Managing the throw-in

Once the Assistant Referee has adjudicated that the ball is in touch and signalled where the lineout is to be formed, the next step is to indicate which team is to throw the ball in. This is done by raising their arm on the side of the team to throw in.

The following simple principles should help the Assistant Referee to make the correct decision:

Which team to award the throw-in to and from where?

• which team carried, kicked or played the ball into touch?
• the passage of play from where the ball was played immediately before it went into touch. (This should help with a possible 50:22 or ball taken back into 22m area prior to being kicked into touch?)

Is a quick throw-in permitted?

• is the same ball being used?
• has the ball been touched by anyone else (other than the player throwing in or the player who carried the ball into touch ) before the quick throw-in has been taken?
• has the lineout been formed?
• has the ball been thrown in correctly?

The Assistant Referee should communicate verbally or by keeping their flag up to indicate to the Referee that the quick throw in should not be permitted.

Lineout duties

The Referee may allocate additional duties within the lineout for the Assistant Referees to manage. These may include:

• players' 10m offside line
• players in the 5m channel
• Foul play.