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Law #15		Law #15 Extra
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The Throw-In

A throw-in is a method of restarting play.

A goal cannot be scored directly from a throw-in.

A throw-in is awarded:

- When the whole of the ball passes over the touch line, either on the ground or in the air from the point where it crossed the touch line to the opponents of the player who last touched the ball

Procedure

At the moment of delivering the ball, the thrower:

- Faces the field of play
- Has part of each foot either on the touch
- Line or on the ground outside the touch line
- Uses both hands
- Delivers the ball from behind and over his head

The thrower may not touch the ball again until it has touched another player:

- The ball is in play immediately it enters the field of play.

Infringements/Sanctions

Throw-in taken by a player other than the goalkeeper If, after the ball is in play, the thrower touches the ball a second time (except with his hands) before it has touched another player:

- An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team, the kick to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred

If, after the ball is in play, the thrower deliberately handles the ball before it has touched another player:

- A direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team, the kick to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred
- A penalty kick is awarded if the infringement occurred inside the thrower's penalty area

Throw-in taken by the goalkeeper If, after the ball is in play, the goalkeeper touches the ball a second time (except with his hands), before it has touched another player:

- An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team, the kick to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred

If, after the ball is in play, the goalkeeper deliberately handles the ball before it has touched another player:

- A direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team if the infringement occurred outside the goalkeeper's penalty area, the kick to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred
- An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if the infringement occurred inside the goalkeeper's penalty area, the kick to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred

If an opponent unfairly distracts or impedes the thrower:

- He is cautioned for unsporting behavior and shown the yellow card

For any other infringement of this Law:

- The throw-in is taken by a player of the opposing team

To recognize a correct throw-in and how to deal with any infringements.

1. The Throw-In: 2. The Procedure: 3. Action required by Referee/ Assistant Referee: 4. Infringements: 5. Throw-in taken by other than the Goalkeeper: 6. Throw-in taken by the Goalkeeper: 7. General data: 8. Referee's Position During Throw-ins: 9. Questions & Answers:

1. The Throw-In:

(Is a method of restarting play).

Is awarded when the WHOLE of the ball crosses the touchline, on the ground or in the air.

Is awarded to the opponents of the player who last touched the ball before it crossed the touchline.

Ball is in play as soon as it crosses the touchline and comes back into the Field of Play.

2. The Procedure:

The ball must be thrown from the point where it crossed the line.

The thrower should ideally be no more than 1 yard back from the touchline.

The thrower must face the field of play.

The thrower must use two hands in a continuous motion. Beware the thrower using the strength of one arm/hand to propel the ball, this is illegal. The ball must not be dropped.

Part of each foot must be on the touchline or on the ground outside the touchline.

The thrower must deliver the ball from behind and over their head in a continuous motion. This does not mean that the ball must leave the hands from an overhead position. A natural throwing movement starting from behind and over the head will usually result in the ball leaving the hands when they are in front of the vertical plane of the body. The throwing movement must be continued to the point of release.
(Source England Football Association Memorandum)

Referees very often penalize a thrower, if the ball is released in front of the vertical plane of the thrower's body, but this is still a legal throw - so long as the arm movement is continuous before the ball is released. And the ball was delivered from behind and over the thrower's head.

3. Action required by Referee/ Assistant Referee:

When the ball goes out of play for a throw-in, the Assistant Referee and/or the Referee should indicate the direction of the throw-in. If you are not sure of the direction to award the throw-in, you can consider giving it to the defending team.

IF IN DOUBT WHICH WAY TO GIVE A THROW IN - BE VERY POSITIVE AN JUST DECIDE A DIRECTION

...........BE STRONG AND ADAMANT

THIS IS PROBABLY THE BEST BIT OF ADVICE YOU WILL GET ON THROW-INS.

PLAYERS CAN GET VERY IRATE AT WEAK REFEREE THROW-IN DECISIONS

8. Referee's Position During Throw-Ins

Figures 1 and 2 below show the optimum position for a Referee to stand (alongside, or near to his Referee's diagonal - RD) during the taking of throw-ins.

An attacking team taking a throw-in, within their opponents’ half of the field of play, already has possession of the ball, and is more likely to retain it, than losing possession to the defending team. Therefore, during the taking of a throw-in by the attacking team (in the attacking - shaded - half of the field of play) the Referee should try and position himself so that he has a panoramic view of the play action (the area where the thrower is standing, and the anticipated area that the ball will be thrown into) between himself and his Assistant Referee. The Referee should put more onuses on anticipating a successful attacking move. An attacking move in this area of the field of play can develop quickly, so the Referee needs to ensure that he is in such a position to allow himself a good view of the anticipated attacking play area. The Referee can do this by standing slightly nearer to the halfway line than the thrower - thus keeping the play action between himself and his Assistant Referee. The only exception to this, is when the attacking team throw-in is being taken very near the defending team's corner flag at the end of the Referee's diagonal  - the optimum position for the Referee here, is alongside the goal line . This allows the Referee to have an unobstructed view of the goal area and the play action areas. Referees will need to sprint to this position quickly before a throw-in is taken. This can sometimes be difficult for the Referee to achieve in a fast flowing game. If the Referee is unable to reach this corner flag/goal line position before the throw-in is taken - he should position himself.

