The invention relates to a method for operating a spinning device, comprising a centrifugal spinning element, which rotates at a high rotational speed, and a thread guide tube, which projects into the centrifugal spinning element and which is provided with a re-reeling sleeve that is displaceably mounted thereon. The thread guide tube executes, relative to the centrifugal spinning element, a traversing travel and a superimposed forward movement and places a yarn package with a cop winding onto the inner wall of the centrifugal spinning element. The invention provides that, at the end of the regular spinning process as well as in the event of thread breakage during the spinning process, a drive of the thread guide tube is controlled in such a manner that: the last traversing movement of the thread guide tube runs upward to a re-reeling position that is specified by the lowermost dead center of the traversing travel; the re-reeling sleeve on the thread guide tube is subsequently lowered by defined distance; a re-reeling process is initiated, and; after completion of the re-reeling process, the thread guide tube is driven into a lower stop whereby the resulting spinning cop is transferred into a defined doffing position.