Why are hands banned everywhere else?
Two questions a child can ask in play, and why the throw-in is allowed.
See the hands ruleFootball Throw-In Technique for Kids: How to Teach It
Skill-Building Games
A throw-in is the one time an outfield player's hands are meant to touch the ball.
To teach football throw-in technique for kids, give your child four things to remember and let the ball wait until the shape feels easy with no ball at all.
For a long time I cheered the longest throws in our garden, however they were made. Then I read Law 15 and found that my favourite, one hand and a little hop, broke it in two places. I had been coaching distance because distance is easy to see. This is how to teach a child a throw-in at home, with a skipping rope for a touchline.
Start here
How to Teach a Child a Throw-In: The Short Answer
Good football throw-in technique for kids comes down to four steps: face the pitch, keep part of each foot on the ground, take the ball back behind the head and throw it with both hands over the top (Law 15 of the Laws of the Game on the throw-in, the FA's copy of Law 15). Check first whether your child's matches use throw-ins at all, because England Football's basic rules for 2026-27 have under-7s to under-10s passing or dribbling the ball in from the sideline, with throw-ins from under-11s (England Football's 3v3 page, 5v5 page, 7v7 page). Schools and leagues vary, so ask whoever runs yours.
- Face the pitch.
- Keep part of each foot on the line or on the ground outside it.
- Take the ball back behind the head.
- Throw with both hands over the head, then let go.
No study I found tests the best way to teach this to a child, so the steps are the Law's words and some coaching habits, not a proven method.
The practice takes five minutes, a skipping rope or towel for a touchline and a size 3 ball or lighter.
Check this before you practise
Throw-In Rules for Young Children: What England Football Says by Age
England Football sets the sideline restart by match format, and for 2026-27 the youngest formats do not use throw-ins. This table comes from its coaching pages published on 8 December 2025.
| Format | Age group | Sideline restart | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3v3 | Under-7s | Pass or dribble in | England Football Learning |
| 5v5 | Under-8s and under-9s | Pass or dribble in | England Football Learning |
| 7v7 | Under-10s | Pass or dribble in | England Football Learning |
| 7v7 | Under-11s | Throw-ins | England Football Learning |
| 9v9 | Under-12s and under-13s | Throw-ins | England Football Learning |
| 11v11 | Under-14s and above | Throw-ins | England Football Learning |
A pass-in or dribble-in puts the ball back on the pitch with the foot, not the hands. England Football brought it in for under-7s to under-9s from the 2024-25 season (England Football's 2024 announcement), and says it gives the player in possession a decision to make, pass it in or dribble it in (England Football's FAQ on kick-ins).
So a child who plays club matches in England at those ages may never take a throw-in on a Sunday. It still turns up in school and playground games, in family kickabouts and at the step up to under-11s. Schools, other nations and some leagues do it differently, so ask whoever runs yours.
I read these rules on England Football's own pages, and they change by season, so treat the table as a starting point. The hands rule behind all this is in why hands are not allowed in football.
The Law, one step at a time
Football Throw-In Technique for Kids: The Four Steps
Law 15 sets out what the thrower must do at the moment of releasing the ball (IFAB's Law 15, the FA's copy). The words in quotes are the Law's own.
- 1
Face the pitch. The thrower must "stand facing the field of play" (IFAB). Standing side-on is the quickest way to drift into a one-handed push, so start square to the garden.
- 2
Feet on the ground. The thrower must "have part of each foot on the touchline or on the ground outside the touchline" (IFAB). Dragging the back toe along the grass is a coaching cue to keep a foot down, not the Law (one coaching site's throw-in guide).
- 3
Ball back behind the head. Hold the ball with a hand on each side, fingers spread like a W, and take it right back with the elbows out (coaching guide, a UK coaching site). This is where most children cut the throw short.
- 4
Two hands over, then let go. The throw is "with both hands from behind and over the head from the point where it left the field of play" (IFAB). Both arms move together and the hands follow through.
If it goes wrong, the throw goes to the other team. If the ball touches the ground before it enters the pitch, the same team throws again, and the thrower must not touch it again until another player has (IFAB, the FA).
A foul throw is not a free kick, so there is nothing to explain beyond "their turn". For free kicks proper, see how to explain fouls and free kicks to a child. One academy uses a memory cue, "face, feet, two hands, behind and over" (an academy's throw-in cue).
Five minutes, one rope
How to Teach a Child a Throw-In: A No-Ball Rehearsal, Then Throwing to Feet
To teach throw-in technique, take the ball away first. Lay a skipping rope or a towel on the grass as the touchline, and let each stage wait until the one before feels easy. Accuracy comes before power (a coaching article on the throw-in, a UK coaching site).
- 1
No ball. Stand with toes on the rope, facing the garden. Both hands go behind the head as if holding a ball, then throw an invisible one over the rope, five in a row, saying "face, feet, back, over" (coaching guide, academy cue).
