Question Number: 28319

Law 15 - Throw In 4/9/2014

RE: Select Under 11

Mike of Lincoln, NE USA asks...

During a throw in when can you lift your trailing foot? Is it once the ball is released from your hands? Another way of asking...I realize you have to keep both feet on ground during the throw in but at some point you will naturally lift your foot to start running again so can you lift that foot as soon as the ball releases from your hand? I hope this makes sense.
In our league they keep calling it a violation when the boys lift the back foot even after they have released the ball.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Mike,

Once the ball has been released the throw has been complete, so the players are allowed to lift their foot when the ball is released.

What's difficult is when player appear to keep striding/walking as they're taking their throw, which is when their body momentum never stops and they lift the foot as they release the throw. This is often quite borderline, but you'll find that more experienced referees will tend to let these potentially trifling infringements go.

It may be that your players are getting a little too enthusiastic to get back into the game and starting to run while they release the ball. Slowing it down a little may assist.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Mike
Many referees do not like players walking or running while taking throw ins. There is every chance that the foot is raised before the ball is released from the hands. I knew one referee who always penalised this relentlessly unless the players' feet were static on the ground until the ball was well gone. Teams factored this into the TIs when he was officiating.
Now if a player runs up, stops, plants both feet and then his momentum moves him when the ball is gone that is not an incorrectly taken throw in.
I think one of the challenges facing young players is that they don't concentrate in planting both feet or keeping the rear foot low to the ground during and slightly after the throw. It looks like its a raised foot before release if it is not done correctly.
The coaching point is to plant both feet and make a conscious effort to 'freeze' the feet at the point of the TI or if the player want to keep moving forward keep the rear foot dragging and low until the focus of the referee has moved with the ball.
Here is an example
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPdW2vsq3fI&t=1m19s