Question Number: 26175

Law 15 - Throw In 4/14/2012

RE: Select Under 13

Nathan Roberts of Atlanta, Georgia USA asks...

On a throw in, the player throwing the ball in throws down the line. It bounces twice out of the field of play, then finally crosses the line into the field of play. Once in the field of play, is it live or dead?

In this occurrence, a player picks up the ball.

Handball?

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

While it's not explicitly stated in the laws, the ball can't bounce before entering the field of play.

If the throw is taken, it does not enter the field at all, and bounces completely outside, then it's a retake.

But keep in mind, if any part of the ball, at any moment, swerves above any part of the line, then it's in play.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Nathan
If the ball touches the ground before entering the field of play, the throw-in is
retaken by the same team from the same position provided that it was taken
in line with the correct procedure.
So in your sceanrio as described the ball is not in play and the throw in is retaken.
The only caveat to this is that if any time during the throw, before the ball touches the ground outside the field of play, the ball breaks the plane of the touchline then it is in play and a throw in is awarded to the opponents where the ball left the field of play again.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

If the ball was thrown, and never touches the touchline in the air or on the ground before touching the ground outside of the line, then it was never in play and cannot be a deliberately handled ball if it subsequently enters the field.

Even if the ball had touched the line while in the air and then bounced out, then rolled back into the field, the proper call is to award the throw to the opposing team where it left the field. It was briefly in play and quickly out of play, with no intervening touch by the opponent, so the throw goes to the opponent where it bounced out of play.