A defensive team taking a throw-in, within their own half of the field of play, already has possession of the ball, and is more likely to retain it, than losing possession to the attacking team. Therefore, the Referee should put more onuses on anticipating a successful defensive move. A defending move in this area of the field of play can develop quickly, so the Referee needs to ensure that he is in such a position to allow himself a good view of the anticipated defensive play area, and to be able to move quickly into the other half of the field of play as play develops. The Referee can do this by standing slightly nearer to the halfway line than the defending team's thrower - thus keeping the play action between himself and his Assistant Referee. This allows the Referee to have an unobstructed view of all the play action areas. The Referee would not be expected to position himself near the corner flag or on the goal line when a throw-in is taken by the defensive team in their own half of the field of play by the corner flags.

Although the Referee should aim to keep as near to his diagonal as possible, he can deviate from his diagonal, to lessen the distance between himself and the thrower, especially if he anticipates any trouble areas between players. The Referee will also very often move away from his diagonal and towards the thrower, when the throw-in is taken near the opposite corner flag to his diagonal in both halves of the field of play.

Before an attacking team takes a throw-in at the halfway line, the Referee who should be positioned on or near the halfway line should always look over towards his Assistant Referee (the one who is looking out for the attacking team offside) and locate his position. This locating of the Assistant Referee allows the Referee a fraction of a second, in knowing exactly where to look to identify if an offside flag quickly follows the play action after a throw-in has been taken. It also develops the Referee/Assistant Referees' eye contact team bonding building spirit, and lets the Assistant Referee know "that the Referee is aware of, and is acknowledging and encouraging his team's participation".

When Club Linesmen are involved, the Referee will normally need to take full responsibility for conducting throw-ins taken in all the field of play areas.

Anticipating play action following a throw-in will enable the Referee to adjust his position and lessen the distance he has to run to catch up with the following throw-in play action. Each game is different, and each player is capable of differing standards - so the Referee will need to adjust his position according to a number of differing factors in every game. The details below enable Referees (new Referees in particular) to understand the importance of positioning during a game. It can be very frustrating for new Referees when they see experienced Referee colleagues almost strolling around during a match - whilst they themselves seem to have to sprint to all their positions during their early games. It's all down to anticipation and correct positioning - and of course experience.

Questions and Answers:

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Questions and Answers:

Question 1: Following a challenge for the ball between an attacker and a defender near the touchline, the ball was seen to squirm off the players and deflects over the touchline and out of play. It looked as though both of the players were taking a kick at the ball at the same time whilst making the challenge, and at first, it appears as though the defender may have made the last contact with the ball a fraction of a second after the attacker, but from a distance it looked as though they both made contact with the ball at the same time, causing it to deflect over the touchline. It can sometimes be impossible to decide which way to award a throw-in - especially when there are a number of players around the ball, and it is touched quickly in succession by a number of players before crossing the touchline. Is there any advice you can give in such situations? .

Answer 1: It all depends on the Referees perception, and (for want of a better term) his Default Automatic Method Navigator (D.A.M.N.) because you're damned if you do, and you're damned if you don't!). The same applies to free kicks and corner/goal kicks. These unclear types of decisions are probably the easiest to make, even though they are the most difficult to make. This may seem like a contradiction - but let me explain. Firstly, the Referee must recognize that there will be many times during each match, when it is impossible to make the correct decision. This is due to a number of factors. The speed of play, the distance between the incident and the Referee, the fitness of the Referee, whether there are players in the Referee's line of sight, the shielding of the ball by the players' - and dare I say it "the Referee's eyesight"!

In unclear decision situations of this type, the Referee can give the decision to the attacking team or he can give it to the defending team. Some Referees automatically give 'unsure' decisions to the defending team - this is how it has been done historically in the past. Some modern Referees give 'unsure' decisions to the attacking team, thus embodying a modern movement to give the attacking team the advantage, therefore increasing the chances of a goal being scored - which in turn will increase the enjoyment of the spectators.

Example: (a), during an offside situation, if a Referee or an Assistant Referee is unsure whether an attacker is level or not with the second last defender, then the benefit of the doubt normally goes to the attacker - and play is allowed to continue.

Example: (b), when a ball is deflected over the touchline and the Referee does not know which side to award the throw-in to, it is normally given to the defending team.)

