Question Number: 20317

Law 11 - Offside 10/20/2008

RE: AYSO Under 13

Tom of Valencia, California USA asks...

I was an AR at a U12 match. There was a play where three attacking players were rushing toward the goal with two defenders running with them.

The middle of the three attacking players had the ball and was running directly toward the middle of the goal. The two other attacking players were each running directly toward a goal post. The two defenders were running in between the three attacking players. The two attacking players without the ball were in an offside position (they were running a yard ahead of the ball and the two defenders).

As they reached the 18-yard line (still in the same positions), the Center whistled an offside call (although I never raised my flag, he could clearly see that the two offensive players were in an offside position).

After the game I asked him why he called the team for being offside. He indicated that from his vantage point (running behind the players) he could see that the goalie and defenders were being influenced by the two attacking players in the offside position (they were moving to cover them, instead of moving toward the ball). Because of that influence, he deemed them to be involved in the play and thus the offside call.

I did not think that how an offensive player influenced the positioning of a defensive player could get them 'involved in the play'.

Thanks.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Tom ,
in my opinion you are 100% spot on in keeping the flag down. The referee needs to reevaluate the offside criteria. Perhaps show the referee this site and help him understand offside.
The THOUGHTS of defenders and the actions they choose play NO PART in offside determination.
We ONLY consider, WHAT DOES THE OFFSIDE RESTRICTED ATTACKER DO!

To be guilty of interfering with an opponent the offside players must initiate an action that affect the defenders ability to see or go towards and play the ball as in physically blocking their path to the ball forcing the opponents to deviate to go around or run a longer route.
That action of interference COULD be simply remaining stationary as in blocking their line of sight or move into their path causing them to adapt or change their progress to the ball

The ball carrier is resetting the offside criteria every new touch of the ball as he dribbles forward. If the defenders went to the ball carrier forcing him to pass the ball towards an offside positioned team mate the defender wins back ball possession, well done. For a defender to not challenge the ball carrier but seek out another attacker who could be or is offside is simply bad defending as a poor choice as he is letting the important player have free access to goal..

I think as you, the referee should have trusted you to watch across and wait for the dribbling player to make the pass or wait to see if the offside positioned players ACTUALLY affected the line of sight or path to the ball in any manner of the backpedaling defenders or keeper.

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

For offside to apply, one of the other attackers would have had to do something to get involved in play in between touches of the ball that the other attacker was making while dribbling. Think about the likelihood of that - slim, isn't it?

If a player takes the ball in by himself, and never passes it to a teammate - when is offside position evaluated? At the player's last touch of the ball, which presumably would be to send the ball toward the goal - had the referee not stopped play too soon.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

ARRGGHH!!! Sorry, but I cringe every time a hear of a referee doing this nonsense. It is NOT an offense to be in offside position. Unless the 2 attackers were doing something strange to distract the keeper there's no offside in what you describe. You seem to understand offside just fine. The keeper can go mark one of the attackers in offside position and there'd still be no offside offense. Offside is judged when the ball is touched or played by a teammate. The ball was never played by the attacker with the ball so how can there be any offside offense?

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Ah, those inventive referees - or is it simply laziness in not learning the very basics?

In today's soccer world, if the ball hasn't been passed, the flag shouldn't go up and the whistle shouldn't sound. Nobody has done anything wrong up until that point.

Arguing that the OSP'd attackers were involved in play only because they were so close and/or the defenders MIGHT have been influenced adversely misses the whole point!!! If they'd run in front of the guy with the ball to disguise his movements, yeah, I can go with that, but you would have flagged for it, right? But to whistle it when the guy with the ball still has the ball and is 18 yards from the goal is crazy!!!!

Assignment (for the referee, but wouldn't hurt any of us) - read all of the Week in Review from the MLS this year and pay close attention to the offside calls (and none calls).

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