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Player throwing ball in

ChrisHam

New member
As a retired Ref it is frustrating to see standards have slipped when controlling the thrower.Since when are throwers allowed
to stand on the touch line or in the field of play?Controlling the little things is all part of the bigger picture.
 
Law 18 tells us "The player throwing in the ball stands on the mark of touch with both feet outside the field of play."
I think it is now generally accepted that as long as part of the feet is on the touchline, that is ok
 
Law 18 tells us "The player throwing in the ball stands on the mark of touch with both feet outside the field of play."
I think it is now generally accepted that as long as part of the feet is on the touchline, that is ok
I understand that but even at the highest level throwers are standing with both feet inside the field of play.
Might seem trivial but where does it end.Remember when a certain test try was disallowed due to this happening?
Lets keep it simple and follow the law!
 
As a retired Ref it is frustrating to see standards have slipped when controlling the thrower.Since when are throwers allowed
to stand on the touch line or in the field of play?Controlling the little things is all part of the bigger picture.
Since standing on the touchline puts the player in touch and compliant with the law, I don't see the issue
 
Since standing on the touchline puts the player in touch and compliant with the law, I don't see the issue
I‘ve always asked players to be outside the lines, but after noting the definition that:
[LAWS=]Field of play: The area between the goal lines and the touch lines. Those lines are not part of the field of play.[/LAWS] I‘m going to have to reassess this.

From the definition, as long as the back of one of the thrower’s heels is touching the whitewash then they’re in touch.

Conversely, any kind of gap between their heel and the line (as seen regularly at the elite level) that would trigger action.

@SimonSmith - is that your take?
 
As a retired Ref it is frustrating to see standards have slipped when controlling the thrower.Since when are throwers allowed
to stand on the touch line or in the field of play?Controlling the little things is all part of the bigger picture.
blimey - this has been happening fro over twenty years :-) drives me (as a coach) up the wall.
 
I‘ve always asked players to be outside the lines, but after noting the definition that:
[LAWS=]Field of play: The area between the goal lines and the touch lines. Those lines are not part of the field of play.[/LAWS] I‘m going to have to reassess this.

From the definition, as long as the back of one of the thrower’s heels is touching the whitewash then they’re in touch.

Conversely, any kind of gap between their heel and the line (as seen regularly at the elite level) that would trigger action.

@SimonSmith - is that your take?
On the line is in touch, so yes.
 
On the line is in touch, so yes.
In touch <> "outside the field of play", at least my interpretation of how the law was intended. You can be both in touch and inside the field of play simultaneously (given the field of play is defined as "the area between ... the touch lines"). If your feet at on the touch line but also inside the touch line, then you are accomplishing both things simultaneously. They are not mutually exclusive.

That being said, despite how pedantically I like to follow the law book, I find this part of the game immaterial (assuming we're not talking more than say a foot or less inside the field of play, the thrower is standing).
 
I would think 12 inches is taking the pi5s
this.
The real point here is that this is a closed skill. The ball is dead. Play is not live.
there is no pressure (eg somebody running fast and hard ) on the thrower to be in the correct place at all. NOTHING happens until (s)he is in place and releases the ball.

Are we all as equally happy if a kicker moves the place kick a foot towards the posts/the centre of the pitch?
 
I would think 12 inches is taking the pi5s
I mean a literal person's foot. 😉 I think it's overly pedantic if we're down to counting inches. I'm lucky if the 5 meter mark isn't almost 1 foot closer to the touch line for some pitches I play on TBH. Functionally the same thing then.
 
Are we all as equally happy if a kicker moves the place kick a foot towards the posts/the centre of the pitch?

At least the lineout is contestable from both sides, so little bit different IMO. But I would probably be ok if a kick was taken slightly off the mark too, yes. (I'm taking this to mean forward towards the posts / center, not laterally.)
 
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As long as part of a foot it on the line I'm ok. After that It is ATP. Similar to a kicker going for goal / touch.. Unless it is really taking the p@ss.
 
If your feet at on the touch line but also inside the touch line, then you are accomplishing both things simultaneously. They are not mutually exclusive.
No you are not you are either in touch or your are not in touch . as soon as you "touch" that line you are in touch.

[LAWS=]
Touch or touch-in-goal
  • The ball is in touch or touch-in-goal when:
The ball or ball-carrier touches the touchline, touch-in-goal line or anything beyond.
[/LAWS]
 
No you are not you are either in touch or your are not in touch . as soon as you "touch" that line you are in touch.

[LAWS=]
Touch or touch-in-goal
  • The ball is in touch or touch-in-goal when:
The ball or ball-carrier touches the touchline, touch-in-goal line or anything beyond.
[/LAWS]
This only describes when you are in touch. It does not describe your state relative to the field of play. Both properties can be independently binary and true at the same time, IMO.

Draw a square with chalk and stand on one of the sides with your foot both inside and outside the square. It is possible.

That being said, I think it's pedantic to squabble so granularly on the definition in the laws here and am ok with allowing a thrower to stand on the touch line when making the throw. It should have immeasurable outcome on the game most times.
 
Materiality; Does it really affect anything?

Management; If one team perceive they are being hard done by, you might need to make a decision -or you might not. But it does seem to need something from the referee at this point. And then apply it to both sides exactly as you have decided (with one or two of "but that's what you wanted when they had the ball"). Take Command from this point onwards to suit the situation.

I speak with Hindsight.
 
I could live with the throwers foot being on some part of the line, although it is not correct in law does it really affect the throw?
BUT if it becomes a game management problem because it winds up the opposition I am then kind of pushed into have every subsequent throw in strict accordance with the laws.

I'm not looking for a problem here, but if it becomes one the ref has to sort it out -and falling back to the strict application of laws for both teams gives them the problem, not you.
 
It's customary now to insist only on the hookers feet touching the line
So refs should follow this custom (otherwise you would be out of step with your peers)

If the hooker moves in a couple of cm so that his heels no longer touch the line, then it's customary to view that as material and deal with it
 
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