New Referees are advised to chose one of the two D.A.M.N. methods to use when being unsure of which way to give a decision (give it to the defending team? or give it to the attacking team? - but be consistent). Of course, the above advice also applies (more so) to the Assistant Referee.

So the answer to the question above is?..... There is no answer; it's up to you the Referee!  

The Referee should not 'lose any sleep' worrying about whether he has made the correct decision or not during a game. Even if the Referee (or Assistant Referee) makes the wrong decision - it is the right decision as far as the match is concerned, because he is the only one responsible (some decisions you win and some you lose). Match incidents happen in split seconds, and Referees' have to make instant decisions and continue onwards with the game. If a Referee shows any weakness or uncertainty when making delayed or unsure decisions, the players, the crowd and the team officials will certainly make the most of it! Be firm and positive and accept that you will make genuine honest mistakes - but accept that they are not made by you (the Referee) on purpose.

Question 2: If during a match the ball goes out of play over the touchline in the air and is then blown back into the field of play before touching the ground is the ball still in play?

Answer 2: No. The touchline extends in an upward plane into the air. If the whole ball crosses this upward plane it is out of play. If the ball is subsequently blown back, a throw in should be awarded against the team who last touched the ball. The throw-in should be taken on the touchline, from the point that the ball crossed the upward plane of the touchline. Referees should not be too particular about the throw-in being taken on the exact blade of grass where the ball went out of play - so long as an honest attempt at estimating the spot is made.

Question 3: What is the correct procedure for taking a throw-in?

Answer 3: When the ball is delivered (released) by the thrower, he should be facing the field of play - this normally means that he also faces the direction in which he is going to throw the ball. He must have part of each foot either on the touchline, or on the ground outside of the touchline. The thrower is allowed to have a part of his feet inside the field of play, so long as part of both feet are either touching the touchline or outside of it. For example: if a thrower has both heels on the touchline, and his toes extend into the field of play, then this is OK, and the throw-in should be allowed to take place. Both feet must be on the ground as the thrower delivers the ball from his hands. He must use both hands with "equal force". The thrower must deliver the ball from behind and over their head in a continuous motion. This does not mean that the ball must leave the hands from an overhead position. A natural throwing movement starting from behind and over the head will usually result in the ball leaving the hands when they are in front of the vertical plane of the body. The throwing movement must be continued to the point of release.

Referees very often penalize a thrower, if the ball is released in front of the vertical plane of the thrower's body, but this is still a legal throw - so long as the arm movement is continuous before the ball is released. And the ball was delivered from behind and over the thrower's head.

The sketch below has been used to depict a correct throw-in FA Booklets for the last 50+ years.

If the ball is 'dropped' without the hands first having passed over the top of the thrower's head, then this is a foul throw. If this happens, play should be stopped and the throw awarded to the opposing team. Law 15 states that the ball must be released from behind and over the thrower's head. A natural throwing movement starting from behind and over the head will usually result in the ball being released when the hands are in front of the vertical plane of the body - just in front of the forehead - this is OK

Referees are advised not to be too 'fussy' about whether throw-ins have been taken 100% correctly. By all means, penalize any obvious infringements - but constantly blowing for foul throws is one of the quickest ways to spoil a game and to get the players 'on your back'.

During competitive matches, (or during games where very young children are involved) trifling or doubtful technical infringements of Law 15 are often ignored, so long as no advantage is obtained by the team taking the throw-in and the throw-in occurs with little or no delay.

Although spinning the ball is allowed, players who unduly spin the ball when it is released, indicates that it has been thrown-in with unequal hand strength. There are some players who use their strongest hand/arm to propel the ball into the field of play, and this puts more power into the throw. If this happens, the player should be penalized, and the throw-in awarded to the opposition. The ball must be thrown-in with equal pressure from both of the player's hands.

Question 4: Just how close to the spot where the ball actually crossed the touchline does the thrower have to be before he is allowed to take a throw-in?

Answer 4: Referees generally allow some leeway in relation to where the ball actually crossed the touchline. Law 15 states that the throw-in should be taken from the point where the ball crossed over the touchline - but in reality, throw-ins are rarely taken from the correct spot. The Referee normally overlooks a margin of a few meters (yards) or so either way. Do not allow players to abuse this allowance. The best way to deal with players moving too far away from the correct position is for the Referee to blow their whistle before the throw has taken place, and wave players back nearer to the correct position. Prevention is far better than cure - and this is just one instance where a good Referee can prevent infringements happening during a match. A little bit of foresight by the Referee can prevent untold problems arising. The Referee should always try to educate players where he can - this will prevent further problems arising in the game; and the players will learn how to take the throw correctly (they will also appreciate that you - the Referee - are also taking an interest in the game, and are not there just to hand out yellow and red cards!).

