Question Number: 28661

Law 15 - Throw In 8/17/2014

RE: Rec, High School Under 15

Vince Klingler of Moosic, Pennsylvania United States asks...

Situation: one player grabs the ball to make a thow-in and then decides to let another player make the throw-in. I can find no rule that says that the player must drop the ball and let the other player come over and pick it to throw it in. If the player passes the ball to the other player as they are still on the field baskeball style chest pass or underhand, is it a throw-in violation? is there a written rule to this effect?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Sounds more like a referee bot going a bit wonky!
There is no law that prevents one player from tossing the ball to another player to take a throw in for their team. What is remotely possible is a referee COULD see this as a cautionable action in delaying the restart. The exchange of chest passing or under hand tossing the ball to one another is not a reason to find fault, it is SOLEY to do with the delay of the restart being illegal. Once a ball is off the field, the team should know who is going to take the throw rather than several or even two players, all tossing the ball around until the right guy shows up.
This sounds like a pedantic referee using very poor reasoning to get his message across that instead of cautioning I will simply award the throw to the other team because you guys are crummy at it or taking too long!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Vince
The referee has to consider the intent here. If it is clear to the referee and everyone else that the throw, toss, drop of the ball to the team mate for that player to take the throw in then it is just that and nothing more. If however the referee believes that the ball was correctly thrown in using the correct throwing action and that the team mate's action is to 'change' the restart by having it taken again then it is deliberate handling.
A similar decision has to made for say any kicked restart. Was the ball kicked in play from rest with the intention of putting the ball into play or simply knocked to a team mate to take the kick?
Have a look at this video. See incident @ 36 until 1.30. Did the White player kick the ball with the intention of putting it into play to his goalkeeper or was he simply "kicking" it back for the goalkeeper to take the kick. Both the CR and AR decided based on what was presented was that the kick was taken and the goal stood. Perhaps another referee may have decided otherwise.
https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1617905211881