The Long Throw-In: Football's Underrated Weapon

A long throw-in follows the same IFAB Law 15 rules as any throw-in: both feet on or behind the touchline, both hands on the ball, ball delivered from behind and over the head.

The "long throw" specialist generates 30-40 metres of distance using the run-up, the wind-up, and full body extension. Famous practitioners (Delap, Joe Hodge, certain Brentford players) can hit 40+ metres consistently. The standard senior throw-in is 15-20 metres — half the range.

Three structural advantages compound:

• No offside. Attackers can position anywhere in the box without the offside trap. This shifts defensive responsibility onto the back-line individuals — they have to physically engage rather than let the offside flag handle it.
• Long-throw delivery is harder to clear than a cross. A throw-in arrives flatter and faster than a typical inswinging cross; goalkeepers find it harder to claim, and the ball stays in dangerous areas longer.
• Second-ball value. The crowded box creates many second-ball opportunities. Teams that win second balls add 0.05-0.10 xG per long throw on average.

Across the top 5 European leagues, set-piece data shows:

• Goals per long throw. ~3-5% conversion rate — comparable to a corner kick.
• xG per long throw. ~0.04-0.07 xG per delivery — slightly lower than a typical corner but volume matters.
• Goals scored from long throws by long-throw specialist teams. Stoke 2008-13 averaged 8-12 long throws per match; Sheffield United 2019-20 averaged 6-9.
• Combined with set-pieces. Teams with a long-thrower + set-piece coach (Brentford under Thomas Frank) post the highest set-piece xG per match in elite leagues.

The history of the long throw includes some recognisable names:

• Rory Delap (Stoke City, 2008-13). The defining modern long-thrower. Delap's throws hit the penalty area from 38-42 metres. Stoke scored 50+ goals from his throws across five seasons.
• Joe Hodge (Wolves academy, 2024-25). Modern long-throw specialist. 40m+ range. Brentford-coached.
• Tony Pulis's teams (multiple clubs). Pulis built squads around long-throw specialists wherever he managed.
• Kim Källström (Arsenal, 2014). Threw long during a brief loan spell — was identified as a long-throw target despite never being known for it.
• Vinny Jones (Wimbledon, 1980s-90s). A pre-modern long-thrower; the original "Crazy Gang" tactical innovation.
• Jose Salomon Rondon (West Brom, 2015-18). Used a long-throw routine that produced multiple goals.

Three defensive principles:

• Match the height in the back-line. A defender shorter than the long-thrower's target striker is a guaranteed conceded contact.
• Goalkeeper command. The goalkeeper must claim or punch crosses aggressively — staying on the line is a goal conceded.
• Block the wind-up. Some teams allow a single defender to obstruct the throw-in itself (legal under Law 15) to disrupt the throw-distance.
• Mark the second ball. The first ball is contested by the back-line; the second ball is a midfielder's job. Teams that lose long-throw goals usually lose them on the second ball.

Three principles:

• Strength training. Long throws come from full-body extension — back, hip, shoulder. The thrower must train pull-up strength, lat development, and rotational core power.
• Run-up consistency. Most long-throwers use a 4-8 step run-up. Inconsistency in the run-up produces erratic distance.
• Targeting practice. Drill landing the ball at specific zones (near-post, far-post, six-yard box) repeatedly. Throwing far is half; throwing accurately is the other half.

Around 2018-22, several Premier League sides re-discovered the long throw as a tactical weapon. The Brentford set-piece coaching renaissance under Thomas Frank explicitly trained the technique. By 2024-25, more than 8 Premier League sides had a designated long-throw specialist on the team-sheet — a return to a tactic that had been dormant since the Stoke years.