If you’ve ever watched a football match – even if you just caught a glimpse of it on TV– chances are you’ve seen a player take a throw-in from the side of the field.
What you’re less likely to see– regardless of whether you’re an avid fan or not– is players trying to score a goal from a throw-in.
But can you score from a throw-in in football?
Let’s find out.
Throw-In Explained
A throw-in is a method of restarting the game when the ball goes over the touchline on either side of the field during a play.
The throw-in is awarded to the opponents of the team that last touched the ball and is performed from the same spot where the ball left the field.
Under football throw in rules, the player who takes the throw-in needs to face the field of play with both feet outside or on the touchline. The ball is considered to be in play when the player throws it with both hands from behind the head right inside the football field.
The player taking the throw-in cannot touch be the one that first touches the ball after a throw-in. If they do, the opposing team will be awarded an indirect free-kick.
They can throw the ball to a player from the opposing team– but not in an excessive or reckless manner– in which case the referee will allow the game to continue.
If the player does not take the throw-in correctly, it will be awarded to the other team.
Can You Score From a Throw-in in Football?
The short answer is no.
Law 15 in the rules of the association (The Laws of Game), which lays out the soccer throw in rules, dictates that a player cannot score a goal directly from a throw-in.
The player taking the throw-in can throw the ball at the opposing team’s goal but if no other player touches the ball and it ends up in the net, the referee will restart the game with a goal kick or a corner kick.
Can You Score if Another Player Touches the Ball After a Throw-in?
Players can technically score a throw in goal if any other player on the field (including the goalkeeper) touches the ball before it goes into the goal.
In this case, the ball doesn’t directly go into the net, which is allowed under the game’s rules, and the goal will go to the name of whoever touched the ball before it went into the net– not the player who took the throw-in.
For example, if the goalkeeper touches the ball before it enters the goal he’s defending, it will be marked as an own goal.
What do the Rules say About Scoring from a Throw-in?
If a player attempts to score a goal directly from a throw-in, regardless of whether the ball enters their own goal or the opponent’s goal, the opposing team will be awarded a goal kick (if the balls enters the opponents’ goal) or a corner kick (if the ball enters the thrower’s goal).
The main reason why the answer to ‘can a goal be scored directly from a throw in?’ is no is because in football using your hands in the game is an offence.
A throw-in is one of the few times that players can use their hands in the game – and even then they’re not technically inside the field.
Any other play where the ball touches the hands of a player is not allowed. Even if a goalkeeper manages to throw the ball into the opposing team’s goal from their penalty area, the team will not be awarded a goal.
This essentially makes scoring a goal directly from a throw-in an offence.
Conclusion
In football, scoring the goal directly from a throw-in is an offence because the game doesn’t allow players (including goalkeepers) to use their hands except in certain circumstances (for example, to take a throw-in).
The only way to score a goal from a throw-in is if another player touches the ball before it enters the goal and even then it’s not the player who took the throw-in that scored it.
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FAQ:
When does a throw-in occur in soccer?
A team is awarded a throw-in when the ball leaves the field from the sides and the last one to touch it was a player from the opposing team.
Is it legal to score from a throw-in?
A goal that’s scored directly from a throw-in will not be confirmed. When that happens, the referee will restart the game with a goal kick or a corner kick.
Can you score your own goal from a throw-in?
Players cannot score a goal from a throw-in directly, regardless of whether the ball ends up in their goal or not. If they do, the referee will give the ball to the other team.
Can you score from a keeper’s throw?
The rule applies to goalkeepers as well– they can only score a goal if they kick the ball, but not by throwing it into the opponents’ net.
Can a goalie pick up the ball from a throw-in?
The only way a goalkeeper can pick up the ball with his hands from a throw-in is when the throw-in is taken by a player from the opposite team. If the goalkeeper uses their hands to pick up a ball thrown by his teammate from a throw-in, the opposing team will be awarded a free kick.
Can you score from a throw-in in football?
Players cannot score a goal directly from a throw-in unless another player touches the ball before it enters the goal.