Throw-In Plays for Youth Soccer

01 · See it

Watch the check, then choose

Blue has a throw-in just past halfway, nine against nine. Red sits in a mid-block with a man on each Blue player near the ball. Nobody is open yet, which is the problem every throw-in has. The throw is in the middle third on purpose, where a lost ball costs most and a kept one helps most (my choice, not a sourced rule). Watch No.2 pick up the ball and not throw it. Gronnemark says “the worst thing is throwing quickly into a high-pressure zone”.³ Then watch No.8 check away and come back. Harves describes the same idea: a receiver can move away from the thrower and then come back, so a defender has to reposition.¹ Freeze when No.8 is a step clear. Where does the ball go?

Blue has a throw-in just past halfway, nine against nine. Red is still getting set. Nobody is open yet. Watch what the receiver does before the ball is thrown.

Freeze. Where does the ball go?

Ask your players before you show them. Tap an option to play it out.

Pass or throw
Our run
Red moves
Cue word
Us (Blue) · Them (Red)

Open it on your board (Pro): Move first, then throw to feet Throw back to No.6 Down the line, at once

Read the sequence as text

Setup

Blue has a throw-in just past halfway, nine against nine. Red is still getting set. Nobody is open yet. Watch what the receiver does before the ball is thrown.

The pause and the check

No.2 picks up the ball and holds it behind his head. Red sets: its near-side defender on No.7, its near-side midfielder on No.8, and a striker between No.6 and the ball. Nobody is open yet, so No.2 does not rush.
No.8 checks away upfield, and Red’s near-side midfielder steps with him. No.7 holds the touchline and keeps Red’s near-side defender busy.
Then No.8 checks back toward the thrower, and Red’s near-side midfielder is a step late. No.6 steps up side-on, behind the ball, as the safe option.

The freeze

Freeze. No.8 has come back toward the ball, a step clear of Red’s near-side midfielder. No.7 is marked by Red’s near-side defender with his back half to goal. No.6 is free, but behind the thrower. The ball is still behind No.2’s head. Where does it go?

A. Move first, then throw to feet

Best answer: move first, then throw to feet. No.8 has just left his marker, and the thrower is a real option after the throw, so the move stays alive. Harves lists the return to the thrower, who steps into the field and takes the ball back, as a basic option.¹ Bradbury says most kids can tell you which teammate is close enough and which one is in the biggest space.² A low ball to feet is easy to control: Cupello says to aim at a specific target, such as a teammate’s chest or feet.⁹

No.2 throws low and firm to No.8’s feet and steps onto the pitch. Red’s near-side midfielder is a step late, and Red’s near-side defender turns to watch the ball.
No.8 plays it first time back to No.2, who has stepped onto the pitch. Red’s near-side defender stepped toward the ball, so No.7 runs into the space behind him.
No.2 plays it down the line into the space. Thrower, No.8 and No.7 have made the triangle, and Red’s near-side defender is a step behind.
No.7 takes it forward with No.9 arriving and No.8 close behind. Blue kept the ball from a throw-in and is now attacking. The gain came from the check, not the arm.

B. Throw back to No.6

Safe, and sometimes right. Here it wastes the throw. Blue keeps the ball, but Red has stepped up, and the attack starts again from the middle. Harves lists a throw backward as an option, but only when the receiver is not covered and no opponent is close enough to intercept.¹ My view: it is the right choice when Red is pressing the thrower, and a poor one when a free player is one check away.

No.2 throws back to No.6, who is free. Red steps up as a block: a striker closes the ball, and the rest follow.
No.6 turns it back to No.5. Possession is kept, but the throw gained nothing, and the attack starts again from the middle.
Red drops back into shape. The ball is safe and nothing has changed: Blue still needs a free player.