- 2
Throw to my feet. Use a size 3 ball or lighter, and foam is fine (England Football's ball size FAQ). The adult stands three paces in, hands low, and the child throws so the ball lands at the adult's feet. Five throws, then a rest.
- 3
Hold, then step back. Move back one pace only after five legal throws in a row. If one breaks a step, start the count again, and stop after a few minutes.
"Shall we do five with no ball first? Feet on the rope, ball back, two hands over."
If a throw breaks a step: "That one would go to the other team. Shall we go again?"
When the throws land at your feet, stop the ball with your foot and pass it back, which turns the practice into the simple passing game for beginners.
No study I found shows that home practice cuts foul throws in matches, so judge it by whether the shape looks easier.
Spot it, fix one thing
Foul Throws: What You See and How to Fix It
Fix one thing at a time, in this order, and let the rest wait for another day.
| What you see | What Law 15 says | One fix |
|---|---|---|
| One hand, or a one-handed push | The throw is with both hands (IFAB). | A hand on each side of the ball, fingers spread like a W (coaching guide, UK coaching site). |
| A hop, or a back foot that lifts | Part of each foot on the touchline or the ground outside (IFAB). | Drag the back toe along the grass (coaching guide). |
| The ball comes from the chest or the side | From behind and over the head (IFAB). | Take the ball right back, elbows out (coaching guide). |
| A foot lands inside the pitch | Part of each foot on the touchline or outside it (IFAB). | Start with toes on the rope and keep them there until the ball has gone. |
| The ball bounces before the pitch | The same team throws again (IFAB, the FA). | Throw at the feet of a close target, one pace at a time. |
A little extra height or distance is not the point, and a clean short throw beats a wild long one (coaching article).
What is known and what is not
What the Sources Say About Throw-Ins
Law 15 of the Laws of the Game on the throw-in (2026/27) and the FA's copy of Law 15 set out the procedure. They say a throw taken incorrectly goes to the other team, the same team throws again if the ball touches the ground before entering the pitch, and the thrower touching it a second time before another player gives an indirect free kick. The Law is written for matches and says nothing about teaching a child.
England Football Learning's format pages (3v3, 5v5, 7v7, 9v9, 11v11) give pass or dribble in for 3v3, 5v5 and under-10s at 7v7, and throw-ins for under-11s at 7v7, 9v9 and 11v11. The under-7s to under-9s rule dates from 2024 (England Football's 2024 announcement). This is England grassroots guidance published on 8 December 2025 for the 2026-27 season, not a rule for schools, other nations or every league, and rules change by season. One search summary suggested under-11s also pass in, which England Football's own 7v7 page does not say, so this page follows the primary source.
The coaching pages (one, two, three, four) offer the rear-toe drag, the W grip, the no-ball rehearsal and accuracy over power. They are experience-based, mostly American and untested in trials, and the cues are habits, not the Law.
The 2026 scoping review of the football throw-in screened 1,676 articles, included 33 and found the throw-in is the most frequent interruption in matches. Only the abstract was seen, through a search result, so I cannot say how many studies involve children, and a scoping review maps research without testing teaching methods.
No source I found tests how best to teach a child's throw-in, and none measures injuries from throw-in practice. I would rather say these cues are coaching habits than pretend a trial picked them.
Quick answers
Common Questions About Teaching a Throw-In
How do I teach a child to do a throw-in?
Four steps from Law 15: face the pitch, part of each foot on the ground, ball back behind the head, two hands over and let go (IFAB). Rehearse with no ball first, then throw to your feet from three paces.
Do children take throw-ins in England?
In England Football's basic rules for 2026-27, under-7s to under-10s pass or dribble in from the sideline, and throw-ins start at under-11s (3v3, 5v5, 7v7). Schools and leagues vary, so ask yours.
What makes a throw-in a foul throw?
Not facing the pitch, a foot with no part on the line or the ground outside it, or not using both hands from behind and over the head (IFAB). The throw then goes to the other team (the FA).
Can a child lift their back foot?
The Law needs part of each foot on the touchline or the ground outside it (IFAB). Coaching pages say a lifted foot is the commonest fault, and dragging the back toe is a habit that keeps it down (one, two).
Can the thrower touch the ball again?
Not until another player has touched it, or the other team gets an indirect free kick (IFAB, the FA).
What ball should a child practise with?
A size 3 ball is the match ball for the youngest formats (England Football's ball size FAQ), and a lighter foam ball is easier to throw and kinder to a face. There is no tested weight for a child.
Keep going
Where to Go From Here
Three places to go next, depending on what you want. The other restarts off the goal line are covered in corners and goal kicks explained for a child.
Want a pass that travels further?
Three fixes for a pass that runs out of power.
See the distance fixesWant the whole Skill-Building Games shelf?
More short, calm games for one skill at a time.
See Skill-Building GamesTonight's five minutes
Five throws with no ball.
Lay a skipping rope or a towel on the grass for a touchline. Stand with your child, toes on the rope, and do five throws with no ball at all, saying face, feet, back, over. If the shape feels easy, pick up a size 3 ball and throw five more to your feet.