Remember when the long throw-in was just for desperate moments? Think again! This season, it’s the Premier League’s secret weapon, revolutionizing tactics from Liverpool to Burnley. We dive into how specialist coaches are making this ‘old-school’ move a game-changer. Is your team missing out on this tactical advantage?

The Premier League is witnessing an intriguing tactical shift, as the once-maligned long throw-in re-emerges as a potent, secret weapon for many clubs. This season, a significant majority of teams are deliberately using this set-piece to disrupt opposition defenses, a stark contrast to previous years, with only a handful of clubs abstaining – a notable group that includes the team featuring Liam Delap, son of the legendary throw-in artist Rory Delap.

Far from being a desperate measure, the long throw has evolved into a calculated mid-match strategy, meticulously practiced on training pitches across the league. Data reveals a compelling trend: the average number of long throws hurled into the opposition box has surged from 1.7 per game in 2024-25 to 3.4 per game in 2025-26, indicating a widespread adoption of this rediscovered tactic.

Central to this renaissance is Thomas Gronnemark, recognized globally as football’s first dedicated throw-in specialist. After setting a Guinness World Record for the longest throw in 2010, his expertise caught the attention of Jurgen Klopp, leading to a transformative period at Liverpool. Under Gronnemark’s guidance, Liverpool’s throw-in retention rate dramatically improved from 45.4 percent to 68.4 percent within a single year, elevating them to the top of English football in this crucial aspect.

Gronnemark’s impact extends beyond Merseyside, having engineered considerable success for other clubs. For instance, FC Midtjylland, under his tutelage, astonishingly scored 46 goals from long throw-ins over five seasons. Similarly, Brentford became the Premier League’s most effective long throw-in team last season, demonstrating how specialized coaching can translate into significant offensive output and create high-value chances.

Despite the increasing prevalence, not all long throws are created equal. Gronnemark asserts that many Premier League teams merely “hurl it in there and hope for the best,” lacking the quality and precision required for true effectiveness. A world-class long throw demands a talented taker and meticulous organization from the entire team, a nuanced understanding that is often overlooked.

Achieving a truly effective long throw involves mastering numerous technical aspects, which Gronnemark quantifies as 30 distinct elements. Critical among these is the proper “grip,” a technique he has detailed in widely viewed instructional videos. With specialized technical training, players can improve their throwing range by an impressive five to fifteen meters, transforming a simple restart into a formidable attacking opportunity.

Gronnemark further categorizes throw-ins into long, fast, and clever, highlighting that the “space creation with clever throw-ins is too low in the Premier League.” His analysis reveals alarming statistics: teams like Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester United have shown low possession retention rates from throw-ins under pressure, underscoring a fundamental lack of strategic understanding in these common game situations.

Ultimately, the undervaluation of throw-ins stems from a pervasive lack of knowledge surrounding their tactical potential and the methods for creating space. Gronnemark emphatically states that professional throw-in coaching not only enhances a team’s throw-in efficacy but also significantly improves their overall game performance, given that teams execute an average of 40 to 60 throw-ins per match. This specialized approach, once a niche, is now proving to be a game-changer.