When the ball has been kicked high over the touchline, players and Referees generally operate on a "feel" for the correct place for a throw-in to be taken. It is impossible for a Referee to gauge the correct throw-in position when the ball is lofted some 30 meters high at and at an angle over the touchline, and the Referee is still in the center circle. The Referee should make a 'best guess' for the correct position. Players will look towards the Referee to give them some indication of where the throw-in should be taken. In instances of this nature, the Referee should not wait for the players to ask him - the Referee should indicate where the throw-in should be taken.

The Referee can do this by several methods.

- (a) By blowing his whistle, using short peeps and hand movements to entice players back into the correct position.

- (b) By speaking to players and telling them to move up or down accordingly.

- (c) By hand signals alone - the Referee can 'shoo' players up or down the touchline by waving his hands in the appropriate direction.

Assistant Referees should also speak to players, and coax them to take the throw-in as near to the correct position as practical.

It is important for Referees to ensure that players taking throw-ins, do not gain an unfair advantage by advancing or retreating along the touchline.

Referees are also advised to penalize players who take throw-ins many meters back from the touchline. Players are very cunning - for example, when they retrieve the ball for a throw-in and are making their way back to the touchline, they very often throw the ball in at an angle, whilst they are 10 or more meters away from the touchline, the ball then enters the field of play some 20 yards from where it crossed out of play over the touchline. This is a foul throw and should not be allowed. The throw-in should be awarded to the opposing team. The ball must enter the field from the point where it crossed the touchline.

Question 5: During the taking of a throw-in, it was noticed that the Referee allowed the player take it about four yards from the spot where the ball went out over the touchline. Later on in the game, the Referee was seen to be very particular about players taking throw-ins from the exact place where the ball had left the field of play. Why are Referees so inconsistent?

Answer 5: Most Referees allow some latitude on the exact positioning of throw-ins. Especially if the location is away from the goals, and near the middle of the field. This allows the ball to be thrown back into play as quickly as possible. Players are usually receptive to this type of common sense, and are less interested in adhering strictly to the Law about exact positioning. Players do not often argue over such action, this demonstrates a good sportsmanship that will normally have little or no effect on the result of the match.

If the throw-in, is in such a position that could affect the outcome of a game (for instance, if a team has a good thrower, and the throw is towards the corner arc), the Referee should ensure that the thrower does not gain an advantage by moving too far along the touchline to be nearer to the goal. Some Referees are more particular about making players take the throw from the correct position every time - but in my experience, this (along with the finicky positioning of free kicks) is the easiest way for a Referee to frustrate players and spoil a match.

Question 6: What should the Referee look for when players are deciding amongst themselves who should take a throw-in?

Answer 6: There will be many occasions during a match when players pass the ball to each other, or wait for colleagues to catch up with play before a throw-in is taken. The Referee must decide whether players are taking such actions solely to waste time. Players purposefully wasting time should be cautioned and time added on at the end of the game to compensate for any lost time. For example, if the ball goes out of play for a throw-in and an attacking right wing player picks up the ball near the halfway flag to throw in and then he decides to wait for his left fullback to slowly make their way across the width of the field to take the throw-in - then this is obviously time-wasting - and a yellow card should be given. Players very often retrieve the ball and then pass it to a teammate to make the throw-in instead. This is done for tactical reasons, or to allow a better thrower to project the ball further into play from the throw-in. The Referee should ensure that the player coming to take the throw-in, actually steps off of the field of play before he takes-over the throw-in. The Referee needs to differentiate between a player taking a throw-in, and a player simply tossing the ball to college for them to take the throw instead - it is usually obvious which is which.

Question 7: During a match where I was the Referee, a defending player taking a throw-in near his penalty area, lifted one of his feet from the ground as he took the throw. It was an obvious foul throw - but because the ball went directly to an opponent, I decided (in my mind) to play advantage. The attacking player turned with the ball and 'blasted' it straight into the defending team's goal. I awarded the goal. I was momentarily confused. Should I allow the goal, or should I insist that the throw-in must be re-taken by the attacking team because a foul throw had taken place. As there was only 5 minutes of the match remaining, and the score was Attackers 8 Defenders 0, I decided to allow the goal to count. Did I make the correct decision?

Answer 7: No. Under no circumstances should advantage be applied to a throw-in performed illegally. In this instance, the throw-in was a foul throw-in and should have been awarded to the thrower's opponents. The goal should not have counted.

I must make a confession here - I (the webmaster) was the Referee in the above question. I had been refereeing many years, and had never encountered this situation before. At the time, I knew in my mind that the correct decision should have been to stop play immediately and award the throw-in to the attacking team - but because of the circumstances, and because none of the players shouted "foul throw" (as is their normal wont), it fleetingly crossed my mind that it was not worth stopping the game at that particular time. I was wrong - and even though I 'sort of knew' I was wrong at the time - I still allowed the goal to count. The moral of this question? Where the Laws are 'black and white' the Referee should adhere to them at all times. I learnt from my mistake, and it will never happen again. It did 'prick' my conscience for a day or two, but luckily the match was a pre-season friendly, so the extra 'bonus' goal did not make too much difference. There will be many times during a Referee's career, that he will make some very strange decisions against everything he has been taught - but let us not forget, we are just as human as the players and they certainly make many more mistakes during a match.

