Former Stoke City midfielder Rory Delap believes football clubs should make full use of the long throw if they have a player capable of delivering it, insisting the tactic is simply another way of exploiting a team’s strengths.
Delap became synonymous with the long throw during his playing career, with his deliveries into the penalty area becoming an important part of Stoke City’s success under Tony Pulis.
The tactic has attracted renewed attention in recent seasons as clubs place greater emphasis on set pieces and employ specialist coaches.
Speaking to business consultants Champions (UK) plc at the British Par 3 Championships, Delap said the growing focus on set pieces should not be viewed as a new development.
“I think people have jumped on it because set-play coaches have come in over the last few years, but it was always part of the game.
“The manager or one of the assistant coaches used to do the set plays, so it’s nothing new. It’s been around for 30 or 40 years.
“For me, you utilise every strength you’ve got in the squad. If you’ve got someone who can throw a ball, why wouldn’t you use it?
“Teams don’t like defending balls into the box, and it’s proven that the more balls and touches you get in the box, the more goals you’re going to score. So why wouldn’t you use it?”
Long throws have sometimes divided opinion, particularly when teams take significant time setting up attacking deliveries and send central defenders forward to contest the ball.
For Delap, however, the tactic itself is not the issue. Instead, he believes greater attention could be paid to how quickly teams restart play when preparing a long throw in an attacking area.
“I do think something has to be done about the time it takes to set them up. I know they’ve brought in counting for throw-ins all over the pitch, but it hasn’t quite been utilised properly. In attacking areas, you seem to get a dead spell when everyone is waiting for the throw.
“I don’t see any reason why long throws should be treated differently, but I don’t think the centre-halves will thank me for that, having to get up and back so quickly.
“That’s probably the only thing they need to look at. Long throws are going to be part of the game, so you have to accept that. It’s more about how quickly you can get the ball back in play.”
For a player whose own long throw became one of the most recognisable weapons in Premier League football, Delap remains clear that there is nothing wrong with teams continuing to use the tactic, provided they keep the game moving.
