Soccer teams at any level from recreational to competitive can rely on a throw-in specialist, as the U.S. women's national team does with Heather O'Reilly. As a practical matter though, "every player must be able to execute a good throw-in," writes coach Alan Hargreaves in "Skills and Strategies for Coaching Soccer." Strong throw-ins can kick off an attack if you follow the steps involved with good technique. Practice the steps first without a ball to work on good form, recommends Lindsey Blom in "Survival Guide for Coaching Youth Soccer."
Set Your Feet
Good footwork starts the kinetic chain of a soccer throw-in. Face the field of play with your feet on or behind the touch line, as the sideline is called in soccer. Keep both feet on or behind the line throughout the throw. Bringing your foot completely off the ground is a foul frequently called against beginning players and results in awarding the ball to the other team. You can raise your heel as long as your toe remains touching the ground.
Grasp the Ball
The correct grasp involves holding the ball with both hands, your fingertips in a W formation, meaning the thumbs are pointing toward each other at an angle to the palms to resemble a W. Your goal is to hold the ball balanced in your hands to avoid having one hand dominant at the point of release. You cannot accidentally or purposefully add spin to the throw by throwing with one hand more than the other, Blom notes. Bend your elbows so the ball is behind your head, almost touching your neck. Bend your back a bit too.
Check the Field
Survey the field for an open teammate. Look for a player 10 yards or more away, Hargreaves recommends. If necessary, briefly take one hand off the ball to point to a spot or wave your hand to where you need a teammate to arrive. Reset your feet if necessary so you are square to the direction of the throw. If your feet face in one direction and you twist your torso to throw the ball in another, the referee may call an infraction.
Aim the Ball and Throw
The throw-in requires you to throw the ball forward naturally, in what trainers call a kinetic chain. Arch your upper body back and snap it forward in order, beginning with hands, followed by the arms and torso. Hargreaves stresses the importance of snapping the fingers forward at the moment of release. The throw has to come from the top of the head versus near the face to avoid a foul being called. Release the ball with a high trajectory to achieve the release above the head. Follow through to achieve distance and accuracy, Hargreaves advises.
Running Throw
You can adjust the footwork step to allow for a running throw if you want to achieve additional distance on your throw. Run a few steps up to the touch line and land in a two-footed stance for the throw, being careful to avoid lifting your rear foot off the ground.
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