A legal football throw-in requires the player to face the pitch, keep part of each foot on the touchline or on the ground outside it, and deliver the ball with both hands from behind and over the head. Under the current IFAB law, unfair delay can also trigger a visible five-second countdown, with possession changing teams if the throw is not completed in time.
| Question | Rule at a glance |
|---|---|
| Who gets the throw? | The opponents of the last player to touch the ball before it wholly crosses the touchline |
| Opponent distance | At least 2 metres from the taking point on the touchline |
| Can it score directly? | No |
| Delay sanction | Opponents get the throw after an expired referee countdown |
The governing text is IFAB Law 15, checked on 7 November 2026. It covers the restart itself and includes practical questions about lifted feet, incorrect technique and interfering opponents. The five-second provision also appears in IFAB's 2026/27 law changes, so older explanations may leave out an important part of the current procedure.
Football throw-in rules for feet and hands
The position of the feet is judged at the moment the ball is delivered. Part of each foot must touch the line or the ground behind it. A player can therefore have the front of a foot inside the pitch if another part, such as the heel, still touches the touchline. A whole foot planted inside the field without touching the line does not meet the requirement.
Lifting a foot clear of the ground at release makes the throw incorrect. Equally, holding the ball above the head and dropping it is not enough: the law requires a throw from behind and over the head. Both hands must be used. A running approach does not remove any of those requirements at the point of delivery.
The location matters too. The throw must come from the point where the ball left the field. Teams cannot turn the restart into an opportunity to move the taking point up the touchline. The ball becomes live when it enters the field of play, which helps explain why a ball that never enters is treated differently from an incorrectly delivered ball that does.
What happens after a foul throw?
An incorrect throw that enters the pitch is generally given to the opposing team. IFAB's examples also allow the referee to apply advantage when the opposition gains possession and letting play continue benefits them more. Spectators should therefore avoid assuming that every visible technical error must produce an immediate whistle.
If the ball touches the ground outside the field before entering, the same team retakes it from the same position. This is a useful distinction for beginners: an unsuccessful attempt to bring the ball into play is different from an illegal throw that has actually entered the pitch. The retake does not have to be taken by the same player.
Once the ball is live, the thrower cannot touch it again before another player does. A normal second touch results in an indirect free kick. A handball offence can instead mean a direct free kick or a penalty, depending on the location, with a separate goalkeeper exception. Throwing the ball and immediately collecting it yourself is therefore not a legal way to restart.
How the five-second throw-in countdown works
The countdown is a response to unfair delay. It is not described as an automatic clock beginning every time the ball goes out. The referee whistles, signals the start and visibly counts down with a raised hand. If the ball is not in play when those five seconds end, the opponents receive the throw from the original position.
Under Law 15, the player is cautioned only if they then excessively delay the restart after it has been awarded to the opponents. The transfer of possession and a yellow card are separate decisions. The published examples also address a player appearing ready to throw before leaving the ball to a team-mate: deliberate delay can still bring the countdown into use.
Can a throw-in be a goal or be offside?
A throw straight into the opposition goal produces a goal kick. A throw straight into the thrower's own goal produces a corner to the other side. Neither is a goal. A team-mate pretending to shoot without touching the ball does not change that result. There is also no offside offence when receiving the ball directly from a throw-in.
Opponents must respect the two-metre distance and cannot unfairly distract or impede the taker. Such interference brings a caution; if the throw has been taken, the restart is an indirect free kick. For related decisions, read our guides to offside, handball and yellow and red cards.