C. Down the line, at once

Avoid: the throw goes to a marked, standing player. Nobody has moved, so No.7 receives with Red’s near-side defender on his back and the touchline beside him, and Red steps through. Bradbury describes the habit of shouting “throw it down the line” whatever the scene, and says what he sees is one attacker surrounded by five defenders with no chance of keeping the ball (his observation, not a statistic).² Harves’s down-the-line throw starts with the receiver’s run: he starts near the thrower, runs upfield, and is led by a low, hard ball.¹ Harves also names a hard first touch toward the sideline as a common mistake.¹

No.2 throws it straight down the line before anyone has moved. No.7 takes it with his back to goal and the touchline beside him. Red’s near-side defender steps through.
Red’s near-side defender wins it. No.7 had a defender in front of him, the line behind him, and no teammate close enough to help.
Red plays it forward at once, and Blue has to turn and chase. The ball Blue threw is now a Red attack.

02 · Say it

Three shouts for the throw-in

Three words are enough. Teach them in training and use only those on match day. They are my own wording, not a youth standard, and each one packs in an idea from a named source. Tap a card to see when to say it.

CUE 01

“Move first!”

when to say it

SHOUT IT WHEN

The thrower, or any teammate, calls it before the ball leaves his hands: somebody gets free, then I throw. It also gives the thrower permission to wait. Harves says he does not have to throw at once if he sees something wrong, such as a covered receiver, and may stop and reset, as long as the referee does not see it as an intentional delay.¹ Under the Law, unfair delay can start a five-second count.⁵ Cupello says to get players talking about where they want the ball thrown.⁹ In the pattern it is No.8’s check, away and back.

CUE 02

“Feet!”

when to say it

SHOUT IT TO THE THROWER

Low, firm, to the feet. Cupello says to aim at a specific target, such as a teammate’s chest or feet,⁹ and Harves says a throw-in is a service: the ball should go to the receiver in the way that is easiest for him to control.¹ Bradbury says throw-ins hurt the game when players cannot yet deal with a flighted or bouncing ball.² In the pattern it is the throw to No.8.

CUE 03

“Triangle!”

when to say it

SHOUT IT WHEN

The thrower has two teammates within a pass, and he steps onto the pitch as the third. Harves lists a return pass to the thrower, who steps into the field right after the throw, as a basic option.¹ The Law allows it: the thrower must not touch the ball again until another player has touched it, and the receiver has.⁵ In the pattern it is No.2 after the throw.

03 · Play it

Games that reward moving first

Make a game where moving before the throw is the easiest way to keep the ball. Each rung adds one rule. Move up when the group handles a rung without your help, and stay put if you have to remind them every time. The scoring rules and “ready when” signs are my own design, built on the Harves, Bradbury, Cupello and Gronnemark material.^1,2,9,3 Check your league’s rules first.

