Throw-in in Football: How Did It Turn Into a Genuine Goal-Scoring Weapon?
Historically speaking, throw-ins in football have been a formality to restart the play after the ball crossed the touchline. While corners and free kicks were seen as genuine goalscoring chances and thus commanded meticulous planning and specialised training, the throw-ins were largely dismissed as low-percentage opportunities.
From a fan’s perspective, other set pieces have always attracted attention as well, especially free kicks. These often produce spectacular goals, and players who regularly score them, such as Messi or Ronaldo, become global icons. You see them on TV, gamers pick them in football video games, and they drive the popularity of the sport itself. If you enjoy casino games and sometimes spin a few football-themed slots or try one of the bonuses reviewed by experts at https://legalcasino.uk/bonuses/, you’ve probably come across symbols featuring top scorers and free-kick specialists.
What you won’t see very often is a top throw-in taker. However, this may soon change, as this once-ignored restart has recently evolved into a legitimate attacking weapon. The numbers tell a compelling story. During the 2024/25 Premier League season, throw-ins directly contributed to 20 goals. This was a dramatic surge compared to the average of six goals per season in previous years. Top clubs have even started hiring throw-in specialists to build systems around these moments.
Let’s take a closer look at how this evolution happened and why clubs are now treating the throw-in as a real part of their attacking strategy.
The First Pioneers of the Long Throw-in
To create a scoring chance following a throw-in, the footballer (usually a full-back or winger) has to launch the ball from the touchline all the way into the penalty box. While long throws have existed since football's early days, their tactical renaissance can be traced to a specific moment: UEFA Euro 2016. Iceland's impressive run through the tournament, reaching the quarter-final and beating England along the way, fortified throw-ins as a coordinated attacking strategy rather than a desperate aerial gamble. The Icelandic players would approach throw-ins methodically, executing practised routines that transformed the restart of the game into a dangerous scoring chance. The wide players would throw the ball into the penalty box, with the midfielders and strikers fighting for possession. This success captured the imagination of coaches across the world, who started viewing the throw-in as an under-utilised set piece.
However, Iceland cannot be considered the pioneers of this strategy. Nearly a decade earlier, Stoke City had already demonstrated the potency of weaponised throw-ins through Rory Delap, whose long throw-ins became iconic. Delap's ability to launch the ball into the penalty area with the speed and accuracy of a corner kick resulted in 25 goals across four seasons. Still, this figure was seen as something extraordinary rather than a tactic that could
be implemented at large through dedicated training. What Stoke City utilised through Delap's unique ability became a valid football tactic only thanks to Iceland, who did it at the highest European stage.
The Modern Practitioners
Clubs across the world are now giving more attention to throw-ins in an attacking context. However, it is in the Premier League where the embrace of throw-ins is the most noticeable. Crystal Palace has specifically emerged as perhaps the most sophisticated practitioner, earning the reputation of the league's best user of the long throw-in. The Eagles led the Premier League in terms of goals scored after throw-ins.
Meanwhile, larger clubs like Newcastle United, Everton and Liverpool also found the net from throws, signalling that this tactical evolution has spread beyond a handful of early adopters to become standard practice across the division.
The Man Behind the Movement
Thomas Gronnemark stands at the heart of this transformation. The former Danish athlete holds the Guinness World Record for the longest throw-in. He is also the most prominent throw-in coach and a figure who has professionalised what was once ignored in training sessions. Gronnemark's philosophy is clear and simple: throw-ins should be long, fast, and clever. His work with Liverpool, Brentford, and FC Midtjylland has produced measurable results, dramatically improving teams' ability to both retain possession from throws and create scoring chances.
Under Gronnemark's guidance, Liverpool significantly improved their throw-in possession statistics, particularly under defensive pressure—a metric that directly correlates with winning matches. His methods extend beyond simply increasing throwing distance; they encompass positioning, movement patterns, and decision-making that turn a routine restart into a possession advantage or attacking opportunity.
A New Look at the Throw-In
The emergence of the throw-in as a goalscoring weapon reflects the broader trends of modern football. First, the fact that teams are looking to turn every bit of possession into an advantage. Second, the willingness to challenge traditional assumptions of the sport. And third, the recognition that specialised coaches can unlock competitive advantages in previously overlooked areas.Throw-ins are no longer a formality. The smartest teams have learned to use them as a weapon, and soon everyone will follow suit.
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