Lineouts are crucial moments in a football match - it's an opportunity to keep possession of the ball, take advantage of a front flip or, unfortunately, lose possession of the ball. For these reasons, the lineout is one of the most important technical gestures in the game of football. It is also one of the most delicate moments from a nervous point of view: the game stops and everyone's eyes are focused on who is dealing with it. It must be added that many players do not train enough for this phase and here, during a football match, the turnovers on the occasion of a lineout multiply exponentially. Don't worry though! Follow the steps in this article and, with a little practice, you will learn how to take a throw-in like a true professional!
Steps
Step 1. Get the balloon
Unless you are a goalkeeper, there are very few opportunities to catch the ball with your hands during a football match, so enjoy the moment! Grab the ball with both hands and bring it behind your head. The hands should remain "behind" the ball so that the palms push the ball forward during the throw-in. Make sure you have a firm and comfortable grip at the same time.
Step 2. Place your feet in the direction of the pitch
Don't get too close to the sideline, so you can take a run and avoid crossing the line at the time of the throw. Some players keep their feet together, others prefer to keep one in front of the other, but you do as you like. Make sure you are facing in the direction you want to aim the ball or you could risk a tip over from the front.
Step 3. Look carefully at the playing field
Deciding where to direct the ball is the most important aspect. You may need to follow a pattern or just look for a free mate. Once the decision is made, take the throw-in quickly so as not to give the opponents a chance to intercept the ball.
Step 4. Run to the sideline to get rid of the ball
Take a short run (2-4 steps) to give strength to the throw.
Step 5. Arch your back slightly
Do this just before you throw the ball. Many players throw the ball using only their arms, but the power of the throw should come from the back and shoulders, as well as from the run-up.
Step 6. Stand perpendicular to the target and plant your dominant foot firmly on the ground
When throwing, make sure your shoulders are perpendicular to the target - this is crucial to making an accurate shot, and it's necessary to get the ball directly over your head (between your shoulders)., stop running and plant your dominant foot firmly on the ground. When throwing, remember to keep both feet on the ground to prevent a foul being called at you.
Step 7. Release the balloon
Bring your arms up and forward so that your hands, along with the ball, pass directly over your head. At the same time bring your back forward as if it were a spring and drag your back toe behind it. Extend your arms fully and release the ball when it is just behind your head. After you get rid of the ball, keep your head straight and keep looking straight ahead so as not to aim the ball towards the ground.
Step 8. Get back on the court
You have just taken the throw-in - and it is assumed that you have handed the ball to a teammate - enter the field to help your team score. If you unfortunately gave the ball to your opponents, come back to retrieve the ball.
Advice
- In lineouts, strategic choices are very important. If you are near your goal, you will need to be especially cautious about putting the ball back into play; generally, a short, quick throw is the best choice in these cases. In the middle of the court, try to gain meters by making your team keep possession of the ball; throws the ball to a free teammate, preferably in an advanced position. If you are close to the opponent's goal, try to create an opportunity to score instead. You can't score a goal directly from the lineout, but you can try to get the ball to the center of the area, where your teammate can hit the net. Alternatively, you can take a short throw to serve a teammate who is able to cross the ball in the center of the area. In choosing the strategy to adopt during a lineout, many beginners do not take into consideration the player who throws the ball back into play. When the game resumes, the throw-in is the only free player. In particularly difficult situations, passing the ball to the player who has just put it back into play allows the latter to open the game with a less complicated pass.
- Train regularly for lineouts. Practice is key, and on the pitch you will be much less nervous knowing you can throw the ball accurately.
- Keep your feet on the ground. By lifting your back foot, the referee could call you a foul.
- Taking a run helps to throw the ball farther, but running tends to lift the rear foot. Although it is not a foul - since the foot is lifted after the hands are free of the ball - an unwary referee could evaluate the situation differently; in order to avoid risks, the players have learned to drag the rear toe by taking the throw-in. Sometimes it is a must to make a short and quick throw; in these cases you can do without taking a run, but still take care of the other details.
- Do you want to throw the ball really far? Learn to throw a somersault throw!
- Play cunning. Do you want to pass the ball to a close teammate within walking distance of you? Take the run up as if you wanted to throw the ball away and, at the last moment, take a short throw. Tricks like this can fool opponents by giving your teammates a chance to dodge.
- As soon as you get your hands on the ball, take a quick run, plant your feet close to the sideline and throw. It is important to act quickly to catch opponents unprepared.
Warnings
- If after taking a throw-in you touch the ball before your teammate, the referee will award a free kick to the opposing team.
- The throw-in is canceled and awarded to the opposing team when: one of the feet crosses the sideline, the thrower fails to make a continuous movement with his arms starting from behind the head, the rear foot is lifted off the ground at the moment of release the balloon. In the first two cases, if the referee does not cancel the throw-in, he commits a negligible error; if he does not do it in the third case, he commits a serious one.
- When you throw the ball, your strongest leg should be in the front.