Rules to check first

Formats. US Soccer’s maximum formats are 4v4 for U7–U8, 7v7 for U9–U10, 9v9 for U11–U12 and 11v11 from U13.¹⁰ England’s formats from 2026–27 are 3v3 at U7, 5v5 at U8–U9, 7v7 at U10–U11, 9v9 at U12–U13 and 11v11 from U14.¹¹ England’s bands sit about a year older.
The sideline restart in the US. US Soccer’s 4v4 standards list throw-ins among the restarts, and also say “Kick-ins and/or dribble-ins are also acceptable as restarts when the ball has gone out over the sidelines”. In 4v4, opponents stay 10 feet away on all restarts.⁸ The 7v7 and 9v9 decks list Law 15, the throw-in, among the standard Laws.⁸
The sideline restart in England. The 2025/26 FA handbook said U7–U10 would use a pass-in or dribble-in instead of a throw-in. The ball is stationary on the touchline, opponents stay at least 5 yards away, the kicker may touch it again before another player does, and a goal cannot be scored directly from a pass-in.⁶ For 2026–27, England Football Learning’s 7v7 page says “Either pass or dribble in for sideline restarts (U10s), throw-ins (U11s)”.⁷ Its 5v5 page says pass or dribble in,¹² and its 9v9 page lists throw-ins.¹³ I did not re-check the 2026–27 pass-in details, so treat the handbook as a guide and ask your league.
The Law. At the moment of the throw, the thrower faces the field, has part of each foot on or behind the touchline, and throws with both hands “from behind and over the head”. Opponents stand at least 2 m (2 yards) away. An improper throw goes to the other team, and the thrower may not touch the ball again until another player has.⁵ A goal cannot be scored directly from a throw-in,⁵ and a player receiving the ball directly from one cannot be offside.⁴ If a player unfairly delays a throw-in, the referee can start a five-second count.⁵
Heading. A low throw to feet also stays inside the heading rules. US Soccer’s deck says heading is not allowed in 7v7, and in 9v9 it is not allowed at U11.⁸ The U11–U12 guide limits U12 heading practice to 30 minutes a week and 15–20 headers per player a week.¹⁴ England’s 7v7 format has no heading.⁷ Check your league.
Teaching age. US Youth Soccer’s Skills School manual lists the throw-in among its U8 skills.¹⁵ Bradbury argues for a skill progression first: dribbling, passing, first touch, then balls in the air. Until players can deal with a flighted or bouncing ball, he says, “perhaps a pass in or dribble in is more helpful”.² That is why the U8 ladder below uses the pass-in.
Your league. Rules vary by league and state. Soccer Coach Weekly suggests that, depending on age and stage, you can agree with the other coach and the referee to give a second try after a foul throw, so the player can learn.¹⁶ Check your rulebook, and agree it before kick-off.

7v7 · keepers · in the US players throw in from here; in England U10s still pass or dribble in and U11s throw in from 2026–27.^8,7 No heading, so keep every throw low. Mark out whatever pitch suits your players.

RUNG 1
Feet Only
Setup. Pairs 5 to 8 yards apart. Adapted from Cupello’s advice to aim at a teammate’s chest or feet,⁹ and Bradbury’s warning about flighted balls.²
Rule · A throw counts only if it reaches the receiver’s feet along the ground or on one bounce.
Ready when most throws land at the feet, not above the head.
RUNG 2
Two Moves
Setup. A normal 7v7.
Rule · At every sideline restart, one player must check away and back before the throw (or pass-in). A goal within ten seconds counts two.
Ready when the check happens without a call.
RUNG 3
Quick Restarts
Setup. Adapted from Soccer Coach Weekly’s “Fast throw-ins” game: a 4v4 in the middle with a boxed player on each side, who picks the ball up and takes a quick throw. The original uses an area of 50×40 yards;¹⁷ shrink it for 7v7 (my numbers).
Rule · A goal must come from the throw.
Ready when several players can take the throw, so nobody waits. As Soccer Coach Weekly puts it, if only one player can throw, it takes time to wait for him to get there.¹⁷

U10 session in Tactico Pro: Print touchline cards Download session PDF Open in the planner

04 · Spot it

What to watch for

Four things to look at from the touchline, and the three mistakes you’ll see first.

Watch for

Did anybody move before the throw? A thrower with every teammate standing still is guessing. Harves says the receiver must be ready to receive and control the ball,¹ and a receiver who starts moving first has a head start.
Does the ball go to feet? Low and firm, not a flighted ball nobody can control.^2,9
Is the throw legal? Both hands, the ball from behind and over the head, part of each foot on or behind the line.⁵ Lifting the back foot is a fault Harves warns about,¹ and an improper throw goes to the other team.⁵
Does the thrower step back on? The return pass is the easy way to keep the ball.¹

Mistakes and the fix

Throwing to a marked, standing playerNobody moved, so nobody is free. Fix: Move first, and the Two Moves rung at U10.

A weak, short throw back that gets interceptedHarves says a throw backward must be forceful and go to the feet, not short or soft, because those are easier to intercept.¹ Fix: Feet, and the Feet Only rung at U10.