Question 8: Is it legal for players to perform an acrobatic somersault as they run up towards the touchline, and then release the ball during a throw-in?

Answer 8: Yes, provided that the correct procedures have been followed. As long as the throw meets all the criteria in Law 15 (correct position, ball delivered from behind and over the head, with two hands while facing the field of play, feet in the right position and on the ground when the ball is released, etc.) then the throw is legal. In England during the 1980's, this type of throw was the vogue and was performed many times - but suddenly stopped for no reason at all? I suppose spectators got fed up and the novelty ran out!

Question 9: Are players allowed to take a throw-in whilst they are kneeling down, or sitting down?

Answer 9: Players are not allowed to take a throw-in whilst they are kneeling or sitting down.

Question 10: What is the correct restart when a player taking a throw-in, throws the ball directly into his own goal without any other player touching the ball on its route into goal?

Answer 10: A goal cannot be scored directly from a throw-in. The correct restart when a player throws the ball directly into his own goal -is a corner kick to the opposing team.

Question 11: What is the correct restart when a player taking a throw-in, throws the ball directly into his opponent's goal without any other player touching the ball on its route to goal?

Answer 11: A goal cannot be scored directly from a throw-in. The correct restart when a player throws the ball directly into his opponent's goal - is a goal kick to the opposing team.

Question 12: Are players who take throw-ins allowed to throw the ball onto the back of an unsuspecting colleague or opponent, and then regain possession of the ball themselves? Law 15 states that the player taking a throw-in is not allowed touching the ball again, until another player has touched it - and in this case it had?

Answer 12: In this instance, another player had touched the ball, so by Law, play should be allowed to continue. But wait a minute - this is certainly against the 'spirit of the game'. The thrower had used trickery to circumvent the criteria laid down in Law 15. The thrower should definitely be penalized for his unsporting action. Law 15 states that for any other infringement not mentioned in Law 15, the throw-in should be re-taken by a player from the opposing team. In this instance, play should be stopped, and the throw-in awarded to the opposing team. The Referee can also consider cautioning the unsporting player.

Question 13: During a fiercely contested match, the ball travels out for a throw-in to the attacking team. An attacker proceeds to take the throw-in, but as he approaches the touchline, a defender purposefully stands 1 meter away from the touchline immediately in front of the oncoming thrower. The thrower continues with his run-up, and throws the ball in correctly, but purposefully straight into the defenders face. What action should the Referee take?

Answer 13: Send the attacking thrower off for violent conduct. The defender is entitled to stand in front of the attacking thrower - so long as the defender does not jump up and down or wave his arms about, he is entitled to stand where he likes on the field of play. The action of the attacking thrower (although not infringing any of the Law 15 Throw-in criteria) was purposefully done to inflict damage to his opponent. Because the ball had entered into play from the throw-in, the correct restart is to award a direct free kick to the defending team from the place where the offence occurred, i.e. the place where the ball struck the defender in the face.

The fact that the ball strikes an opponent following the taking of a throw-in is not in itself an infringement of the Laws. The Referee must decide if the action (and the force in which the ball is propelled into an opponent) warrants a red or a yellow card. In most cases when this action is done deliberately, it should be a red card.

If a player purposefully dances up and down, gesticulates or waves his arms in front of a player taking a throw-in, then he should be cautioned for unsporting behavior. Such action is not allowed, and is against the 'spirit of the game'. Referees should anticipate such action, and warn any approaching players to behave themselves. Players are not allowed to block the freedom of movement of the thrower or to harass him, or to move into a position to block a throw in a particular direction. But they are allowed to stand still on the field of play in front of the thrower.

Question 14: If the ball fails to enter the field of play during a throw-in, what action should the Referee take?

Answer 14: The Referee should ask the thrower to re-take the throw-in. The ball is not in play until it enters the field of play. Under no circumstances should the throw-in be awarded to the opposing team. As play had not restarted (because the ball had not entered the field of play on the first throw-in, the only legal restart is a retake of the throw-in by the same side.

Question 15: During a throw-in, the ball enters the field of play, travels down just inside the field of play alongside the touchline, and is subsequently blown (by the wind) back over touchline and out of play again before it has been touched by another player. What is the correct restart?

Answer 15: The Referee should award a throw-in to the other team, to be taken from where the ball last left the field of play when it was blown back out of play over the touchline.

Question 16: During a throw-in, the ball travels along the touchline. What action should the Referee take?

