Alex Keble
Football tactics writer

Set-piece coaches have turned modern corners and free-kicks into American football-style set plays. Why not throw-ins?

There are countless corner strategies and counter-strategies out there, and yet so far this hasn't changed throw-in tactics, which remain oddly static and improvised.

Again, the lack of innovation is staggering compared with how much has changed in other departments.

And innovation isn't difficult to achieve - remove the snobbery, establish long throws as the norm (and the new corners), and set-piece plays can be transferred wholesale.

This comes with an added bonus. When opponents adapt and pack the box, short throw-ins will become like short corners, producing two-on-ones and a crossing situation.

Once the seal is broken, the possibilities are endless.

Alex Keble
Football tactics writer

Image source, Getty Images

It's time to end the snobbery. Thanks to Delap's role for Tony Pulis' Stoke, long throws are exclusively associated with direct, ugly, and defensive football.

We ought to question the logic of that. First of all, Arsenal are bringing set-piece reliance back into fashion (Mikel Arteta has previously taken comparisons to Pulis' Stoke as a "compliment") and set-piece coaches are all the rage right now.

More importantly, a long throw-in is no different from sending a corner straight into the box. Why are long corners seen as acceptable and long throws somehow regressive?

Again it comes back to the basic weirdness of throw-ins, their status as an after-thought. To maximise them is almost seen as bending the rules, or at least breaking the spirit of the law.

Delap briefly revolutionised the throw-in - but he only began to tap into its potential. There is room for so much more.

Alex Keble
Football tactics writer

Image source, Getty Images

Rory Delap's arrow-like long throws were iconic - and terrifying.

Defences struggled to cope with the speed and flat trajectory of his deliveries, so much so that Hull City goalkeeper Boaz Myhill once opted to kick the ball out for a corner to avoid conceding a throw-in.

Stoke scored 25 goals from Delap throw-ins in four years. It's a weapon every team could do with, and yet nobody has managed to replicate his throwing style.

Why not?

While Delap was a javelin thrower in his youth, which helped his unique delivery, there must be scope to train players to get close to the length and speed he was able to achieve with his throws.

Get a full-back in the gym, build up the arms muscles, their hip muscles, or whatever else is needed to specialise, and you could have a brand new weapon.

Before the start of the 2025-26 Premier League season, BBC Sport's tactics writer Alex Keble had a look at how the Delap delivery could be back in fashion, and he listed five ways throw-ins could be reinvented this season...

Image source, Getty Images

You can't think about long throws without remembering Rory Delap.

Between 2008 and 2012, the 'Delap special' - when he hurled the ball into the penalty area from the sidelines - filled opposing defences with dread.

In fact, Stoke City scored 25 goals from Delap throw-ins in four years.

Come on now, Lee. Peter Crouch famously had a great feet for a big man. He had good feet for a player of any size, to be fair.

David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Steven Gerrard all had a pretty impressive passing range as well but I'm not sure we want to get into the whole difference between a long ball and a long pass debate.

But we do want to talk long throws...

One thing that was levelled at England under Gareth Southgate, especially towards the end of his time in charge, was that they were boring.

They were ponderous in possession and seen to be playing far too safe, with men behind the ball and a lot of short, sideways passing.

Thumping the ball long then, would seem to be the opposite of that... but is it any more entertaining?

Let us know your thoughts on whether England should be playing a more direct, long ball style by clicking 'Get Involved' at the top of this page.

Image source, Getty Images

Here is what Thomas Tuchel has had to say about long throws, long balls and whipping the ball into the box.

The German seems pretty keen for England to have these tools in their arsenal at next summer's World Cup...

"I told you - the long throw-in is back," Tuchel said. "But we do not have a lot of time.

"But once we arrive at the World Cup, all these things matter, so we will also talk about long throw-ins, we will talk about long kicks from the goalkeeper and not only playing short.

"But we cannot put everything into four days of training. But these things will matter. And let's see.

"I need to reflect now with my assistant coaches. All these patterns are back and crosses are back as well."

Image source, Getty Images

Route one? Lumping it up to the big man? Getting the ball in the mixer?

However you want to describe it, it seems England boss Thomas Tuchel wants his team to use long throw-ins and play long balls at next summer's World Cup.

The Three Lions are on course to qualify for the tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico as they top of Group K in qualifying with four wins from four, five points above Serbia - who they visit on Tuesday.

Tuchel's side have played fewer long balls as a percentage of passes (4%) in qualifying than Gareth Southgate's England did at Euro 2024 (8.8%).

But two of those four games have been against Andorra.

Long throws, meanwhile, have become a bigger feature in recent times in English football.

Right then, there's no time to waste so let's stop dillydallying and get straight to it - a sentiment Thomas Tuchel seems to agree with...

We're back again for another big footballing week.

The international break is still in full flow so we'll be talking about a potential tactical shift for England, a big game for Scotland tonight and reflecting on Sunday's action.

We're also going to delve into the big debate of who is/ was football's greatest teen sensation in a little while.

So get yourself a brew and settle in.