Set-Pieces - The Humble Throw-In

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Set-Pieces - The Humble Throw-In By Julian Carosi.
(A series of articles on how to officiate in a proactive way by improving how you deal with specific incidents and how to become a better Referee).

The throw-in is but one jigsaw piece of the game as a whole. Handled correctly by the referee, the throw-in should rarely cause a problem. A throw-in is usually the first decision that a referee has to make in each half of the game, as invariably, within a matter of seconds, the ball nearly always leaves the field over one of the touchlines. It is during this early moment in each half that the referee should 'turn on' his proactive radar! Below, are three throw-in ideas that once mastered, will become second nature to a referee.

Bossing the first throw-in.
As soon as you blow the whistle to start each half, be prepared to make your first decision. This will more than often be a throw-in decision. Sprint adjacent to where the ball has left the field of play, and subtly 'boss' the situation by placing yourself alongside to where the throw-in should take place, and use your outstretched arm to emphasise where you want the thrower to stand. You don't need to make a big deal of this by being over authoritative, it's more a case of reaching the subconscious mind of the players before they have had a chance to try and influence YOU! If you can get to them before they get to you, it will be of benefit. Only provide assertive vocal or whistle instructions if you really need to; it is very rare that you will need to do this, as your positioning and close attendance is normally all that is needed. This action subtly sets the scene of the referee's capacity and demonstrates his enthusiasm for the game. It prevents future foul throws, and encourages players to look towards the referee for positive confirmation at subsequent throw-ins. This simple action does a hundred other positive subtle things, too many to write down here, all of which can only benefit the game as a whole. The aim is not to be a dictator and dominate the situation, but to be subtly assertive, polite and enthusiastic. If you are 'up for this game,' then this is an early chance for you to show it.

Body language and signalling.
When the ball leaves the field of play for a throw-in, once you have shown the direction with a raised angled arm signal, sprint to be adjacent to where the ball left the field of play, and then raise an arm horizontally to show where the throw-in should take place. If players take no notice of you, use short blasts on your whistle (peep peep peep) to reposition them correctly. Do this for the first three or four throw-ins in each half of the game, and once again, you will subsequently notice that players will start looking towards you for positive affirmation before they take their throw-in. As the game goes further on, you will find that players no longer try to gain those few illicit yards up the touchline. You no longer need to provide any positioning signal apart from standing adjacent to where the ball should come back in. Once this has been achieved, apart from giving the throw-in direction, your involvement only needs to be heightened (or re-established) if there is a disputed throw-in, or if player standards begin to slip later on. This subtle proactive technique, covertly guides the players into doing correctly what they should have been doing correctly in the first place!

This effective communication will help players to take throw-ins from the correct place. If, however, this guidance is not followed, the referee must award a throw-in to the opposing team.

Keeping behind play.
As a general rule, try and keep the drop-zone play area in good side view and the anticipated subsequent play in front of you when positioning yourself to monitor a throw-in. There are exceptions to this of course; one being when the defending team near their goal line, take a throw-in.

Keeping the action in front of you, gives you a better angle of view, and keeps you out of the players' line of sight. And more importantly, stops you straying into the zone where the ball is more likely to go. There may be the odd occasion when you will need to monitor a throw-in from the touchline or a goal line. But placing yourself at the extremes is always to the detriment of optimum positioning, which should consider all eventualities of the ball quickly breaking away.

Finally, closeness to play is always a major factor in decision-making; more so when Club Assistant Referees are being used. Therefore, it is wise not to stick too rigidly to your diagonal when the throw-in is on the far side to you. Be prepared to compress play by coming 'way off' your diagonal to closely monitor a throw-in, especially if trouble is expected. Remember - try to be proactive and NOT reactive. The nearer that you are to a decision-making moment, the more readily the players will accept your judgment.

In the above throw-in discussion, we have shown how easy it is to be proactive, how to subtly manage the restart position to minimise infringements, and encouraged you to be thoughtful in your positioning. Some of these ideas can be used to manage other 'set-pieces'. The overall message is to be proactive and not reactive. Don't wait for a foul throw-in to occur, when it is so very easy for referees as guardians of the Laws to prevent it.