What is a throw-in in soccer?

Here is what trips up most newcomers: the throw-in has surprisingly strict rules for what looks like a simple chuck back into play. The thrower must use both hands, deliver the ball from behind and over the head in one continuous motion, and keep part of both feet on or behind the sideline (called the "touchline") and on the ground at the moment of release. Lift a foot, fling the ball with one hand, or release it from in front of your face, and the referee calls a "foul throw" and simply hands possession to the other team. No card, no drama, just a turnover.

Whoever last touched the ball before it fully crossed the line concedes the throw, and the opponents restart from roughly that spot. A couple of things often surprise Americans. You cannot score directly from a throw-in, and there is no offside on one, which is why teams sometimes use a long, towel-dried "rocket" throw to launch the ball deep into the box like a corner kick.

The rule exists because the early laws needed a tidy way to restart play from the touchline without handing either side a free kicking advantage. The two-handed, both-feet-down requirement keeps it fair and clearly distinct from every other restart in the game, the lone moment an outfield player is invited to use their hands.