I was under the impression that the official rules have been changed and if a person throws the ball in and the ball never enters the playing field they are no longer awarded a re-throw. is this correct?

The reasioning for the change is if you allow a re-throw then it can be used as a stall tactic, by throwing the ball as far as you can out of bounds, waiting to get the the ball back, and then getting another throw.

High School rules don't allow re-throws when the ball doesn't enter. FIFA rules require the ball to enter the field or the restart didn't happen. If you suspect a player/team is using this to waste time, give them a warning and if necessary a caution for delaying a restart. And be sure to add the wasted time to the half.

The above is correct. There have been no rule changes which alter the legality of this restart.
The only rule change that the 2005 MEMO made to throw-ins was that opponents have to retreat two yards/meters from the thrower. They cannot stand right in front of him anymore.

Both guys are right on both counts!

Thanks for the help. is there anywhere on the internet that i can find this particular rule, for the highschool level. so i can e-mail or print it out for someone

tj,
You are in luck. Normally, the NFHS does not have much from their rules online, and one has to purchase the Rules Book from them for about $6. However currently there is a document on the history of the HS soccer rule changes posted on their website http://www.NFHS.org which contains the following:
http://www.nfhs.org/scriptcontent/va...Content_ID=494

"2000
15-1-5: A throw-in must enter the field of play or the ball is awarded to the opponent."

So you can see that this has been the case since the year 2000. What exactly does the actual text of 15-1-5 say? That's not available on the website, so I'll have to type it out for you from my copy of the 2005-06 Rules Book.

"...If, on a throw-in, the ball fails to enter the field of play before it touches the ground, the ball is awarded to the opponent at the spot of the infraction."

Glad to be of help. :)

OK, I'll bite. Does it say where the infraction occurred? i.e. Is it where the ball decided to hit the ground outside the field of play or from where the throw was taken? (I think I know the answer. I just want to know if it's spelled out in their rediculously long and outrageously un-free rule book.)

Sorry, I just couldn't resist giving you a hard time about your spelling before getting to your question. :)

No, the rules book doesn't explicitly state from where the new throw-in shall be awarded. I have always gone with the original throw-in spot. Even the play ruling that the NFHS includes doesn't make this point clear.

15.1.4 SITUATION: A throw-in by Player A2 (a) hits the touchline and bounces into the field of play; or (b) hits or breaks the plane of the touchline and goes out of the field of play; or (c) lands outside the touchline and bounces into the field of play; or (d) does not hit or break the plane of the touchline but remains outside. RULING: In (a) a legal throw; play continues; in (b) legal; award throw-in to Team B; in (c) and (d) illegal; award throw-in to Team B.

In (b) I'm awarding the throw-in from the spot where the ball exited the field since the throw-in was legal, but in (c) and (d) I'm giving Team B the throw-in from up at the spot of the illegal throw-in.

That is correct, because the infraction was the throw not the landing and the landing was in a non-existent place.

Do you all know there is also a NFHS forum, divided by sports?
http://www.nfhs.org/scriptcontent/va...ultimatebb.cgi