Question Number: 29472

Law 15 - Throw In 6/9/2015

RE: Travel Under 17

Dave Jones of Johnstown, Pennsylvania United States asks...

The ball goes out of touch, last touched by orange. White #8 picks up the ball, to throw it back in. The CR points to a location 10-12 yards further up the field where the throw in is to be taken. White #9 states he will take the throw in. White #8, in a correct throwing motion of returning the ball to play and from behind the touch line throws the ball onto the field and White #9 moving towards the correct throw in point catches the ball.

The coach for Orange shoots loudly that this is a hand ball. The assistant referee on the side of the throw in states the ball was merely being moved to the spot where the CR noted the throw in was to be taken. The Orange coach protests repeatedly and loudly that this was a handball and Orange should have a DFK.

Was the CR (and AR) correct in that no throw in had occurred because the spot of the throw in was being corrected?

Should a foul have been called for handling when White #9 caught the ball after White #8 threw the ball onto the field?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Dave
Its the referees decision not the coach. As described the correct decision is a throw in and the referee crew was correct. . The referee clearly indicated the location for the TI to be taken from and #White 9 indicated that he would take the TI from the correct location.
Take out all those factors and the referee could have called the TI as incorrectly taken or perhaps deliberate handling. If the coach was protesting that it was an incorrectly taken TI it might have some validity although absolutely none for deliberate handling due to the way the situation unfolded. Coach looking for a cheap free kick and being infantile.
Now this question reminded me of how it can work the other way when there are no obvious signs that the restart is not taken. . Have a look at this video with the incident happening at frame 30 and ending at 1.30.
https://www.facebook.com/WinFT/videos/1617905211881/
The free was taken from the correct location, the ball was kicked and put into play. There is no way of knowing if it was a mistake, miskick etc so the goal stood.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Dave,
Obviously the officials had this scoped out and were fine! Bombastic orange coach acting infantile! Given the referee had indicated and spotted the throw and white obliged, much ado about nothing! If there was a case of #8 white ignoring the referee and thinking he was on a legit throw in they would have lost possession .
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

The Orange coach is trying to game the officials. Under those circumstances, no one else believed that the #8 was doing a throw-in. But, I suspect that the white coach will start teaching players to toss the ball underhanded.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Dave,

Common sense applies here. The referee is able to use his judgement to determine whether the restart has taken place or not. A case in point, unless the referee needs to intervene, a team always has the right to a quick free kick. So, if a player repositions the ball with his foot for a free kick in the middle of the field, does that mean he's taken the free kick? Trick plays aside, of course it doesn't - common sense means the referee knows that isn't what has happened.

The actions of the players indicate that no throw was being taken - White 8 was just returning the ball to White 9. The fact that they had been advised of the wrong spot isn't particularly significant; if White 8 had insisted on taking the throw he would lose it. Deliberate Handling isn't possible - the throw-in was never taken correctly, so at most it's an Orange throw from the correct position.

Having said that, White 8 is probably best served not returning the ball in this fashion.