|| COACHING

Hardy Fuchs // Soccer Coach Emeritus , Kalamazoo College

There was plenty of soccer to watch on TV during the spring and summer of 2023 . It also provided a chance to witness a lot of failed throw-ins , unfortunately .

Anecdotally , there were almost as many attempts landing with the opponent or no better than 50 / 50 balls . I am sure accurate statistics would bear this observation out .

That is a dismal record for professional players . Or for most levels of soccer . Again , there seems to be a higher percentage of completed ground passes ! That is actually hard to understand given the conditions offered the player making the throw-in : The thrower can use the hands which are built for holding and throwing , among similar functions ; there is no pressure nor time constraint . And yet , the results are dismal , and unnecessarily so .

What causes these fails which fans observe regularly ? Circumstantial evidence points to a lack of practicing these situations in training .

When free kicks and corners are taken , it is obvious that they were rehearsed . Throw-ins appear to be executed spontaneously . If , in fact , teams include them in their practices , their training approaches are not effective . Following are some typical executions that end up in failure .

Most of the time , throw-ins are tossed “ offensively ,” i . e ., in the direction of the opponent ’ s goal . That would make sense in American football ( if that sport included throw-ins ) where losing yardage is a no-no . Not so in soccer . Keeping possession of the ball is key even at the loss of real-estate . There are many more back and square passes in soccer than playing the ball through , because through passes are lost more easily .

The opponent , knowing that the throw-in will be directed offensively , has an easier time predicting where and whom to cover .

On top of this give-away information , the thrower also will “ pump ” the ball in the direction of the intended target . And then , inexplicably , throws it there ! That would be the ultimate form of “ telegraphing ”! I must admit I have no explanation why coaches who see the same misguided executions have not done anything to correct these losing efforts .

There are some modifications that would increase the success rate :

» Throw more balls toward your own goal because there will be less coverage by opponents , increasing the probability of keeping ball possession .

» “ Pump ” left , then throw right and mix it up .

» Have a teammate approach the thrower about to toss the ball and say “ Let me take it .” The first player walks away , SLOWLY , and the second player , now with the ball , tosses it into the first player ’ s back to pick up the rebound . The element of surprise is always beneficial and the ball could now be crossed toward goal , like a free kick , where an informed teammate could try a header , staying onside . This long serve already happens when the team has a player who can THROW the ball quite a distance .

Those attempts are always predictable , of course . One disadvantage of the “ intothe-back ” scheme ? It can only be employed once or twice in a game because the opponent will realize what is coming and adjust . In that case , the thrower simply delivers a conventional throw , doing the “ look left , play right ” routine .

A throw-in must end up with a teammate who should be able to control the ball immediately and securely in the majority of attempts . In order to succeed it needs to be practiced regularly like other dead-ball situations !

My hope is that an MLS coach will happen to read this op-ed piece and the fans can enjoy seeing more successful throw-ins , including the “ stab-in-the-back ” ploy ! n

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