The coach calls every throwBradbury says the habit of shouting “throw it down the line” takes the decision away from the player.² Fix: the Choose It rung at U12.

Touchline rule. Praise the player who moved and did not get the ball. Ask the thrower “Who was free?”

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Questions

Coaches ask

Can you score directly from a throw-in?

No. The Law says “A goal cannot be scored directly from a throw-in”.⁵ England’s mini-soccer pass-in has the same rule.⁶

Is there offside from a throw-in?

No. There is no offside offence if a player receives the ball directly from a throw-in.⁴ Harves tells coaches to stress this for quick throws, where the nearest player throws and the next-nearest sprints upfield.¹

What age do throw-ins start?

It depends on the country and the league. In England, U7 to U10 used a pass-in or dribble-in in 2025/26,⁶ and in 2026–27 U10s still pass or dribble in while U11s throw in.⁷ In the US, 4v4 allows kick-ins or dribble-ins, and the standard Law is listed from 7v7;⁸ US Youth Soccer’s Skills School introduces the throw-in as a skill at U8.¹⁵

How far must opponents stand?

The Law says at least 2 m (2 yards).⁵ England’s mini-soccer pass-in says 5 yards,⁶ and US 4v4 says 10 feet on all restarts.⁸

What if my players throw it away every time?

Teach the pass-in first, and move to throws when they can control a thrown ball.² Then use the ladders above: feet first, then moving first, then choosing.

Who should take the throw-in?

Harves says young teams should have the nearest wide midfielder take most of them, and the player with the longest throw take them near the end line. As players get older and ball security improves, he says the closest back defender can take them.¹ Soccer Coach Weekly says that at older ages and in bigger formats it is often the full-backs, each on his own side.¹⁶ My note: more than one player should be able to take a quick throw, so nobody waits.¹⁷

Should we use a long throw into the box?

Only with a real thrower and rehearsed runs. At the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2025, FIFA counted 19% of throw-ins in the top quarter of the pitch in the opening 48 matches as long throws into the penalty area.¹⁸ Its later review says “just 2% (4 out of 215) of throw-ins direct to the penalty area resulted in a goal”, and 21% led to an attempt.¹⁹ Those are 17-year-olds at a world tournament, so treat the numbers as context. I found no youth club data.

How do we defend throw-ins?

FIFA’s long-throw analysis says teams need to be coached to defend these throws, because there is no offside from a throw-in and the battle for the second ball after a clearance can be vital.¹⁸ The U14+ ladder has a rung for it. I found no youth source on defending throw-ins.

Is it different in England?

Yes, in age. England uses a pass-in or dribble-in through U10 and throw-ins from U11 in 2026–27,⁷ about two years after the US 7v7 band (U9–U10), where the standard Law is listed.^8,10 The mini-soccer handbook covers England’s heading and offside rules separately.⁶

Keep going

What next

About

How this page was made

Written by Sherif Madkor for Tactico from published federation and coaching sources, which are listed below. The rules come from the FA’s Laws of the Game pages, England Football Learning, the FA’s mini-soccer handbook and US Soccer’s public decks. The diagrams are drawn on the Tactico board. The pattern, the three options, the cue words and the practice ladders are my own teaching design, built on the principles in those sources. No source states “move first, then throw to the free player” as a single rule. Who stands where, and how Red marks, is my teaching model, and no source gives those exact positions. Several sources (Harves, Cupello, Soccer Coach Weekly) are individual coaches or coaching sites, so I used them for ideas and drills, not for rules. The Gronnemark quotes come from a news article, not from Gronnemark himself, and the article has no date. I found no youth data on how often throw-ins keep the ball. The only numbers are from an elite U-17 tournament, and the page uses them as context. Where I couldn’t confirm something, the page says so. Last reviewed 12 November 2026.

