How do you take a throw-in?
B · Beginner · Kick-offs, free kicks, penalties and other restarts · 14 of 17When the whole ball crosses the touchline, the opponents of the last player to touch it take a throw-in from where it went out. The thrower faces the field, keeps part of each foot on or behind the line and throws with both hands from behind and over the head. A goal cannot be scored straight from a throw-in.
How it works
- Thrown from where the ball crossed the touchline.
- At the moment of the throw: face the field, part of each foot on the line or the ground outside it, two hands, from behind and over the head.
- Opponents stay at least 2 metres from the point of the throw.
- If the ball does not enter the field, the same team throws again. A throw taken wrongly (a foul throw) goes to the other team.
- The thrower cannot touch the ball again until another player has.
- Straight into the opponents' goal: goal kick. Straight into the thrower's own goal: corner kick.
- No offside directly from a throw-in.
- A team deliberately delaying a throw-in can be given a five-second countdown. If the throw is not taken, it goes to the other team (new in 2026/27).
Tricky cases
Can a goalkeeper pick up a throw-in from a teammate?
No. Handling it directly from a teammate's throw-in is an indirect free kick to the other team.
What if the thrower lifts a foot off the ground?
It depends on when. At the moment of the throw, part of each foot must be on the line or the ground outside it. A foot in the air at that moment is a foul throw, and the throw goes to the other team.
Why the rule exists
A two-handed throw from behind the head limits how far and hard the ball can go back in, so a throw-in is a fair restart and not a free shot.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| All football under the Laws | As above; five-second countdown new in 2026/27 | L15; L Notes (countdown protocol) |
From the rule book
IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 15 and the throw-in and goal-kick countdown protocol, in force from 1 July 2026. Checked 13 October 2026. Official document: IFAB Laws of the Game (PDF).