18 - Common Sense 7/17/2011

RE: Other

Titus van Wieren of Torri di Quartesolo, VI Italy asks...

This question is a follow up to question 25209

Again you wish to be correct but again I look at the advice / guidance of the FIGC and have spoken to many referees here in Italy, ALL WHO HAVE SAID THAT THE GUIDELINES / ADVICE TO THE REFEREE IS THAT IT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A GOAL.

I have also understood through the woodwork that the referee in question admitted he made an error.

As for flip throw ins, well let me quote Mr. Keith Hackett, who is counted amongst the top 100 referees of all time:

Question from rocknotthe
A player taking a throw in runs up to the line and does a forward flip, landing on both feet behind the line and throws the ball a long distance from behind the head and releases it correctly. The defenders stop and complain to the ref and attacking team score. What action does the ref take?

Keith Hackett's answer
This is not in the spirit of the game and I would treat this as unsporting behaviour and caution the player.

Question from BluestarMagic
Also found this addition in the laws so the flip throw would have to be that, a flip, and not a handstand type flip throw that Steve Watson used to do for Villa and Newcastle:
'If the ball touches the ground before entering the field of play, the throw-in shall be retaken by the same team from the same position provided that it was taken in line with the correct procedure. If the throw-in is not taken in line with the correct procedure, it shall be retaken by the opposing team.'

Keith Hackett's answer
The law states that he cannot kneel down or even sit down to take a throw in. I would therefore NOT ALLOW the thrower who does a handstand-type flip throw. This for me is a trick to gain an unfair advantage.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Titus
Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion. As it now stands the advice to referees in Italy has been changed to deal with this type of situation. Again this goal is not unusual and there are other examples of this. The referee decided that this was a goal in this clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oj7V_ZrwH70&feature=fvst
If one was use the 'old' FIGC advice/ruling this goal would also be disallowed. that is no longer teh case and the goal is good.
If any referee decides that a flip throw does not meet the requirements of Law 15 then so be it. BTW I have disagreed with Mr Hackett on many occasions. Whatever about these throw ins being a turnover for being incorrectly taken it is certainly not a caution for unsporting behaviour.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

I would not use Keith Hackett as an authority. As good of a referee as he was, there are enough errors in his newspaper column to indicate that he does not always have a firm grasp of the Laws of the Game, at least when writing about them.

Answer provided by Referee MrRef

We will not publish any more discussion on this issue. The question was answered; the discussion has digressed into argument for argument's sake. This detracts from the purpose of the site. Thank you for writing.

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

See Question: 25237