Five Ideas For Taking Throw-Ins
for Fun And Profit

      Many youth coaches plow through a seasonal year without ever devoting any training time to rehearsing throw-in situations. Some believe "throw it down the line" is the single answer, or that this is an unimportant part of the game that is best left to the player's initiative.

     Because so many throw-ins happen in each game, and throughout the seasonal year, there is a significant advantage to be gained by developing good throw-in tactics at the team level. Not enough advantage to make an awful team great, but enough to add a few goals and a couple extra wins for a good team. There is fun and profit in doing throw-ins better.


Here are five basic ideas to consider about taking throw-ins.


1. Keep the ball.

The first priority is to keep possession of the ball. There's no value in throwing the ball down the line if possession will immediately be lost.


2. Use the right player.

In the defending third, there's a good chance that possession will be lost if the opponents press, so it might be best to leave defenders free to mark and cover space. This requires that an outside midfielder or even a striker come back to take the throw-in, depending on the system
of play (4-3-3 yes, 4-4-2 no) and on what the opponents are doing.

In the midfield third, it might seem that the outside midfielder is the best choice. In many cases, however, particularly if the opposing team has retreated and built a compact shape in the middle of the field, an outside defender can take the throw.

In the final third, strikers should almost never take a throw-in. It is painful to see a team playing 4-4-2 sending a striker out to pick up a ball in touch for the throw-in, leaving perhaps just a single attacking player in the penalty area. Successful teams tend to make getting 6 players into the penalty area a goal, it leads to more scoring. Using a
defender or outside midfielder will usually be a better choice, let the strikers "get into the box".

3. Use simple plays.

There are three simple approaches to taking a throw-in that teams can rehearse regularly.

1. throw the ball back, away from pressure, and switch it to the other side of the field.

2. have players make runs to create space and beat marking, throw to an open player

3. throw the ball to a back-to-goal player who drops the ball for the thrower

Teams can practice throwing the ball back to a defender and then changing the point of attack (switching the ball) to the other side of the field. At U13, getting the ball through three or four quick and safe passes to the other side of the field in about 6 seconds is pretty
good, 5 seconds is great. At U16, kids can take a throw-in and get it across to the other side of the field, and out of trouble, in about 4 seconds.

Kids can remember two or three simple plays where players create space by exchanging positions (complex plays don't work). For example, with a defender taking a throw-in at the half-way line, the nearest striker and the nearest outside midfielder could both make runs directly toward the ball, dragging opposing defenders with them. A center mid making a delayed diagonal run into the space down the line, cleared out by the striker's run, will find open space in which to receive the ball while facing hips to goal.
 

Many times, with open space, simply throwing to the nearest player works best. With enough space, this allows the throw-in player a chance to receive the ball facing hips to goal with time to make a good choice about where to play the ball. Unfortunately, kids often tend to do this too slowly and get closed down. Getting kids to play this more quickly and more simply (ball to feet) yields immediate benefits.

4. Throw to feet.

Players at all levels of ability do better, especially under pressure, if they receive a throw-in to feet. Very few players can receive a ball thrown at their head or chest, in a crowd, and get a good result.

5. Get the thrower into the play.

The throw-in player who stands to watch the results of the throw-in leaves the team down a player. The most basic priority, after keeping possession, is getting numbers up near the ball, and this requires getting the thrower back into the field.

good luck!
Bruce Brownlee
Atlanta

This was posted by Bruce Brownlee to the Soccer-Coach-L e-mail List on 7/17/2003. Check out Bruce's website at http://www.brucebrownlee.com/

Added by Bob Christensen:

A couple additions to your (Bruce's) excellent list:
 

1. A throw in is NOT the time to rest! Hustle to retrieve the ball if it is your throw (or even a 50-50 ball), and get it back in play before the opponent has time to organize. Often the ref will award an "ambiguous" call to the team making a run to retrieve the ball, so "help em out" ;~)
   
   Hustle to establish shape and marking assignments if defending.
    
2. ALWAYS look first to play the ball ahead of (down field towards the goal you are attacking) of the intended receiver. This is often possible if the receiver can beat his/her marker, and there is no support behind the marker. This can lead to some good attacks. This is also much more likely to happen if you look for a quick restart.
   
   3) Part of using the proper play is the throwing ability of each player. Some players struggle mightily at throwing, while others can heave the ball a country mile. Sometimes a quick restart by a weak thrower is best, while other times it makes better sense to wait for a better thrower. Bottom
   line is, take advantage of any opportunities present in a quick start situation. If none exist, wait and let the best thrower take it.
   
   Bob Christensen
    

Created: 12/20/99
Last Updated: 03/26/07

Since February 24, 1999
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