The long throw-in returns to prominence in English football

Long throw-ins are enjoying a resurgence in English football as clubs and the national team weigh the tactic as a legitimate attacking option.

Data from Opta and recent club practice show a marked rise in long throws into the opposition penalty area in the Premier League, while national coaches and specialists say the set piece can be a low-cost, high-impact tool when deployed selectively.

According to Opta, 11 of the 20 Premier League clubs recorded at least one long throw into the opposition box during the opening weekend of the new season, up from four in the same period last year. The frequency of throws of at least 20 metres that end in the penalty area grew from 0.9 per game in 2020-21 to 1.5 in 2024-25, and long throws that led to goals increased from 0.03% to 0.38% over the same span.

The uptick has attracted attention at the national level. England manager Thomas Tuchel said recently, "The long throw-in is back," and indicated the team would examine throw-ins, long goalkeeper punts and other set-piece techniques in the run-up to next summer's World Cup. Tuchel's assistant Anthony Barry previously analysed 16,380 Premier League throw-ins for his university dissertation and concluded that lateral or backward throws can increase success rates compared with always throwing forward, and that higher-ranked teams used that strategy more often.

Specialist coaches who focus on throw-ins point to measurable improvements. Thomas Gronnemark, a Dane who worked for Liverpool from 2018 to 2023 and now works with Brentford, holds the world record for the longest throw-in at 51.33 metres. Under Gronnemark's tutorship at Liverpool, the club's throw-in possession rates rose from 45.4% to 68.4%, moving the team from 18th to first in the league on that metric.

Gronnemark said throw-ins are often underestimated by coaches, players and commentators. "Throw-ins are underestimated — by coaches, players, commentators, fans — as something you should just do and see what happens," he said. He added that working with national teams in the short camps before major tournaments can be effective because the throw is a discrete, teachable skill.

Clubs have translated that coaching into results. Brentford scored five goals from throw-ins last season and generated 48 chances from the restart with an expected goals total of 7.2. Tottenham Hotspur, which appointed former Brentford manager Thomas Frank in the summer, has increased its use of long throws: the club made six long throws into the opposition box last season and has already made eight this term.

The tactic carries historical resonance in England. Between 2008 and 2012, Stoke City’s Rory Delap made long throws a feared element of his team’s attack; at the time then-Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said it resembled "more rugby on the goalkeepers than football." The threat was such that Hull goalkeeper Boaz Myhill once kicked the ball out for a corner rather than risk a Delap throw.

Despite its growing use, proponents say the long throw should be a situational weapon rather than a constant strategy. "It would be great if England could do some long throwing — not all the time, but once in a while," Gronnemark said. Coaches also stress that nuanced choices about direction and tempo, informed by data and practice, can improve success rates.

As clubs and national teams prepare for major fixtures, the long throw is being re-evaluated from an occasional tactic to a coached, repeatable element of set-piece work. Its rise in usage and measurable impact on possession and chance creation suggest clubs see it as an efficient way to create goal opportunities without major overhaul of personnel or formation.

Coaches caution that implementation requires practice and tactical discipline: timing, accurate throws and coordinated runs from teammates are essential. With tournaments and league campaigns placing a premium on marginal gains, the long throw has quietly re-emerged as one such edge in the modern game.