Sources

John C. Harves, CoachingAmericanSoccer.com, “Intermediate Throw-Ins” (undated). https://coachingamericansoccer.com/?p=1714
Tim Bradbury (Director of Coaching, Eastern New York Youth Soccer), SoccerWire, “The tragedy of the throw-in” (28 March 2023). https://www.soccerwire.com/soccer-blog/the-tragedy-of-the-throw-in/
David Pavek, Flashscore News, “Long, quick or clever? The art of the throw-in & how football teams turned it into a weapon” (undated; quotes Thomas Gronnemark). https://www.flashscore.com/news/long-quick-or-clever-the-art-of-the-throw-in-how-football-teams-turned-it-into-a-weapon/GE7KsjjA
The FA, “Law 11: Offside”. https://www.thefa.com/football-rules-governance/lawsandrules/laws/football-11-11/law-11---offside
The FA, “Law 15: The throw-in”. https://www.thefa.com/football-rules-governance/lawsandrules/laws/football-11-11/law-15---the-throw-in
The FA, Mini-Soccer and Youth Futsal Handbook (updated August 2025; West Riding FA copy). https://www.thefa.com/-/media/cfa/westridingfa/files/clubs/mini-soccer-handbook-2025.ashx
England Football Learning, “How to play and manage 7v7 games”. https://learn.englandfootball.com/articles-and-resources/coaching/resources/2025/How-to-play-and-manage-7v7-games
U.S. Soccer, Player Development Initiatives deck (2017), Arizona Soccer Association copy. https://www.azsoccerassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/186/2024/08/US-Soccer-Player-Development-Initiatives-PDI.pdf
Dave Clarke, Cupello, “Top tips to maximise throw-ins” (undated). https://my.cupello.com/coaching/advice/top-tips-maximise-throw-ins
U.S. Soccer, “Game formats”. https://www.ussoccer.com/us-way/player-development/game/game-formats
England Football Learning, “What is a format in football” (2026–27). https://learn.englandfootball.com/articles-and-resources/coaching/resources/2022/What-is-a-format-in-football
England Football Learning, “How to play and manage 5v5 games”. https://learn.englandfootball.com/articles-and-resources/coaching/resources/2025/How-to-play-and-manage-5v5-games
England Football Learning, “How to play and manage 9v9 games”. https://learn.englandfootball.com/articles-and-resources/coaching/resources/2025/How-to-play-and-manage-9v9-games
U.S. Soccer, age-group guide U11–U12. https://www.ussoccer.com/us-way/player-development/environment/age-group-guide/u11-u12
US Youth Soccer, 2017 Skills School Manual. https://www.usyouthsoccer.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/160/2023/09/2017-Skills-School-Manual.pdf
Soccer Coach Weekly, “How to take a throw-in” (undated; one free article). https://www.soccercoachweekly.net/coaching-advice/how-to-take-a-throw-in
Soccer Coach Weekly, Keith Boanas, “Fast throw-ins” (small-sided game). https://www.soccercoachweekly.net/drills-and-games/small-sided-games/fast-throw-ins
FIFA Training Centre, FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025, “Long throw-ins direct to the penalty area” (13 November 2025). https://www.fifatrainingcentre.com/en/game/tournaments/fu17wc/2025/long-throw-ins-direct-to-the-penalty-area.php
FIFA Training Centre, FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025, “Part 3: player development trends”. https://www.fifatrainingcentre.com/en/game/tournaments/fu17wc/2025/part-3-player-development-trends.php

Throw-In Plays for Youth Soccer

Watch the check, then choose

Freeze. Where does the ball go?

Setup

The pause and the check

The freeze

A. Move first, then throw to feet

B. Throw back to No.6

C. Down the line, at once

Three shouts for the throw-in

Games that reward moving first

Rules to check first

Pass-In, Two Moves

Look Before You Pass

Dribble or Pass

Feet Only

Two Moves

Quick Restarts

Triangle

Choose It

Who Throws

Signal

Near the Corner

Defend It

What to watch for

Watch for

Mistakes and the fix

Take it to training

Coaches ask

What next

How this page was made

Sources