Eliminating throw-ins and replacing them with kick-ins would be a "huge step back" for football, according to Liverpool's throw-in coach Thomas Gronnemark.
Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been a huge advocate in recent years of replacing throw-ins, citing their existence as a feasible way for teams to regularly waste time.
On Monday, the latest IFAB, football's law making body, meeting took place in Qatar and the possibility of replacing throw-ins, which have been around since replacing kick-ins in 1863, was discussed. However, no formal trial to play without has been planned, despite Wenger's ongoing pressure.
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Though Gronnemark, who has worked with Jurgen Klopp's side since 2018, was quick to shut down such suggestions that the game would benefit from their exile.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: ""It would be the biggest mistake. They would be taking a beautiful thing away. But I am 100 per cent sure they will keep them because they will soon see if they trial it that maybe the ball won't be lost as much with no pressure on the kicker and it will ruin the joy of the game for everyone."
"I have seen that the development in throw-ins has been better since I got my break at Liverpool," he says. In his expert view, those that are seeking an alternative to the throw-in would be better off focusing on how to improve this key discipline of the game.
"If you are not working on throw-ins, spending time on it in training and have a general lack of knowledge, then, of course, it is challenging. No matter what we are talking about in life, if you don't work on it then it will be a big challenge.
"I have seen people say that it is 10 against 11 inside the pitch when you take the thrower away so you are almost certain to lose the ball. No, you are not almost certain to lose the ball! It can actually be an advantage but coaches don't put the time into it."
The Dane has been credited for his work with Liverpool full-backs during their time together, with the Reds often outwitting opposition with their intelligent routines while in possession of a throw-in - which usually involves a midfield making a dummy run, before another man comes short to receive - but also in their ability to sniff out tactics of their opponents and win the ball back quickly themselves.
Wenger, since taking up his new role with the game's governing body FIFA, has become hugely vocal about parts of the game he feels need revolutionising, with time-wasting the biggest gripe of his. The Frenchman believes football matches should be reduced to 60 minutes long and the referee's watches should be paused every time the ball leaves the field.
This is something Grennemark agrees with, but insists throw-ins should be perceived with the same importance as corners and other set-pieces.
"Firstly, I don't think time-wasting is a problem with throw-ins. Why? Because if a team is time-wasting it should be obvious to the referee. If you are using that time to create space, it should also be obvious that the time is being used to keep the ball by moving.
"They won't say it's time-wasting with corners because people understand with this that the players need time to get into the right positions to receive the ball and the kicker needs to be able to set the ball right. This time-wasting argument with throw-ins is not valid.
"And besides, the easiest way to get around time-wasting is to have 60 minutes of effective playing time. This happens in many other sports. We could do that in football. Kick-ins are not an argument against throw-ins regarding time-wasting in any way.