Answer 16: None. The touchlines are part of the field of play, and the ball is deemed to be in play from a throw-in, the moment the ball touches or crosses the touchline. The whole of the ball does not have to be inside the field of play - so long as a part of the ball is over the touchline, it is deemed to be in play. A ball thrown along the touchline itself is deemed to be back in play.

Question 17: If a player taking a throw-in, throws the ball into the field of play, and then proceeds to kick the ball before it has been touched by another player - what action should the Referee take?

Answer 17: The thrower is not allowed to touch the ball a second time until another player has touched it. An indirect free kick should be awarded to the opposing team, to be taken from the place where the thrower touched the ball a second time following his throw-in.

Question 18: Is a goalkeeper allowed to take a throw-in?

Answer 18: Once a goalkeeper leaves his penalty area, he becomes another normal outfield player and is subject to the same rules and permissions as the other outfield players. There is therefore no reason why the goalkeeper cannot take a throw-in for his team.

Question 19: Why is it that some Referees are particular about calling for foul throws when a player lifts his trailing foot off the ground, and other Referees never seem to bother about this infringement of Law 15?

Answer 19: It can be difficult to ascertain the exact moment when a player lifts his foot off the ground before releasing the ball. Some Referees allow a greater leeway in judging that the foot is raised AFTER the ball is been released. Over the years, throw-in infringements have become less. This is due both to better coaching, and a better understanding by Referees in deciding what minor infringements to ignore during a match.

Question 20: What action should a Referee take if a goalkeeper picks the ball up after it has been thrown directly to him by a colleague (without having been touched by another player).

Answer 20: An indirect free kick should be awarded to the other team if the goalkeeper touches or picks the ball up inside his own penalty area.

A direct free kick should be awarded to the other team, if the goalkeeper touches or picks the ball up outside of his own penalty area.

In both cases, the free kick should be taken from the spot where the goalkeeper touched or picked the ball up.

A goalkeeper is allowed to pick the ball up if an opponent throws it to him.

Question 21: When a goalkeeper receiving the ball direct from a throw-in taken by a teammate, has to dive and palm the ball away from entering the goal. - And thus prevents an oncoming nearby attacker from making contact with the ball and shooting towards goal. Should the Referee Send off the goalkeeper for denying a goal scoring opportunity and restart with an indirect free kick, or should the Referee just give the goalkeeper a caution and restart with an indirect free kick for touching the ball after it has been received directly from a throw-in taken by a team mate?

Answer 21: Indirect free kick, no caution, as the goalkeeper is permitted to handle the ball in his own area.

When a goalkeeper handles the ball whilst in his own penalty area, in violation of the laws, the punishment is an indirect free kick and not a penalty kick (for example, when he handles the ball after receiving it directly from a colleague taking a throw-in).

Because a goalkeeper is allowed to handle the ball in his own penalty area, he cannot therefore be sent off for stopping an obvious goal scoring opportunity by illegal use of his hands in his own penalty area. (The goalkeeper can of course be sent off for stopping an obvious goal scoring opportunity by other fouls, or if he stops an obvious goal scoring opportunity by handling the ball outside of his penalty area).

Question 22: Before a throw-in has been taken, a colleague of the thrower deliberately kicks an opponent. What should the Referee do?

Answer 22: Send the offender off the field for violent conduct and restart play with the original throw-in.

Question 23: When a player taking a throw-in, stands with part of each foot on or behind the touchline, or with part of his feet inside the field of play on the touchline and his heels on the touchline, is this allowed?

Answer 23: Provided that a part of each foot is on or behind the touchline and on the ground, the throw-in is legal.

Question 24: A defender throws the ball towards his goalkeeper. The ball is just about to enter the goal, and the goalkeeper attempts to stop the ball with his hands. The goalkeeper dives towards the ball and touches it with his hands, but the ball carries on into the goal - surely the Referee must award the attacking team an indirect free kick because the goalkeeper touched the ball after it was thrown to him from a colleague - or does the goal count?

Answer 24: If the ball had entered the goal directly without having touched another player, then a corner kick is to be awarded to the attacking team. Because the goalkeeper touched the ball before it entered the goal, the advantage clause should be applied and the goal should count.

Question 25: Can a goalkeeper pick the ball up when it is throw-in directly to him by an opponent? This sometimes happens following an injury, when the ball had been previously kicked out of play over the touchline by one of the goalkeeper's colleagues to allow an injured opponent to be treated.

Answer 25: Yes, the goalkeeper can touch or pick the ball up when it is thrown directly to him from an opponent taking a throw-in. It is only when the goalkeeper touches or picks the ball up after it has been thrown to him by a teammate that an indirect free kick is awarded to the opposition. This was covered in a Law 12 change in the 1997/98 seasons.

Question 26: If a Referee is the only match official present, and when a player throws the ball down along the touchline, how can the Referee decide whether the ball has actually entered the field of play or not?

