Question Number: 20162

Law 11 - Offside 10/5/2008

RE: AYSO Rec Under 11

Mike S. of Chino Hills, CA USA asks...

According to ATR 11.13, the IFK for offside 'should be taken from the place where the offside player was when the teammate kicked the ball'. This may be a different location from where the offside was called (i.e. interfered with play).

My question is related to the mechanics of the AR. What does the AR do when the location of the offside position is different than the place the offside is called? I am of the impression that the AR should raise their flag, and after it is acknowledged, run to the correct position and then signal the location. However, I have yet to notice an AR in my rec league move from the spot where the offside was called even if the initial offside position was much farther upfield. I also could not find any literature that clearly explained the mechanics in this case. If you know of such a document, please direct me to the article. Thanks for all your help.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Mike,
then the ARs in your league are not doing their jobs correctly. I suggest you look over the guide to procedures for ARs and 4th official. While we can recognize the reason for recreational league laxness it stems from the restart location of the offside indfk is often many yards away as an indfk coming out is not seen a a scoring threat and a blade of grass restart is not essential to the overall game management.

Basically the trifling aspect is simply an uncomplicated turn over of ball possession. That said the indk is required to be at minimum in the vicinity of where it should be given the law states at the point of the infraction.

Offside, because the infraction is related to an earlier position rather than a later involved requires the thinking referee to use his AR to indicate just where this occurred.

You are correct to follow play and ONLY raise the flag when offside involvement is 100%. You get eye contact and side step back up the field to indicate the line as you drop the flag to the required far, mid, or near position

The referee can CHOOSE to allow an incorrect position if he sees it as no big deal and to be fair an infraction 6 yards back at the edge of the 6 yd goal area or at the pk spot or even the edge of the penalty area for an INDFK is not really a match breaker decision. Often the restart is accepted because the team taking it seem to not be concerned they are too far back, they want to get the ball up to a team mate and moving .

A general rule is the closer the opportunity for a free kick to score the more blade of grass that restart must be.
If you as AR are backpeddling to change the restart location correctly and the referee allows a different restart location it could catch you out of position so in the pregame TALK this point over with the referee and stay on the same page! Cheers