Question Number: 28202

Law 15 - Throw In 2/22/2014

RE: Competitive Adult

Tj of Sydney, Nsw Australia asks...

Why do professional players take a throw in from up to 40m from where the ball went out of play

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi TJ
I assume you mean 4 metres rather than 40! The answer lies in the opinion of the referee that the throw in has been taken 'close' to the where the ball left the field of play and no real advantage has ensued. Pro teams rarely complain or protest about the location of TIs when they are taken close to the location. It works both ways so they just see it as a restart and referees allow them to get on with it perhaps sometimes with too much latitude
I know this raises many comment on this 'practise' in the Pro ranks which is rarely dealt with except where say the player crosses the half way line with the ball or in the situation of an obvious advantage of taking a quick throw in from where the ball was retrieved some distance from the location of the TI.
All other times referees are rarely challenged by the players on the field of play so they simply see it as a means of restarting play. Assistant referees do their best to manage the situation also by advising the thrower of the location.
However when for example Premier League teams played Stoke, who used to use the long throw tactic, teams did insist on the proper location due to the obvious benefit and it was then enforced by the referee.
It's more a big deal at junior levels and underage where players see the benefit of gaining yards. Player at that level do complain about it and referees have to manage that accordingly.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi TJ,

Any referee who permits a player to take a throw-in nearly over a third of the field length away from the mark is blatantly doing the wrong thing. Can't say I've ever seen that happen, not to that extent.

The Laws require the throw to be taken where the ball left the field. The laws also allow for trifling infringements - so how far away from the spot is 'trifling'? Well, I don't have a precise answer to that. Like a free kick, consider the field location and the particular scenario.

Bear in mind, though, that taking a throw in behind the mark (eg to go backwards) is just as bad as taking it ahead of the mark. Taking it behind the mark allows the player to be closer to their own players, thus making it easier to throw it to players who are unmarked. Players won't see it that way, of course - but if they weren't getting an advantage from taking it behind the mark they wouldn't do it, would they?

Be proactive when you can - stopping a throw in and repositioning the player is far less controversial than turning the throw to the opponents.

All too often I see, at the higher levels especially, a referee moving a player back 5 yards only for the player to run up as he's taking the throw. Be wary of this.

Generally speaking, I'd be tolerant to within a few metres. Some scenarios I'd be stricter though - such as when the AR clearly indicates to take it on his left and it's taken on the right; it's a clearer breach.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Few referees tolerate the thrower significantly advancing the ball up the touchline. Most will direct the thrower to the correct location, however. More common is the defender who does a throw-in a distance further back than where the ball left the field. At higher levels, this is often ignored as a trifling infringement.