Question Number: 30514

Law 15 - Throw In 6/16/2016

RE: rec Adult

Ben of Lakeville, Minnesota United States asks...

on a throw in what if the player delivers the ball well behind the touch line? the rule says you must 'delivers the ball from the point where it left the field of play' and 'has part of each foot either on the touch line or on the ground outside the touch line' to me if you are WELL back of the line then it is an illegal throw so award the throw the other way. what say you?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Ben
It all depends on how far back. If it were behind a railing then that is certainly incorrectly taken. If say it was a couple of yards back then I as a referee is going to ignore that in the same way that it will be ignored the same distance either up or down the line.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Ben,
realistically it is supposed to be about a yard or so from where the ball exited to keep the restart location from becoming too much of a factor. The throw in is a restart to get the match moving more than gain a supreme tactical advantage. Not to say a quick throw or a long throw is not advantageous. What we want to stop is the unfair advantage of running far up from the restart location or allow it from so far away it is unexpected location contrary to where the LOTG dictate it must be thrown in from.
A referee should point to the spot and while some leeway can be granted expect both teams to take what you award to the other.
cheers

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Ben,

I agree with you. It may seem pedantic - but delivering it well back from the touch line can have a fairly severe impact upon play. for instance, it could mean that the ball is dropping to the ground a yard or two in front of the line which wouldn't normally be possible - or that the ball enters the field a long way from where it left. Therefore, 'delivers the ball from the point' applies in all directions. We may be a bit more lenient in how far back from the line we'll accept a throw, but the laws do certainly allow the referee to consider it an incorrectly taken throw.

A few years back one of my local fields had a few mounds of dirt, about a yard high, a couple of yards back from the touch line. One cheeky player thought it would be a brilliant idea to stand on top of the dirt to take the throw! Naturally he didn't get away with it.