throw back to

throw (something) back to (one)

1. To toss or hurl something back in the direction of one who had originally thrown it. I asked the neighbor to throw the ball back to me, but he just ignored me and let it sit on his lawn instead. I signed the ledger and threw it back to my foreman.
2. To defer or refer some problem, issue, task, etc., to back to one who had originally or previously dealt with it. I don't have the authority to make this kind of decision, so I'll have to throw it back to my supervisor. I'll throw the error back to our IT team to see if they can resolve it.
See also: back, throw
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

throw something back to someone

 
1. Lit. to return something to someone by throwing. Liz threw the ball back to Kelly. She threw back the ball.
2. Fig. to return a problem to someone. I can't do anything about this. I'll throw it back to Roger. Karen threw back the problem to Roger, who had caused it.
See also: back, throw
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • be/go back to square one
  • back to square one
  • come back and see us
  • back
  • back at (something or some place)
  • break one's neck, to
  • (in) back of (something)
  • back of
  • back of something
  • back over
References in periodicals archive
What is most alarming is that it seems BP were caught napping in a throw back to the bad old days when industries could get away with almost anything.
Gulf oil disaster a repeat of old days; VOICE OF THE NORTH
Deans tried a long throw back to his keeper Jimmy Fyfe but the ball squirmed into the net.
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SNOOKER must be one of the only sports where the players call fouls on themselves - a throw back to the days when honour was the order of the day in sport.
Football: Mouthful - SPORTING HOT-POTS
Boro were seething after Derby's second goal stemmed from a throw-in which they were expecting the home side to throw back to keeper Mark Schwarzer.
Anger will fuel Boro's assault; FOOTBALL
ROADSIDE shrines with teddies and flowers are a throw back to medieval times when images rather than words were an aid to contemplation, a senior Church of England official said today.
IN BRIEF: Shrines reflect past ways
The spooky-eyed image, taken by hip photographer Markus Klinko, is a throw back to Bowie's weird space character Thomas Newton in the movie The Man Who Fell To Earth.
3am: Starman returns