Unpacking how modern football turns a simple restart into a game-changing strategy
In the world of modern football, almost every inch of the game has been analyzed, optimized, and redefined — from goalkeeping distribution to set-piece routines. Yet one element remained overlooked for decades: the throw-in.
What was once seen as a mere formality — a way to restart play — is now being reimagined as a tactical weapon. Thanks to innovative coaches like Thomas Grønnemark, football has begun to uncover the untapped potential of this humble restart.
This blog dives deep into how elite clubs are using throw-ins strategically and why this overlooked art is reshaping modern tactics.
🤲 Throw-Ins: From Routine to Resource
On average, a football match sees between 40 to 50 throw-ins. Traditionally, most teams treat them as a quick way to get the ball back in play — often without any structured planning. However, when you realize that throw-ins occur as often as corners or more, it becomes clear they deserve more attention.
Enter a new wave of tactical evolution, where coaches and analysts began asking:
“Can a throw-in be used to create space, press resistance, or even goal-scoring chances?”
The answer, as it turns out, is a resounding yes.
🎯 Thomas Grønnemark: The Throw-In Coach Who Changed Everything
A former Danish athlete specializing in sprinting and bobsledding, Thomas Grønnemark brought a completely different perspective to football when he started working with clubs as a “throw-in coach.” His breakthrough moment came in 2018, when Jürgen Klopp brought him into Liverpool FC.
🛠️ What Grønnemark Teaches:
Grønnemark’s method isn’t just about long throws — it’s about:
- Fast and accurate technique
- Creating space with movement and positioning
- Turning throw-ins into possession plays, not 50/50s
- Avoiding pressure zones
- Confusing opponents with misdirection and patterns
This is what he coined the “Long, Fast, and Clever” approach — focusing not just on distance but on efficiency, awareness, and support options.
🧠 Tactical Types of Throw-Ins
Throw-ins now fall into several tactical categories, especially when trained properly:
1. Attacking Throw-Ins
- Aim to retain possession in the final third
- Can lead to cutbacks, switches, or direct crosses
- Often used to restart pressure and keep the ball in dangerous zones
2. Defensive Throw-Ins
- Used to escape pressure
- Focus on quick movement and triangle formations
- Helps prevent opponents from pressing high
3. Long Throws as Set Pieces
- Used like corners, especially with tall forwards
- Teams like Stoke City (under Rory Delap) and FC Midtjylland turned this into an art form
- Requires timing, specialized throwers, and training routines
⚽ Teams That Mastered the Throw-In Game
🔴 Liverpool FC
- Under Klopp and Grønnemark, Liverpool improved dramatically in throw-in retention under pressure.
- Went from 18th in the Premier League to 1st in throw-in possession stats.
- Used throw-ins to keep width, switch flanks, and initiate pressing traps.
🧱 FC Midtjylland (Denmark)
- One of the first clubs to employ data-heavy analysis on throw-ins.
- Used them as corner-equivalents in certain match situations.
- They even scored directly or indirectly from long throws, thanks to choreographed movement.
⚪ RB Leipzig and Ajax
- European sides that hired specialists to improve touchline play.
- Focused more on short throw routines and creating passing triangles post-throw.
📈 Data: Why Throw-Ins Matter
- 40+ throw-ins per game = high impact over 90 minutes
- Teams that retained possession after throw-ins had a 10% higher chance of creating a chance in the next 2 minutes (StatsBomb)
- Throw-ins in the final third can lead to goals in 1 out of every 8 cases when executed with a planned structure
In other words, if you ignore throw-ins, you’re ignoring 40 opportunities to gain or lose momentum.
🧱 Common Challenges
Despite the benefits, throw-in strategies aren’t widespread due to:
- Lack of awareness or specialized staff
- Stigma (some managers view throw-in coaching as “gimmicky”)
- Time constraints in training sessions already packed with priorities
- Difficulty in replicating patterns under pressure
Yet, as more teams look to gain marginal advantages, these obstacles are being overcome.
🚀 The Future of Throw-Ins in Football
As tactics evolve and data analysis becomes more sophisticated, throw-ins are slowly becoming an integrated part of team identity:
- Youth academies now include throw-in drills with movement off the ball
- Clubs are employing throw-in analysts
- Artificial Intelligence is being explored to analyze throw-in zones and tendencies
In the near future, we might even see:
- Dedicated throw-in coaches at every top club
- Custom routines for different scorelines or match situations
- Throw-in specialist players, just like corner or free-kick takers
🧠 Conclusion: The Sideline Secret Weapon
The next time you see a team earn a throw-in, don’t blink. Behind what looks like a simple act lies a potential strategic trigger, a planned movement, or even a match-winning opportunity.
Thanks to innovators like Thomas Grønnemark and open-minded clubs, the throw-in is no longer an afterthought — it’s a weapon.
And as the margins between victory and defeat shrink in elite football, every throw counts.
❓ FAQs – Tactical Throw-Ins in Football
Q1: Who is Thomas Grønnemark and why is he important?
A: He is a Danish throw-in coach who revolutionized how teams approach throw-ins, working with clubs like Liverpool, FC Midtjylland, and Ajax to use them as a tactical advantage.
Q2: Do throw-ins really help create scoring chances?
A: Yes. Properly executed throw-ins — especially in the attacking third — can lead to cutbacks, switches, or even goals, with well-structured routines.
Q3: Is throw-in coaching common in football?
A: It’s becoming more popular, especially among forward-thinking clubs. However, many teams still underutilize this tactic due to stigma or time constraints.
Q4: What’s the difference between a long throw and a tactical throw?
A: A long throw focuses on distance (like a corner), while a tactical throw emphasizes movement, positioning, and retaining possession under pressure.
Q5: Are there players specialized in throw-ins?
A: Some players, like Rory Delap or those trained under Grønnemark, are considered throw-in specialists due to their technique and power.