Substitute taking a throw-in before entering field

[TheRef]

Bit of an unusual one today, Black vs Blue - Black are Semi Pro, Blue are the u20s team of a Senior team.

I was AR1 on technical area side, ball went out for throw to Black and they made a substitution before the restart. The sub picked up the ball before he entered the FOP to take the throw so I said to him that he can't take the throw because he hasn't entered the field yet. Player looked at me. shrugged his shoulders and then gave the ball to a team mate to take the throw. He then entered the FOP.

Couple of minutes later, Blue manager asks me why he wasn't allowed to take the throw and I explained to him about him not having been on the FOP so he can't take the throw. Blue manager had never heard of that, so he said that he had learned something and we both moved on.

I was wondering later on after the game that if the sub had taken a couple of steps on the FOP and then returned to take the throw then it would be legal for him to do so? I can't find anything in the Laws that say he can't do this as the Laws just say that he cannot take a throw/corner unless he has set foot on the field.

 

[RegalRef]

The quick answer is yes.

He steps onto FOP, substitution is complete, he takes throw.

 

[Matthew]

If I remember rightly, this happened at Spurs a few weeks back.

Kyle Walker (?) had gone off for treatment and tried to take a throw in, the ref stopped him and made him step onto the FOP and off again before he took the throw. Once he's stepped onto the pitch, he can take the throw.

 

[TheRef]

If I remember rightly, this happened at Spurs a few weeks back.

Kyle Walker (?) had gone off for treatment and tried to take a throw in, the ref stopped him and made him step onto the FOP and off again before he took the throw. Once he's stepped onto the pitch, he can take the throw.

I remember seeing it in a game recently, I think it was an international but not sure. The sub ran down the touchline without entering the FOP and took a corner and the referee did nothing about it. It was brought up later in some post match analysis.

 

[Padfoot]

Law 3 is where you need to look.
The substitution isn't complete until the oncoming player has stepped onto the field of play.

 

[CapnBloodbeard]

It's the sort of thing where you know it's a little pedantic, so you can try to handle it with a smile and a 'just step onto the field first, will you? thanks player'. They'll probably be a little bemused but no big deal.

I've seen a lot of referees say that a substitute cannot take the TI at the restart where he comes on - this is incorrect.

It sounds pedantic, but what if that sub hasn't stepped onto the field, is about the take the throw-in, somebody behind him says something offensive and he punches that spectator? Yes, that has happened to a colleague of mine (not sure about the stepping onto the field part, but the rest of it). There are a number of other, more likely ways a sub can earn a red card immediately.

If that happens, he's not a player as he hasn't entered the field - so you need to allow him to be replaced. You can imagine how well that will go down - but if the other team know their laws and you don't allow him to be replaced, then you've just broken the laws in a manner that could affect the match result, so you've stuffed yourself no matter what you do.

 

[AlexF]

I remember seeing it in a game recently, I think it was an international but not sure. The sub ran down the touchline without entering the FOP and took a corner and the referee did nothing about it. It was brought up later in some post match analysis.

That was the France v England game.

And in that case, the sub stepped onto the FOP right at half, and then ran on the line (and eventually outside of it) to the corner flag for the corner.

Most video footage only showed him from the waist up, but there was another angle shown that showed him step onto the field with his left foot, then pivot on it to run down the line.

 

[Markt]

Some players do actually know about this one, although some are confused about it. I had a player in a county league game proudly tell me "they're going to do something illegal, I'll tell you what it is afterwards" when the opponents were making a substitution while waiting to take a free kick on the edge of the PA. The sub came on and took the kick. The player was adamant that this was not allowed, even though the player had run 60 yards onto the fop from the technical area to the ball.