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Related Topics: Rory Delap, BBC Sport

Anyone who watched Premier League football between 2008 and 2012 will remember Rory Delap's long throws for Stoke City.

The potency of the 'Delap special' - when he hurled the ball into the penalty area from the sidelines - filled opposing defences with dread.

However, bar that brief spell when Delap defined an era for Stoke, throw-ins have been one of football's untapped resources.

Delap showed what was possible. But there must be more tactical possibilities for a set-piece that operates outside both the offside and handball laws.

About 35 times every match an outfield player is allowed to throw the ball on to the pitch, often from a position only approximately close to where it went out of play.