Answer 26: The Referee should try and position himself to allow as reasonable view as possible of the area that the throw-in is being taken. It is not always possible for the Referee to be alongside the touchline when every throw-in is being taken. If there are no Club Linesmen or Assistant Referees to help him, then the Referee should make a 'best guess' on whether or not the ball has come into play or not from the throw-in. The Referee should not be influenced by shouts from players or spectators. In some ways, making decisions like this are actually easier for the Referee - so long as he is firm and positive when making his decision, and he has psyched himself up before the match - to not worry about making unclear honest decisions - the decision then becomes very easy to make. Referees, who are strong with their decision-making, soon impart to players that they will not tolerate too much nonsense and dissent - even when they make the wrong decisions (so long as they are honest mistakes).

Question 27: A throw-in is taken by an attacking player at the correct position (A). The ball travels 50 feet outside of the field of play before it brushes the outside edge of the touchline at position (B). The ball then continues to travel in the air along and touching the vertical plane (edge) of the touchline for another 20 feet to position (C). There are several calls of "The ball's not in". What action should the Assistant Referee take if before the ball eventually touches the ground, it is caught by a: (a) Defending opponent (b) Attacking colleague (c) Defending team coach/manager (d) Defending substitute (e) Spectator

Answer 27: Answer: The easiest way to understand when the ball comes back into play from a throw-in is to firstly appreciate that the ball goes OUT of play when the whole of the ball crosses the touchline (Law 15 The Throw-In). Conversely, the ball shall be in play immediately it enters the field of play when any part of the ball touches and/or crosses the touchline (either in the air or on the ground) - so long as the throw-in is taken from the point on the touchline where the ball left the field of play - and the thrower does not infringe any of the Law 15 stipulations (e.g. faces the field of play, uses both hands etc.)

Law 15 clearly states that a throw-in is awarded from the point where it crossed the touchline. And as such, the ball must enter the field of play from roughly that exit point (and not some 50 feet down the touchline).

As far as the question is concerned, the throw-in was improperly taken because ball entered the field of play some 50 feet from where it originally went out.

To take matters to the extreme, it would be totally unjust for a throw-in taken at one end of the field of play (Position A), to enter at the far end (position B).

If this was allowed, then the thrower might just as well stand at position (B) when taking the throw-in! In other words, stand just about anywhere along the touchline.

The Assistant Referee should therefore raise and wave his flag to indicate a foul throw. The restart would be for the Referee to award a throw-in the other way, to the opposing team at position (A).

The following...... answers the original question "What action should the Assistant Referee take if before the ball touches the ground, it is caught by?"

(a) Defending opponent:... Award a throw-into the defending team.

(b) Attacking colleague:... Award a throw-into the defending team.

(c) Defending team coach/manager:... Award a throw-into the defending team.

(d) Defending substitute:... Award a throw-into the defending team.

(e) Spectator:... Award a throw-into the defending team.

As the throw-in was not taken properly, the ball is deemed not to have legally entered play, and as such the restart is always to award a throw-in to the opposing team.

The Referee can not award a free kick or a dropped ball, for such an infringement as this - occurring when a foul throw has been committed - the ball is therefore still out of play. The restart in such occasions is the natural restart (e.g. throw-in, goal kick, place kick etc.)

The Referee should also strongly consider having a quiet word particularly with any guilty Defending team coach/manager or defending substitute. Concerning the encroachment by the spectator - the Referee should wait for the spectator to leave the field of play, or arrange for a Home team official or security staff to deal with any problems.

The question becomes more interesting if following the throw-in, the ball brushes the touchline 3 feet from the thrower and continues its trajectory traveling the remaining 67 feet along the outside plane of the touchline to position (C). The ball has thus entered the field of play correctly (the Referee/Assistant Referee are allowed to apply a small amount of leeway in judging the exact legal position where the ball must re- enter the field of play). In this case, the Assistant Referee does not indicate a foul throw - and the answers to the question concerning deliberate handling would then be as follows:

(a) Defending opponent:... Award a direct free kick to the attacking team.

(b) Attacking colleague:... Award a direct free kick to the defending team.

(c) Defending team coach/manager:... Dropped ball for outside interference. (Law 8)

(d) Defending substitute:... Dropped ball for outside interference. (Law 8)

(e) Spectator:... Dropped ball for outside interference. (Law 8)

(Dropped ball to be taken at the place where the ball was located when play was stropped).

In each case, the Assistant Referee should raise and wave his flag to indicate that an offence has been committed following the legal taking of the throw-in.

