Soccer Throw In - Turn a throw in into a goal scoring opportunity

In this section we will cover some basic soccer throw in techniques and common offensive strategies that can turn a seemingly insignificant throw in into a good scoring opportunity.

A throw in occurs whenever the ball goes out of bonds on the sides of the pitch, rendering the team who didn't touch the ball last possession. And statistically, a team will have an average of 26 throw in opportunities during a match, might as well make good use of them, either to gain possession in play, or to create scoring chances.

Throw ins are usually taken by the left or right back, however if the situation calls for a quick throw, any player that is nearer to the ball should take it. But in static situations where you want to turn your throw in into a positional attack, the left and right backs should always be the ones to take the throw.

Standard Soccer Throw In Methods

Short Throw Ins – For a short throw in, keep your feet close together, with your entire sole on the ground. Grab the ball with both hands, bring it over your head and throw it to your free man using your elbows. Make sure you don't throw the ball on either side of your head and make sure your heels are down on the ground at all times, since otherwise the ref will call a miss-throw and award possession (through another throw in from the same spot) to the opposing team.

Long Throw Ins - For long throw ins, you will want to move back from the line and take a few steps to allow yourself to charge up your throw in with power. Run forward, planting one foot on the line (heels down, again) and at the same time, throwing the ball with full force using your shoulders and elbows. The other foot can either be dragged on the ground or planted next to the first one, as long as it touches the ground.

You can use your body to gain some extra power in your throw in, arching your back before the throw and bringing it back quickly exactly when you release the ball. If you have a player with good strength, you can allow him to turn throw-ins near the opposing team's box into accurate crosses.

Soccer Throw In Techniques

One of the basic soccer throw in technique is the crossover: it involves two players close to the throw in spot switching places, in order to confuse the defenders and give your team a chance to gain possession in play.

Another less used soccer throw in technique is the so-called "trick throw in". When the thrower has no free player to pass the ball to, he calls in a secondary player near him, faking a tactical discussion. When this secondary player backs away from the thrower, he throws the ball in the player's back, gaining possession himself.

If you don't have a player that can take throw ins all the way to the penalty box in your offensive third, a good tactic is to have a good crosser take the throw. He will pass the ball to a teammate, who will one-touch the ball back to the thrower, who in turn will have to cross the ball into the penalty box with a single touch.

Quick Links to Basic Soccer Techniques:
Soccer Dribbling | Soccer Free Kicks | Soccer Goalie Tips | Soccer Heading | Soccer Corner Kicks | Soccer Juggling | Soccer Passing | Soccer Shielding | Soccer Shooting | Soccer Tackling | Soccer Throw In | Soccer Trapping