Question Number: 28625

Law 15 - Throw In 7/29/2014

RE: select College

BRIAN ODODAH MWAI of MOMBASA, KENYA asks...

I refereed a match on our local league, a player threw the ball a long the touch line, the ball wholy curved/enters the field of play on air and finaly went out through the touch line minus touching any player, both teams began fighting for the rethrow, DID I DO wrong by offering a rethrow to the very very player??

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Brian,
You will know for next time, your restart was incorrect!
The ball was correctly thrown in.
Once it entered the field of play by contacting the touchline, the ball is in play. If it left the field of play upon the landing, last touched by the player doing the throw-in, it is a throw in for the opposition from where it exited the field!
!

ON a correctly taken throw in(as in all procedural aspects were met, ball over the head, two hands, feet position etc...), ONLY if the ball had stayed outside the touchlines (never entering the field of play) until it contacted the ground is it a re-throw for the same team!

A good way of imagining the touch line is as a 5 inch wall of water extending straight up forever. If ANY part of the ball can be wet the ball is in play!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Brian
The correct decision was to award a throw in from where the ball left the field of play. Once the ball crossed the plane of the touchline it was in play. It does not have to touch a player or the ground to be in play.
If the ball had not crossed the plane of the line or touched the ground before entering the field of play the throw in would be retaken.
I might add that when I am on my own it is always difficult to determine if the ball did in fact cross the touchline. Unless I'm 100% certain that it did not I always award the throw to the opponent rather than a retake.

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

See Question: 28626