Any people obscuring the touchline itself should be moved away to allow the Assistant Referee a clear view. Communication between the Assistant Referee and the center Referee will have been discusses during the pre-match briefing that the Referee gives to both his Assistant Referees. The Assistant Referee (subject to the decision of the Referee) is normally the judge when deciding if the ball has left the field of play or not (see Law 6 The Assistant Referee). The Assistant Referee should position himself goal-side of the player taking the throw-in. This way, both off sides and throw-ins can be monitored at the same time. The Assistant Referee would normally monitor any feet faults whilst the Referee watches for any faulty throwing motions - but these factors are dependent on the Referee's pre-match instruction to his Assistants. When indicating an offence, the Assistant Referee first notifies this to the Referee by raising and waving his flag. The direction of the offence can further be communicated by the Assistant Referee pointing his flag in the direction in which the restart should be awarded - thus indicating to the Referee which team was the guilty party! When the Referee is unsure why his Assistant Referee has given a decision, then the simple thing for him to do is to approach the Assistant Referee and discuss the reasons and the options.

The Assistant Referee should always aim to be in such a position alongside his touchline, as to allow him the best view of judging whether a ball delivered from a throw-in legally enters the field of play or not. If the ball does go into play, and the Assistant Referee anticipates any of the above incidents - he is not obliged by Law to warn-off any persons who are about to deliberately handle the ball.

Nevertheless, it could be argued that Law 18 Common sense dictates that there may be occasions when a quick "The ball is in play" shout from the Assistant Referee - along with a hand signal indicating 'Play-on’ may prevent any misunderstanding. I would not personally advise this course of action for two reasons.

(a) By NOT raising his flag, the Assistant Referee clearly shows to all, that the throw-in has been taken correctly; and

(b) The Assistant Referee should never indicate 'Play-on'. This shout is the center Referee’s prerogative. It would be very embarrassing if the Assistant Referee indicates 'Play-on', and the Referee then stops play!

If the ball legally comes into play by touching the plane of the touchline, say from a throw- in taken by the attacking team - and a defending player purposefully shouts "Never in" or "The ball's not in" for example. This could be construed as a 'cheating' move by the defender to distract the attacking team. If the Referee thinks that the shout was done on purpose to prevent or delay an attacker from gaining fair possession of the ball which is in play, the Referee should award an indirect free kick to the attacking team at the place where the infringement occurred i.e. where the cheating shout emanated from - and caution the shouting defender for unsporting behavior.

(See Law 12 Fouls and Misconduct " An indirect free kick is also awarded to the opposing team if a player, in the opinion of the Referee commits any other offence, not previously mentioned in Law 12, for which play is stopped to caution or dismiss a player. The indirect free kick is taken from where the offence - shouting - occurred.")

Note: To clarify the maximum distance that a thrower needs to be from the touchline itself......The UK Football Association basic syllabus with teaching notes booklet "Course of Training for Referees" clearly states in the candidates 'MUST KNOW' section covering Throw-ins...........

Quote: "from point where it crossed the touchline (allow up to 1 meter, including behind touchline."

Many thanks to Richard of Edmonton Canada for his interesting question.

Question No. 28: If I understand correctly that the whole width of the chalk line is indeed part of the field of play, why does it seem in Law 15 very confusing and ambiguous that a player would be allowed to have his feet come in contact with the line during a throw in?

Answer No. 28: You are correct - the whole width of the chalk line is indeed part of the field of play.

During throw-ins, the position of the ball and when does it come into play? Are more important that the position of the feet. The positioning of the feet is somewhat contradictory, because the thrower is off the field of play, but when taking the throw-in he is allowed onto the field of play by partly standing on the touchline. I guess that the idea is for the thrower not to ‘bodily’ come onto the field of play. IN other words, he needs to be behind the touchline or on it. Therefore, he can technically be on the field of play, or off the field of play when taking the throw. And as you say – this is as clear as mud!

Question 29: Is a player allowed to stand right in front of an opponent who is taking a throw-in?

Answer 29: Players are entitled to stand anywhere that they want to on the field of play during the taking of throw-ins. There is no minimum distance specified in the Laws that states that a player who is on the field of play must be a certain distance away from an opponent who is taking a throw-in. In other words, it is not an offence if the player is standing on the touchline, half a yard (meter) away or 1 yard (meter) away - there is no such distance stipulation in the Law. It only becomes an offence if the player "unfairly distracts or impedes a thrower". For example, by jumping up and down in front of the thrower, waving his hands to distract the thrower, or shifting his position to impede the thrower who has taken up a different position to allow him to take the throw-in from a slightly different position. A player who impedes or distracts a thrower (this includes making a facial grimace, or verbal distraction) should be cautioned for unsporting behavior and shown the yellow card. There is nothing in the Laws to prevent a player standing right in front of a thrower - so long as he is standing still. A similar situation occurs during the taking of corner kicks, when attacking players are allowed to stand immediately in front of the goalkeeper - offences only occur if the attacking player then makes a move to block (impede) the goalkeeper.