Question Number: 35186

Law 15 - The Throw In 10/26/2023

RE: School / Competitive Under 15

Gregg Slaff of Pequannock Township, NJ United States asks...

If a team is awarded a throw in and the thrower throws the ball down the line with the ball, staying on the line for a period of 10 to 15 yards and then goes out of bounds. What is the ball ever in play?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Gregg
Thanks for the question.

Once the ball touches the plane of the touchline the ball is deemed to be in play. If the ball then subsequently moves away from the line to go as you say out of bounds a throw in is awarded to the opponents at the point that it left the plane of the line
My good colleague Referee Dawson uses the analogy of a plane of water on the touchline. Once the ball is *wet* on the plane it is on the field of play and once no longer touching the plane it is fully in or out depending on what side of the touchline plane the ball is on.
In you example the ball is *wet* for 10 / 15 yards which makes it in play and then it leaves the field of play. The restart is a throw in to the opponents where it left the plane, the field of play.
It would only be a retake if the ball never touched the plane of the line from the throw in that is it never got *wet* at any time. That does happen yet only when the thrower is back from the line and the throw is clearly not close to the touchline at any point.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Gregg,

The lines form part of the field. If any sliver of the ball is above the line, it's in. In the same way as a ball in play is still in if 99% it out but a sliver is above the line, if the ball is being returned into play then the moment any sliver is above the line, it's in.

So, if the ball travels down the line then swerves back out, it's a throw to the other team where the ball swerved out.

Unless there is an AR or the ref happens to be standing on the line, it can be hard to tell if this occurred, or if the ball stayed out the entire time. As a ref, unless you're sure it went over the line, you'll typically give them the benefit of the doubt and retake the throw.